A proposed bill in Wyoming’s Legislature is sparking a heated debate about the commercialization of landowner hunting tags and its potential impact on the state’s wildlife and hunting traditions, Wyo File reports.
Senate File 118, introduced by freshman Senator Laura Pearson (R-Kemmerer), seeks to allow Wyoming landowners to sell or transfer the hunting tags they receive for hosting wildlife on their property.
Pearson, whose family has been hit hard by economic challenges in the sheep ranching industry, views the bill as a way to provide financial relief to ranchers. After a brutal winter in 2022-23 that forced some woolgrowers out of business, Pearson said her family faced financial uncertainty.
“This bill would give ranchers and farmers the ability to sell or gift their tags to whomever they want,” Pearson said.
She framed the legislation as an opportunity for landowners to capitalize on their stewardship of Wyoming’s wildlife habitat.
The bill has garnered support from 12 Republican co-sponsors, many aligned with the conservative Wyoming Freedom Caucus.
Currently, landowners with at least 160 contiguous acres providing habitat for wildlife species like elk, deer, and pronghorn can receive up to two hunting licenses per species. These tags are meant for family use and are allocated before the general hunting lottery. However, critics argue that loopholes, such as subdividing land to increase eligibility, are already being exploited.
Between 2014 and 2021, the number of landowner licenses issued in Wyoming increased by 26%, with some hunting zones seeing a significant portion of tags allocated to landowners.
The proposed changes have drawn sharp criticism from hunting groups, wildlife advocates, and even game wardens. Opponents argue that allowing the sale of landowner tags would give wealthy non-residents an unfair advantage in securing hunting licenses, effectively privatizing a public resource.
“It’s essentially the privatization of a wildlife resource,” said Jess Johnson, government affairs director for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.
She expressed concern that landowner tags, which are already allocated before the public lottery, would become a “pay-to-play” system favoring the highest bidder.
David Willms, a representative of the National Wildlife Federation, warned that Wyoming could follow in the footsteps of states like New Mexico, where 38% of elk hunting tags are issued via transferrable landowner licenses, with the majority going to non-residents.
“In New Mexico, the going rate for a bull elk tag is roughly $10,000,” Willms said. “This could reduce the availability of tags for Wyoming residents and strain public hunting opportunities.”
The Wyoming Game Warden Association has also voiced its opposition. Levi Wood, the association’s president, argued that Wyoming’s wildlife is held in public trust and managed for the benefit of all residents.
“Transferable and sellable landowner licenses are a step toward privatization and away from the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” Wood stated.
The bill, which has not yet been assigned to a legislative committee, faces an uphill battle. Even Pearson acknowledged potential conflicts of interest due to her family’s eligibility for landowner tags and suggested she might recuse herself from voting on the legislation.
If passed, the bill would task the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission with developing regulations for the resale of landowner hunting licenses. The deadline for the bill to advance out of committee is February 7, 2025.
