HB0186

Authorizes the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to issue bear coupons attached to resident elk licenses in specific areas and requires the commission to present evidence of grizzly bear recovery to federal wildlife authorities.

• Adds a bear coupon to each resident elk license issued for 2026 and 2027 in hunt areas entirely outside the greater Yellowstone ecosystem recovery zone, with an exception allowing bear coupons in demographic monitoring areas outside that zone. (W.S. 23-3-105(d), Sec. 1)
• Specifies that bear coupons require no additional license fee and are not considered licenses for purposes of the five-year eligibility restriction on grizzly bear hunting licenses. (W.S. 23-3-105(d), Sec. 1)
• Authorizes bear coupon holders to take one brown, black, or grizzly bear only in areas where they are authorized to hunt elk under their elk license. (W.S. 23-3-105(d), Sec. 1)
• Requires bear coupon holders to attach the coupon to the bear carcass, notify the Game and Fish Commission of the taking, and provide additional information if a grizzly bear is taken to ensure sustainable population maintenance. (W.S. 23-3-105(d), Sec. 1)
• Declares a legislative finding that grizzly bears have recovered in Wyoming and should be removed from the endangered and threatened species lists with state management responsibility. (Sec. 2(a))
• Requires the Game and Fish Commission to present all evidence to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supporting grizzly bear recovery and delisting by July 1, 2025, before issuing any bear coupons. (Sec. 2(b))
• Prohibits the taking of grizzly bears within the greater Yellowstone ecosystem recovery zone. (Sec. 2(c))
• Requires the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission to adopt implementing rules by January 1, 2026. (Sec. 3)

Effective: Immediately upon enactment for most provisions; Section 1 is effective on the earlier of ten days after grizzly bear delisting certification or January 1, 2026

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