Wyoming Sport and Fish Division

Shed antler and horn searching season closed for western, southern Wyoming

The Jan. 1 closure helps huge recreation survive winter

1/3/2023 8:53:11 PM

Cheyenne – Many sections of public lands in western and southern Wyoming at the moment are closed for shed antler and horn searching. The annual closure for sections of public land, state land and Wyoming Sport and Fish Fee wildlife habitat administration areas in Wyoming grew to become efficient at midnight on Jan. 1. The shed assortment closure is supposed to guard wintering huge recreation.

A Wyoming Sport and Fish Fee regulation prohibits anybody from accumulating shed antlers or horns on public land, similar to U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Administration lands, state lands and Wyoming Sport and Fish Fee-owned or administered lands west of the Continental Divide, excluding the Nice Divide Basin and a few land west of Laramie, from Jan. 1 by way of 6 a.m. Might 1 of every 12 months. A map of the closure space is accessible on-line and the boundaries are detailed inside the regulation.

“The annual shed antler and horn assortment closure is to reduce the disturbance and stress to huge recreation on winter ranges,” mentioned Rick King, Sport and Fish deputy chief of wildlife. “It’s important that our huge recreation animals don’t expertise undue stress through the winter months.”

Gather means to seek for, find, stockpile or possess shed antlers and horns of massive recreation animals on public land or try to seek for, find, stockpile or possess shed antlers and horns of massive recreation animals on public or state land through the closed season. A violation of this regulation carries the identical potential penalties, together with fines, forfeiture of seized shed antler and horns and lack of searching and fishing privileges, as many different Sport and Fish violations. 

“Shed antler fans may also help wildlife by obeying the shed antler and horn searching rules and different winter vary closures statewide,” King mentioned. “And, all wildlife fans may also help huge recreation by giving them area over the winter and early spring.”

It’s unlawful to enter the non-public property of any particular person to gather antlers or horns with out the permission of the proprietor of the property or the particular person in control of the property, whatever the time of the 12 months. 

For questions contact the Laramie, Inexperienced River, Pinedale and Jackson regional places of work. To report shed antler or horn assortment violations name the STOP Poaching Hotline at 1-877-943-3847 (1-877-WGFD-TIP) or textual content the key phrase WGFD to TIP411 (847-411). Violations may additionally be reported on-line on the Sport and Fish web site.

(Breanna Ball, Public Info Officer – ([email protected]))

– WGFD –