Wyoming spring hunts for bear and turkey

[Len Backus]

It's no secret that March is often thought of as one of those waiting months. You can't go ice fishing because the ice isn't trustworthy, and that same ice cover still prevents the launching of boats or fishing from shore...so you wait. If you applied for licenses, you may be waiting for the moose or bighorn sheep draws, or even the deer and antelope draws that won't take place until summer.

But, you can make some of that waiting time go a bit faster by participating in a few of the springtime hunts Wyoming has to offer. If you don't mind venturing to the Central Flyway, you might see if you can find a snow goose during the spring hunt made possible by the Light Goose Conservation Order. This hunt can be very spotty, but occasionally hunters catch it just right and get into some excellent shooting. The spring light goose hunt has much more liberal regulations than standard waterfowl hunting. You don't need the migratory bird stamp (duck stamp), you don't need a HIP permit and you can use electronic calls. You do however, need a Wyoming bird license and a Conservation Order Special Management Permit ($10.50). If you are lucky enough to get into the birds, you have a daily bag limit of 20 and an unrestricted possession limit. Season for the special light goose hunt runs from Feb. 25 through April 13.

Another hunt if you want a bit of an adventure is to go after spring bear. Once again, the regulations are fairly liberal with a long season and baiting the preferred method of harvest. As with a lot of hunting, it is hit and miss. The mention of baiting as a hunting method sometimes gives the impression that the hunt is very easy, but for the vast majority of hunters, this is not the case. Oftentimes, if the bears find the baits, they come in at night, and many times the baits are either not found or left untouched. Sometimes spring bear hunters are successful by simply going to an area where there are bears and moving silently through the woods. I remember looking at a bear one spring a number of years ago that a hunter brought into the office to be checked. This particular bruin was a cinnamon-phase black bear and the hunter said it was one of seven foraging on a semi-open hillside...so it does happen.

Black bears are managed on a female mortality quota system. Basically, the state is divided up into a number of black bear management areas and each is assigned a female mortality quota. When the quota of female bears in that area is reached, the season is closed. If hunters are adept at harvesting only male bears, then the hunting in a particular area may last throughout the set season. Black bear licenses are not area specific and the hunter can always go to another area where the quota has not been reached. Black bear licenses are an over-the-counter purchase at Game and Fish offices, so no drawing is required.

By far the most popular spring hunt in Wyoming, and probably nationwide, is for wild turkey. Wyoming is becoming popular with turkey hunters in search of their "Turkey Slam," as it is one of a handful of states that has the Merriam's subspecies. A few areas in Wyoming also have Rio Grandes, but the Merriam's that provide most of the opportunity.

Turkey licenses in many areas are an over-the-counter purchase. The Black Hills in the northeast portion of the state has good public access within the national forest, and also has some of Wyoming’s best turkey hunting. A year ago hunters bagged nearly 2,800 turkeys during the spring Of these, more than 1,700 were taken in the Black Hills. The spring hunts will open this year on either April 1 or April 12 depending on the hunt area. All areas close on May 20. Of Wyoming's 14 wild turkey hunt areas, you can hunt eight on a general license. License fees are $13 for residents and $61 for nonresidents. Harvest can vary greatly depending on the hatch of the previous year and the weather conditions during the hunting season. In recent years hunter success has run around 50 percent for residents and 75 percent for nonresidents.