Hunting in Wyoming: Regulations for Hunting with Dogs

A hunter can have eyes in the sky in Wyoming and help on the ground. Hunting with a falcon is legal in Wyoming as is taking a dog out on the hunt. But there are some limitations to hunting in Wyoming with a dog.

The following are three rules concerning hunting with dogs in Wyoming.

1. Dogs Can Go After Certain Animals, But Not Others
Dogs can pursue cats in Wyoming but little else, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. To clarify, dogs are allowed to participate in hunting bobcats and mountain lions. However, canines are not allowed to go after animals classified as protected, furbearing, big game, or trophy game. That constitutes a decent portion of the animals that can be hunted in the state.

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The Wyoming Game and Fish Department lists antelope, bighorn sheep, bison, deer, elk, moose and mountain goats as big game animals. The department has black bear and gray wolf – currently suspended from the hunting lists – as the only trophy game aside from mountain lions.

Beavers and the furbearing marten are listed as the furbearing animals.

2. Dogs Cannot Help on the Hunt for Certain Animals
While dogs cannot participate in hunting animals classified as trophy game, big game or furbearing, they cannot be used to help hound those animals in any way. The state leaves little wiggle room in this regard, with regulations stating that dogs cannot "hunt, run, or harass" the animals on those lists.

Disobeying the Rules Can Get the Dog Killed and Owner Fined
Title 23 of Wyoming's game and fish laws states that a dog that kills or injures a big game or trophy game animal may be killed and their owners cited. Killing the dog is up to the discretion of law enforcement. According to the law, the dog can be killed if a "vicious character of the dog or dogs is manifest."

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Since it is illegal for the hunter to direct the dog toward off-limits species, the hunter can be fined, even if the dog does not injure the animal but only threatens it. The only exception to this is if the dog is protecting livestock or property. Any violation leaves the hunter subject to a possible misdemeanor fine.

This article is for information only. Please check current regulations before hunting.

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