Wyoming Outfitting Issues

The Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association was formed in 1959 for hunting outfitters to deal with emerging agency regulations, land use disputes, and to raise the degree of professionalism in the industry. After all, guiding hunters was the “original” tourism industry in Wyoming with the earliest known hunting ranch at Cora, Wyoming—the Billy Wells Ranch, circa 1860s.

Tourism income in Wyoming is now approaching $2 billion annually, and hunting outfitters alone contribute $90 million. Wyoming offers tremendous outdoor opportunities and WYOGA is really excited about the future of this growth industry! WYOGA members now include climbing guides, ranch recreation, wagon trips, snowmobile guides, dude ranchers, and others holding commercial outdoor recreation permits to operate in Wyoming.

Objectives

The Wyoming Outfitters & Guides Association has four primary objectives:
  • lobby
  • legislate
  • educate
  • promote the outfitting industry for our members and the state of Wyoming
To accomplish these objectives we are involved locally, statewide and nationally in the issues involving the outfitting and recreational industries.

Accomplishments

  • Actively involved in establishing Wyoming State Board of Outfitters & Professional Guides
  • Hunter Responsibility Law — Non-resident clients responsibility to retain a licensed outfitter
  • Hunting Age Restriction Law — Dropped legal hunting age from 14 years to 12 years
  • Participation in Governor’s License Allocation Task Force
  • “Special” nonresident elk, deer, and antelope license pools
  • Wyoming Outdoors — The Official Publication of WYOGA

Education

  • Participation with Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s Living in Carnivore Country Workshops
  • Grizzly Encounter Education Workshop for outfitters & guides. Workshop is owned by WYOGA.
  • Sensory Safari for the hearing, sight, and physically disabled children, giving them the opportunity to have hands on touching, feeling and learning about the outdoors.
  • WYOGA has partnered with many organizations over the years. Besides those listed above a partial list would include Wyoming Game & Fish Department, US Forest Service and their many individual districts and departments in Wyoming, US Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Land Management, and others.
  • Our ultimate goal is to continue to be the leaders in ethical hunting and out-of-doors recreation.

Wyoming Wolf Coalition Rally

Former WYOGA president Jim Allen speaks at the Wyoming State Capitol on what wolves have done to Wyoming’s Outfitters, January 29, 2010