A proposal to let Wyoming landowners auction off hunting tags just made it through committee and could turn next year’s legislative session into an all-out brawl over “who really owns the elk”.
CHEYENNE, WY — Wyoming lawmakers are once again eyeing a controversial change to the state’s hunting system that could open the door to “pay-for-play” hunting on private lands. The Joint Agriculture, State & Public Lands & Water Resources Committee narrowly voted 7–5 to sponsor a bill that would make landowner hunting tags transferable, meaning a rancher could legally sell or give their landowner license to someone else.
Supporters, including Rep. Laura Pearson (R-Kemmerer), say the move would reward landowners who provide critical winter range and habitat for big game like elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. “This is a way to help offset the costs of supporting wildlife,” Pearson said. “It’s not about making people rich, it’s about recognizing the role landowners play.”
But critics see it differently. Many Wyoming hunters, especially resident sportsmen who rely on the draw system, view the idea as the start of a slippery slope toward privatizing wildlife.
“The antelope, deer, and elk aren’t the ranchers’ property,” one commenter wrote. “They belong to the people of Wyoming.”
That sentiment has deep roots here. Wyoming’s wildlife laws are built on the principle that animals belong to the public, not private landowners. Turning landowner tags into a tradable asset, opponents argue, could effectively let wealthy non-residents buy their way into hunting opportunities, while residents are left with fewer tags and longer odds in the draw.
A Battle with History
This isn’t the first time lawmakers have floated the idea. Previous efforts to make landowner licenses transferable have drawn intense backlash, with more than 2,100 public comments opposed a similar proposal in 2023. Even so, the issue keeps coming back, reflecting growing pressure from large landowners and outfitters who see untapped value in the current system.
Under current law, ranchers who own at least 160 acres and demonstrate use by wildlife can receive a limited number of landowner tags from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. But those tags are non-transferable, meaning the landowner (or an immediate family member) must personally use them.
The new proposal would change that, potentially allowing landowners to transfer, gift, or sell their licenses to other hunters. Details such as price caps, transfer limits, and verification rules would still need to be ironed out before the full Legislature convenes in February 2026.
Supporters Say It’s About Fairness — Critics Call It a Sellout
Advocates argue that ranchers lose money and crops every year, feeding and hosting the state’s wildlife without compensation. Letting them sell a few tags, they say, is a reasonable trade-off.
Opponents counter that the plan undermines Wyoming’s longstanding “equal opportunity” hunting ethic. They warn it could push more hunting access behind locked gates, shift tags away from public draw pools, and create a two-tier system: one for the wealthy, and one for everyone else.
What’s Next
The full Legislature will take up the bill during the 2026 General Session, beginning February 9. Expect another heated debate pitting rural landowners, conservationists, and resident hunters against one another, with Wyoming’s public access traditions hanging in the balance.
AntlersArch founder and the voice behind Teton Tattle.
