Why It Matters: Private landowners manage approximately 43% of Wyoming’s land mass, serving as vital partners in wildlife conservation and public access to recreational opportunities. On July 15, 2025, the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission heard testimony from hunters, landowners, and legislators on proposed changes to the landowner tag rules. The diverse testimony highlighted the delicate balance between landowner relations, wildlife management, and public hunting access.
Highlights:
- Nearly 100 stakeholders shared testimony during the July 15, 2025, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting as Commissioners reviewed a proposal on updates to existing landowner tag qualifications.
- Senator Laura Pearson shared testimony with the Commissioners explaining the intent of her bill, Senate Bill 118, which set the stage for this discussion during the legislative session.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) advocates for collaborative solutions that enhance the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and its adherence to the Public Trust Doctrine.
As we reported previously, the debate over private ownership of wildlife is among the most difficult in our space. The balance between supporting landowners who provide vital wildlife habitat and public access opportunities, while maintaining adherence to the Public Trust Doctrine creates a delicate tightrope walk for each state’s fish and wildlife agency. This debate was highlighted during the July 15, 2025, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission meeting as they considered proposed revisions to the state’s landowner tag system. During the hearing, one commissioner highlighted the access and conservation funding conundrum in which Wyoming is increasingly seeing draw units become limited almost solely to landowners, thereby eliminating public access to draw opportunities.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation supports incentive-based programs like Wyoming’s Access Yes, which compensates landowners for allowing public hunting access, fostering positive relations while preserving wildlife as a public resource. These voluntary programs, also seen in states like Montana and Colorado, enhance habitat conservation and hunter opportunities without privatizing wildlife through tag sales. CSF opposes the sale of transferable tags as they risk violating the sanctity of the Public Trust Doctrine by allowing individuals to profit from a limited access opportunity to a public trust resource on the basis of land ownership. This concern was highlighted by a member of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission when it was noted that, as mule deer draw tag numbers decrease, the limited tags are now going exclusively to landowners in some units under the current regulations.
After heated debate, the commission rejected proposed changes, maintaining the current landowner tag allocation system. However, this conversation is far from over and will continue during interim legislative committee meetings. CSF strongly supports the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, which, in part, emphasizes wildlife as a public trust resource accessible to all. We also highly value the contributions made to wildlife conservation and habitat made by private landowners. CSF is committed to working with partners, fish and wildlife agencies, and legislators to develop solutions that balance access and conservation, recognizing the rights and contributions of private landowners, and ensuring Wyoming’s wildlife remains a public trust for all.
