JACKSON — Wyoming may expand bison hunting because the state's population is above management goals.

A proposal by state Rep. Keith Gingery, R-Jackson, would end the once-in-a-lifetime rule for harvesting bison cows and replace it with a once-every-five-year rule. His draft legislation also proposes lowering the cost of a cow bison license for nonresidents from $2,500 to $1,000.

"Only six nonresidents hunted a cow bison last year," Gingery said in a statement. He said he has met with National Elk Refuge managers and with officials from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to discuss the changes.

Regulated bison hunting in Jackson Hole didn't start until 2007 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service completed a bison and elk management plan. The plan required the agencies to decrease the population of the herd from the 1,200 bison counted then to about 500.

Five years in, wildlife managers have made decent progress. An aerial survey last winter counted 910 bison.

The decline is too slow, Gingery said.

"When I was growing up, there was 50 (bison in the Jackson herd), and they've grown exponentially," he said. "We need to get that back down to a manageable herd."

Hunters should be enlisted to help, Gingery said.

"At the current harvest levels, we're not going to get there for a very long time. We need to find ways to encourage nonresidents to try their hand at a hunt," he said.

Presently, resident bison tags cost $400 and nonresident tags cost $2,500, regardless of the gender of the bison. Under Gingery's proposal, the resident fee for either-sex tags remains at $400 and the nonresident bull tag remains at $2,500, but nonresident cow licenses would drop to $1,000.

Gingery also advocates changing the bison lottery rules. In the current system, hunters can draw the right to buy a bison tag while paying only a small application fee.

"Some people win the drawing and then don't follow through — 65 to 70 percent who get a cow license," Gingery said. "If we had their money up front, they would be more apt to follow through with their hunt."

Game and Fish issued 410 bison permits this year. Of those, 300 licenses are for cows or calves, and another 110 are either-sex tags that allow hunters to take bulls.

Thirty-four bison, including eight bulls, 25 cows and one calf, were reported killed in the first 48 hours after the season opened Aug. 15.

Sounds like a good deal to me.

Hell, for a grand, I'm in!

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Not being a smartass, but is it bison hunting or bison shooting?

Depends, you glass, look at many bulls, find one where you can hunt, stalk close, shoot. So I guess it is shooting. Much the same as everything else.

I hear the cow hunts can be tough
Been hearing the cows are more cagey wild and
know the line Very well.
Lots more cow tags issued, so they're getting schooled at 3x's the rate of the bulls.
also several "rest areas" that are off limit to hunters. (thanks bleeding hearts)
Don't want to see them drastically reduced
but they are going to have to get serious
if they want to cut them by half

Thirdbite,

Why don't you go up to one and scratch him on the backside. Let us know when and where so we can set up the cameras. I reckon hunting any wild bovidae would provide the hunter ample opportunity to get hooked or stomped.

Please take your trolling elsewhere.

Does not matter what kind of critter it is, in the end it is all a matter of shooting.

Course I guess for a real macho kind of guy, you could get a good pony and a stick with some turkey feathers tied to it, ride out to one and swat it on the ass and count coup like a Comanche!

quote:

Not trolling - just curious. You must be really sensitive. My understanding from reading is that most bison were spotted from the truck and walked up to within range and then shot - not a lot different than shooting cattle.

Like I said, the same way I shoot most everything. So, therefore it is shooting. I guess I am a shooter! Same way I hunt most my elk, deer, and antelope. Spot from my truck, glass or spotting scope, walk up to them and shoot them,. I do the same from a mule, atv, and once even a mountain bike. Occasionaly if I am whitetail hunting, I set in a tree stand all day. Again, just shooting.

I don't hunt to prove my prowess as a man. Sorry!

By the way, headed up sheep hunting shooting this afternoon. Ride my mule for 6 hours, set up camp, spot the sheep, walk up to them and watch my buddy whackem! But then again, I might just set on my butt in camp and read a book while my buddy walks up and whacks one!

Was a buffalo wild in the 1800's when they killed them by the millions, probably about the same as today, you're hunting buffalo (bison) & they aren't a real challenge, if you don't like it try something else, it is what it is.
Try walking up on a mountain lion without dogs, or hunt a bongo in the thick stuff, hunt a leopard in the daylight hours without bait if you really want a challenge. A buffalo is a little different but don't mis judge his speed or his ability to kill you, people do it every year in Yellowstone park & die for their stupidity.
Hunt one on horse back....you'd better have a very good horse, he'll most likely get killed & just maybe you will too. He can outrun that horse for a short distance, so call it what you want but a buffalo at close range with a sixgun or a muzzle loader can be a challenge, whack him at 300 yds with a RUM or Win Mag or Super Mag & its not much different than a buck or a bull elk at the same distance.

Good Hunting, Dick

You would probably be surprised at how difficult this hunt can be. About 20% are unsuccessful each year. Yes, on opening day quite a few are shot. But some tag holders get a date later in the season, and the bison do know where they are safe. If weather arrives, it may push them to shootable locations, but many people spend 10 days trying to find a good bull in a legally huntable spot.
Once located, you are most likely to get a shot if the animal is not wandering through. They aren't particularly hard to approach, but it isn't simple either.
Bill

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About 20% are unsuccessful each year.

Try comparing that to how many are unsuccessful on elk and mule deer annually. An 80% success rate isn't really that bad.

Results of the sheep shooting. 8:30 Saturday morning. Back to the truck today at noon!

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Originally posted by kudu56:
Results of the sheep shooting. 8:30 Saturday morning. Back to the truck today at noon!

You shot just a head?

I didn't shoot it. Friend had the tag. He shot it.

Kudu,

You can't use dogs to tree bighorn sheep in WYO!

What were you guys thinking?

quote:

You can't use dogs to tree bighorn sheep in WYO!

Ok! But they sure keep the bears out of camp.

Thirdbite deleted his post!