23-1-302(a)(ii), specified trophy game animals may be taken in

23-1-302(a)(ii), specified trophy game animals may be taken in the same manner as predatory animals without a license.

(c) Any person who takes any furbearing animal or game bird without the appropriate license, except as otherwise provided by this act is guilty of a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

(d) No person shall knowingly, and with intent to cause undue suffering, torture, torment or mutilate living wildlife, including predatory animals and predacious birds, after reducing the living wildlife to possession. A person violating this subsection shall be liable under W.S. 6-3-1004(c) for a first offense and under W.S. 6-3-1005(a)(iii), (b) and (c) for a second or subsequent offense. Upon any conviction of a violation of this subsection the court may revoke any license issued under this act and suspend a person's privilege to purchase or receive any other license under this act or to take any wildlife as provided under W.S. 23-6-206(a)(iii). For purposes of this subsection, "wildlife" means as defined by W.S. 6-3-1001(a)(vi).

(e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require an owner of a trap or snare to check the trap or snare before the time required in title 23 of the Wyoming statutes and rules promulgated by the game and fish commission. Wildlife discovered in a snare or trap shall be considered within the possession of the owner of the snare or trap upon discovery by the owner.

23-3-104. Coupons. When any big game animal, trophy game animal or turkey is killed under a license, the licensee shall detach, sign and date the proper coupon and attach the coupon to the carcass before leaving the site of the kill. The coupon shall remain on the game animal or turkey carcass at all times until the meat undergoes processing, or on the trophy game animal hide until it reaches the hunter's home or a taxidermist, except that during transportation of the carcass or hide the coupon may be removed to prevent its loss. If the coupon is removed for transportation of the carcass or hide it must be in the possession of the person accompanying the carcass or hide at all times.

23-3-105. Antelope, deer and elk coupons; payment to landowner; kill on federal or state land.

(a) Antelope, deer and elk licenses shall have two (2) coupons attached, each bearing the same serial number as the body of the permit, one (1) designated "antelope, deer or elk coupon" and one (1) designated "landowner's coupon".

(b) The landowner's coupon shall promptly be detached, dated, signed and delivered to the landowner. The landowner, on or before March 1 following the close of the hunting season for which the license was issued, shall deliver to the department the coupon and an affidavit that the antelope, deer or elk for which the coupon was delivered was killed on his land. Upon receipt of the coupon and affidavit the department shall pay the landowner sixteen dollars ($16.00) for each coupon from an antelope, deer or elk license. Landowner's coupons are not transferable. Any unauthorized person attempting to collect any sum for any landowner's coupon is guilty of a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(ii). Effective January 1, 2000, the department shall provide a checkoff box on each landowner coupon affidavit claim form that offers the claimant the opportunity to designate the animal damage management board to receive his payment amount for landowner coupons claimed on that form. For each claim made where the landowner has designated his payment to the animal damage management board, the department shall transfer that amount to the animal damage management account created by W.S. 11-6-306 and the department shall retain the fees related to those administrative costs of the transfer.

(c) Repealed By Laws 2013, Ch. 33, § 1.  23-3-106. Wyoming game and Wyoming interstate game tags; when required.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section and W.S. 23-2-302(e), no person shall ship, transport, or receive for shipment or transportation within Wyoming, any game animal, game bird, or any part thereof, unless tagged with a Wyoming game tag or Wyoming interstate game tag, or unless:

(i) The transportation is by a person accompanying the carcass of a big or trophy game animal who is in possession of a proper coupon;

(ii) The transportation is by a properly licensed bird or small game hunter in possession of not more than his daily bag or possession limit; or

(iii) The transportation is by a person possessing authorization pursuant to W.S. 23-3-310.

(b) Except as provided in subsection (f) of this section and W.S. 23-2-302(e), no big or trophy game animal, or any part thereof, shall be shipped or transported from the state unless accompanied by the licensee who harvested the animal, in possession of a proper coupon, or unless:

(i) The amount does not exceed twenty-five (25) pounds and is properly tagged with a Wyoming interstate game tag. Only twenty-five (25) pounds from any one (1) big or trophy game animal may be exported from the state except as otherwise provided;

(ii) The part to be exported from the state is of a nonedible trophy or hidelike nature and properly tagged with a Wyoming interstate game tag;

(iii) The big or trophy game animal was legally harvested by a nonresident and is tagged with a Wyoming interstate tag.

(c) Tag selling agents may tag meat from any number of big game animals if the person lawfully accompanying the animals signs an affidavit that each animal was lawfully taken.

(d) Repealed by Laws 1987, ch. 156, § 2.  (e) Violation of this section constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

(f) Shipment or receipt from a meat processing plant to another meat processing plant of any edible portions of big game animals or game birds are exempt from the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Meat processing plants shipping any game animal, game bird or any part thereof to the licensee who harvested the animal are exempt from the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) of this section when the shipment is accompanied by the proper coupon.

23-3-107. Wanton destruction of big game animal; reward.

(a) No person shall wantonly take or destroy any big or trophy game animal.

(b) The director may offer a standing reward not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) to be paid from the game and fish fund for evidence leading to the arrest and conviction of any person violating this section.

(c) The purpose and intent of this section is to protect big or trophy game animals from wanton, ruthless or needless destruction.

(d) Violation of this section constitutes a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(ii). A third or subsequent conviction within ten (10) years for a violation of this section shall constitute a felony punishable by a fine of not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) nor more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), imprisonment for not more than two (2) years, or both. For the purposes of determining whether a violation of this subsection is a felony, convictions resulting from the same occurrence shall be considered a single conviction even if the result of the occurrence is more than one (1) misdemeanor conviction. The provisions of W.S. 6-8-101(a) shall not apply to convictions under this section.

23-3-108. Destruction of bird nests or eggs.

(a) No person shall take or intentionally destroy the nest or eggs of any nonpredacious bird, except as authorized under W.S. 23-5-111. The nest or eggs of any predacious bird may be taken or destroyed.  (b) Violation of this section for any nonpredacious bird except eagle constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

(c) Violation of this section in regard to eagle nests or eggs constitutes a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(ii).

23-3-109. Use of dogs; dogs injuring big or trophy game animals may be killed; citation of owners of dogs harassing game animals; penalties; leashed dogs for tracking.

(a) No person shall use any dog to hunt, run or harass any big or trophy game animal, protected animal or furbearing animal except as otherwise provided by this act. The commission shall regulate the use of dogs to take mountain lions and bobcats by residents and nonresidents during hunting or trapping seasons. The commission shall regulate the use of dogs to pursue mountain lions by residents during hunting or trapping seasons.

(b) In cases where big game animals have been injured or are being threatened with immediate injury by dogs, a peace officer may kill such dog or dogs where the vicious character of the dog or dogs is manifest. A peace officer killing a dog pursuant to this subsection shall make reasonable efforts to ascertain the ownership of the dog and inform the owner of the dog's death and the circumstances surrounding the death. Any peace officer who kills a dog pursuant to this subsection or has received a report that a dog has been killed shall file a report with his employing agency within twenty-four (24) hours of his action or of receiving a report.

(c) It is unlawful for any person to recklessly allow or direct a dog which he owns or is under his control to injure or threaten a big game animal with injury, whether or not the big game animal is actually injured by the dog, unless the dog was attempting to protect livestock or other property. A conviction under this subsection is punishable by a fine imposed for a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

(d) A person may use one (1) leashed blood-trailing dog to track a wounded or killed big game animal within seventy-two (72) hours of shooting the animal. A person using a dog in this manner:  (i) Shall maintain physical control of the dog at all times by means of a maximum fifty (50) foot leash attached to the collar or harness of the dog;

(ii) Shall wear fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink consistent with W.S. 23-3-113(a);

(iii) May kill the wounded animal using any weapon authorized under the hunting license;

(iv) Shall, in accordance with W.S. 23-3-104, attach the proper coupon to the carcass of any animal killed under the hunting license.

(e) A person acting solely as a dog handler accompanying the licensed hunter that wounded the game animal is exempt from the licensing requirements of this act. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow a dog handler to hunt without a license.

23-3-110. Firearms; types permitted for hunting game birds.

(a) The commission shall establish by rule and regulation firearm and ammunition specifications for taking game birds or wild turkeys.

(b) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 54, § 2.

(c) Violation of this section or rules promulgated under this section constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

23-3-111. Firearms; size of guns to be used in hunting big or trophy game animals.

(a) The commission shall establish by rule and regulation firearm and ammunition specifications for taking big or trophy game animals.

(i) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 54, § 2.

(ii) Repealed By Laws 2012, Ch. 54, § 2.

(b) Violation of this section or rules promulgated under this section constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).  23-3-112. Firearms; automatic weapon prohibited; use of silencer or suppressor to take big or trophy game restricted; penalties.

(a) No person shall take any wildlife with any fully automatic weapon.

(b) Violation of this section is separate and additional to any other violation and constitutes a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(ii).

(c) No person shall use a device designed to silence or muffle the report of any firearm in the commission of:

(i) A violation of W.S. 23-3-102;

(ii) A violation of W.S. 23-3-107;

(iii) A violation of W.S. 23-3-305(b) which results in the taking of a big or trophy game animal; or

(iv) Taking of a big or trophy game animal out of season.

23-3-113. Hunters required to wear colored clothing.

(a) No person other than archers and crossbow hunters hunting during a special archery season shall hunt any big or trophy game animal in Wyoming without wearing in a visible manner one (1) or more exterior garments which shall include a hat, shirt, jacket, coat, vest, or sweater of a fluorescent orange or fluorescent pink color.

(b) Violation of this section constitutes a low misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S. 23-6-202(a)(v).

23-3-114. Landowner may take beaver causing damage.

Any beaver flooding meadows, damming irrigation systems or constructing dams or ponds which would be dangerous to livestock on any privately owned lands or on state lands, may be immediately taken by the landowner, lessee of state lands or employee of the landowner or lessee or an agent of the landowner or lessee.  23-3-115. Taking black bear, mountain lion, gray wolf, bobcat, weasel, badger, squirrels or muskrat for damaging property.

(a) Any black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, weasel, badger, gray, red and fox squirrels or muskrat doing damage to private property may be immediately taken and killed by the owner of the property, employee of the owner or lessee of the property.

(b) The owner, employee or lessee shall immediately notify the nearest game warden of the killing of black bear, bobcat or mountain lion. The owner, employee or lessee shall save and care for the skin and procure a Wyoming game tag for the skin of black bear, mountain lion or bobcat.

(c) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section relating to the taking of animals doing damage to private property shall apply to gray wolves from and after the date gray wolves are removed from the list of experimental nonessential population, endangered species or threatened species in Wyoming as provided by W.S. 23-1-108. For purposes of this section as it applies to gray wolves, "doing damage to private property" means actual biting, wounding, grasping or killing of livestock or a dog, or chasing, molesting or harassing of livestock or a dog by a wolf that would indicate to a reasonable person that actual biting, wounding, grasping or killing of the livestock or dog is likely to occur at any moment. The owner, employee or lessee acting under authority of this section shall notify the department of the killing of a gray wolf within an area of the state in which the gray wolf is designated as a trophy game animal. The notification shall be made within seventy-two (72) hours of the kill.

23-3-116. Ownership of game bird; taking of privately owned game birds.

Any person who wishes to acquire game birds from any private source shall apply for and receive a permit from the department prior to acquiring, possessing or transporting the game birds. Upon receipt of the game birds, the permittee shall notify the department to establish proof of ownership and to allow the game birds to be marked with a leg or wing band. Whenever game birds are purchased outside the state, the permittee shall furnish adequate evidence that the game birds are disease free. Upon compliance with this section, the permittee is entitled to take his privately owned game birds without a game bird or turkey license. Live greater sage grouse or the eggs thereof shall only be acquired, possessed, bred, propagated, raised, sold, transported, taken and released by a game bird farm licensee holding a current certification under W.S. 23-5-111.

23-3-117. Bighorn sheep; registration of horns; penalties.

A licensee who harvests a bighorn sheep or any person who picks up or removes horns from any bighorn sheep, after July 1, 1997, shall present the horns at a regional office of the department during normal business hours to be registered in accordance with department rules and regulations. The horns shall be presented pursuant to this section within fifteen (15) days after taking the horns into possession. The department may require substantive proof from unlicensed individuals that the horns were legally acquired. Failure to provide such proof may result in confiscation of the horns. A violation of this section constitutes a high misdemeanor punishable as provided in W.S.