License change helps anglers, small game hunters head afield year-round

In a season packed full of resolutions, you can rest a little easier this year. Now, no matter when you buy a fishing, small game, game bird or furbearers license as well as conservation stamp, it will be valid for 12 months from the purchase date. This gives you a whole year to enjoy recreation and wildlife no matter when you buy your licenses.

“This change gives you a longer opportunity to fish and hunt with the same license,” said Jennifer Doering, Wyoming Game and Fish Department license section manager. “For example, if you buy a fishing license on July 4, you can fish through July 4 of the next year, instead of our previous system where the license was only good through the calendar year.”

With these new changes, expiration dates for license and stamps will be printed on the licenses to easily keep track of when you need to purchase next. And, if you renew early, the start date for the new license will begin the day after your current license expires. An exception to this change is fishing privileges for non-resident elk hunters with full price licenses; those licenses are valid for the calendar year of the elk hunting license.

“We want to make enjoying hunting and fishing as easy as possible, and this new system will help keep you having fun outdoors with friends and family,” said Doering.

The 12-month license is one of several new licensing changes that benefit hunters and anglers. In 2017, Game and Fish offered, thanks to the Wyoming Legislature, a new five-day fishing license for nonresidents. Also, game wardens checking licenses started accepting electronic versions of fishing licenses, small game, bird licenses and conservation stamps on mobile devices as proof in the field.