Why did the Wyoming Wildlife Federation Betray Resident Hunters?

Earlier this month, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation betrayed resident hunters and threw in with the Wyoming Outfitter Industry to oppose SF0094, a bill which would have increased the number if big game hunting tags going to resident hunters.

Wyoming is currently by far the most liberal western state in allocating big game tags to nonresident hunters.

Currently, Wyoming gives 25% of its big game sheep tags to non residents. Nevada, New Mexico, Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Utah allot just 10% of bighorn sheep tags to non residents.

Because of the number resident hunter applicants, drawing a bighorn sheep tag, even for a Wyoming resident, is a 16-20 year wait - of putting in every year, and essentially a once in a lifetime tag for Wyoming residents.

It's not only sheep. Mountain Goat is by regulation, a once-in-a-lifetime hunt for Wyoming residents, but still every year we give 25% of our available mountain goat tags to nonresidents! Every other western state gives nonresidents just 10% of the available mountain goat tags.

Wyoming allots 20% of its moose and pronghorn tags to nonresidents. Idaho and Montana offer only 10%, and New Mexico, just 6% for do-it-yourself hunters.

In terms of elk, limited quota full-priced bull tags, only Colorado is more liberal in giving tags to non-residents. Colorado gives 20% of its limited quota elk tags to nonresidents. Wyoming gives 16%. Every other state is 10% or less.

Mountain Pursuit strongly supported SF0094, which would have changed the state's big game tag allocation to a 90/10 model, where 90% of big game tags going to resident hunters, and 10% of big game tags going to nonresident hunters. Additionally, in any big game hunt area which offered 10 or fewer tags, all of these tags would have gone to resident hunters.

The tag allocation proposed by SF0094 models exactly what Montana does now.

The bill also set aside 30% of all nonresident tags for outfitters, lessening the impact from the change, and increased nonresident tag prices to pay for it all. In fact, according to WDGF numbers, the bill would have generated $975,000 in additional revenue for the department.

We reached out to the Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association multiple times prior to the bill's introduction, and even briefed the board about the proposal at the WYOGA December meeting in Lander.

In the end, not surprisingly, the Outfitters opposed the bill, which failed on a 1-28 vote for introduction on February 11. We got crushed.

However, we were stunned by the Wyoming Wildlife Federation opposition. The WWF never reached out for us with its concerns, but instead submitted comments to gohunt.com, a nonresident hunter planning website, explaining its position.

In its comments, the WWF came swiftly to the defense of nonresident hunters and the outfitters, citing a million dollar loss to the outfitters and $5 million loss in tax revenue. The WWF also bemoaned the increase in nonresident tag fees. Ultimately, the WWF claimed this wasn't worth the slight increase in drawing odds resident hunters would gain from the change.

What the WWF didn't do was acknowledge the once in a lifetime memories many of these big game tags give resident hunters. Using 2019 numbers, the WWF noted Wyoming issued 176 total bighorn sheep tags: 132 went to residents, 44 to non residents.

Under the proposed change, 158 would have gone to resident hunters, and 18 to nonresidents. The WWF cited this increase in 26 tags to resident hunters as statistically insignificant .... Except to the individual resident hunters who would have received one of these 26 tags after putting in for multiple years! And the same would have occurred for once in a lifetime moose, bison and goat tags.

Founded in 1937, The Wyoming Wildlife Federation is Wyoming's oldest and one of our largest conservation organizations, and until now, was respected by resident hunters. So why now would the Board and Staff at the WWF would betray resident hunters and become a nonprofit mouthpiece lobbying for the outfitting industry? We can't understand it.

The WWF has been a huge beneficiary of Wyoming taxpayer generosity. Since 2008, the WWF has has received 30 G&F Commissioner elk, deer or antelope tags, which it's offered in sweepstakes or auctioned off to raise approximately $836,000 to fund operations, which now include lobbying for the outfitter industry and against resident hunters.

Mountain Pursuit opposes all Commissioner tag giveaways outright - and especially those given to industry organizations. If the WWF is going to lobby for nonresident hunters and outfitters, it shouldn't accept Commissioner tags.

On our side the battle isn't over. Mountain Pursuit will continue to fight for the interests of resident hunters and we plan to come back next year with another bill. Opposed? Join the traitors at the Wyoming Wildlife Federation.

Rob Shaul is the Founder and Board President of Mountain Pursuit.