The Wyoming Legislature is the interim process between sessions. The House and Senate Travel, Recreation and Wildlife (TRW) Committees meet jointly during this process. They met May 14th and 15th in Cody and July 9th and 10th in Casper. The Daniel wolf incident continues to take a larger amount of the committee’s focus.
A special legislative committee was created to study the issue further and develop legislative recommendations. The committee includes: chair Rep. Liz Storer (D-Jackson), Rep. John Winter (R-Thermopolis) and Sens. Fred Baldwin (R-Kemmerer) and Mike Gierau (D-Jackson). Non-lawmaker public officials include Wyoming Game and Fish Department Director Brian Nesvik, Wyoming Department of Agriculture Director Doug Miyamoto, and a representative from Gov. Mark Gordon’s office. Two lobbyists will join the subcommittee: Wyoming Stock Growers Association representative Jim Magagna and Wyoming Wildlife Federation representative Jessi Johnson.
During the interim meetings we continue to recycle ideas from the previous session including the weighted bonus point bill and the separation of mule deer and whitetail deer license bills that were defeated in the 2024 Budget Session. It does appear that we will consider the deer bill during the 2025 General Session.
In 20 days, House and Senate races across the state will decide the composition of the 68th Legislature. I encourage you to study the candidates closely and remember the relationships that we have built with legislatures over the years. There is a caucus that is clearly anti-outfitter and their candidates have been inundating your mailboxes and cellphones with questionable information. Please do your research and vote accordingly.
The Joint TRW Committee will meet September 30th and October 1st to finalize committee bills for the legislative session that will convene January 14th, 2025.
The 2024 Wyoming Outdoors is coming along. There is still space available for display ads. If you have not reserved your ad, please let the office know at gro.agoyw@agoyw.
Important Deadlines:
• September 15, 2024: Bios are due and display ads reserved.
• November 1, 2024: Display ads are due to Mark Schuler and payments in full to the office.
• November 17-21, 2024: Wyoming Outdoors goes to print
• December 15, 2024: Wyoming Outdoors will be mailed to the non-residents
Thank you for your continued support for this project.
The 2024 Big Game Awards have been finalized and will be launched on the WYOGA website, today, August 1st. Congratulatory letters have been mailed to your hunters. The letters also have the information for the 2025 Annual Convention inviting them to attend the banquet to receive their award. If you would like to order a plaque for your guide, please let Laurie know. Congratulations to all the winners!
Additional award winners are:
2024 Honorary Lifetime Member: Peter Dube
2024 Agency Personnel: First Lady, Jennie Gordon
2024 Guide of the Year: Brandon Gray, Rough Country Outfitters
2024 Hunter of the Year: Woody Porter, P Cross Bar Trophy Hunts
Congratulations to all the winners.
Please mark your calendars to attend the 2024 WYOGA Annual Winter Retreat, December 12, 2024 at the Holiday Inn in Riverton. This will be a one-day meeting. Invitations will be mailed November 1st with the details for the meeting.
