Hunting in Wyoming: 4 Things to Know About Urban Game and Varmint Hunting in Cities and Suburbs

When it comes to urban-sprawl butting heads with wildlife, Wyoming is hardly a poster child.

The Cowboy state is the least populated of the 50 states, leaving seemingly endless stretches of open land for wild animals to roam. Still, Wyoming is prepared for those few but inevitable times when city meets critter and critter becomes a threat. State rules have been drafted on when, what, and how to hunt animals that outgrow their welcome in cities and suburbs.

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Here are a few things to know about hunting in cities in Wyoming.

1. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a handbook for homeowners looking to thin the herd of nuisance animals. The guide’s diplomatic name is “Homeowner’s Guide to Resolving Wildlife Conflicts” and can be found on the state agency’s website.

2. Before hunting urban big game trespassers like deer, antelope, or elk, Wyoming encourages homeowners to take preventative measures. Plants that are tasty attractions should be covered with netting or fenced off with barb wire or mesh. Young trees that are often the victims of rut season males with itchy antlers in particular should be protected with fencing.

Tabasco sauce diluted with water is a good repellent when sprayed on plants. Wyoming Game and Fish also recommends gathering hair from beauty salons, stuffing the strands into old nylon hose, then hanging the bags 3 feet above ground and 3 feet apart.

Finally, frightening is always a good choice, according to Wyoming conventional wisdom.
“Scarecrows and effigies” may scare off deer under the right circumstances, states the Game and Fish website. Dangling aluminum pie plates, pinwheels, and motion-activated sprinklers are all good techniques for sending big game running.

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3. Small mammals like cottontail rabbits, fox, and squirrels should be trapped and relocated, state experts recommend. But their predatory cousins — coyotes and raccoons in particular — are best handled by animal control. For more threatening predators like badgers and bobcats, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department should be called. Badgers can be killed if they become dangerous but Wyoming requires a game warden be notified.

4. If hawks are the problem, no shooting or capturing is allowed.

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

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