Wyoming Governor Approves Rules for Grizzly Hunt

Cheyenne, WY.    –    Governor Matt Mead has approved rules put forth by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission that will allow grizzly bear hunting this fall. Mead approved the rules on Thursday, ahead of what will be the biggest grizzly bear hunt in the lower 48 states, since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed protections over Yellowstone grizzly bears back in 2017. The hunt will also be Wyoming’s first grizzly bear hunt in 44 years. The rules establish the hunting season and boundaries, the number and sex of bears and types of firearms that can be used. The quotas are consistent with the allocations established together by Idaho, Montana and Wyoming under the tri-state agreement endorsed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS) upon de-listing.

“Wyoming values its wildlife and effectively manages them for everyone’s benefit,” said Wyoming Governor Matt Mead. “Over the past four decades, Wyoming has spent $50 million on grizzly bear recovery and management. As a result of those efforts, grizzly bears exceeded their recovery goals for over a decade, ultimately leading the USFWS to delist them last year. I trust the scientific experts at the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to manage bears in a way that ensures they never require federal protection again.”

The Game and fish department received over 3,300 written or online comments regarding the grizzly bear hunt as well as held a series of public meeting where they accepted both oral and written public comments.

Neighboring states have varying opinions on grizzly hunting, with Idaho having approved a hunt for only one grizzly this fall, and Montana has refraining from grizzly bear hunting at this time.