Season changes approved - with one exception

Alterations to this year’s hunting seasons have now been approved by the Wyoming Game & Fish Commission, but with one important change to what was proposed.

The general deer season will still be shortened, but a little less than expected.

“Our rifle season, after the commission met, is going to be November 1 through November 17, so we still cut the weekend out but with an extra few days of wiggle room to play with,” says Sundance Game Warden Nate Holst.

The commission met last week to consider the adjustments, which were proposed mainly in reaction to the ongoing impacts of winter and overwhelming public concern. In Crook County, however, the proposed reductions were related to the impact of two years of epizootic hemorrhagic disease and low birth numbers in the Black Hills.

The original proposal was for the general deer season to last from November 1 through November 15. While this has now been extended to November 17, the rest of the proposals were approved without change.

Non-resident general licenses have also been cut back to 2000.

A number of reduced-price licenses have been removed from the quota for both white-tailed deer and antelope.

Quotas for type 8 additional licenses for doe or fawn white-tailed deer on private land within Hunt Areas 1-3, which together cover the area of the county north of the interstate, have been reduced to 250.

The quota for type 8 licenses for doe or fawn white-tailed deer on private land in Hunt Area 4, to the southeast of the county, has been reduced from 75 to 25.

The changes also include the removal of type 6 additional doe or fawn antelope licenses from Hunt Area 2, located to the northeast of the county. A quota of 100 licenses had originally been planned for this area.

In Hunt Area 5, which is partially located to the southeast of Crook County, a planned 75 type 7 additional licenses for doe or fawn antelope on private land have also been removed.

Following last week’s meeting, wildlife managers have made adjustments to hunting season proposals in many areas of the state, with an overall decrease of 10,290 antelope and 4410 mule deer licenses. Check out the Game & Fish website in May for finalized information