WY proposed regulation change Disabled Veterans!

[cgasner1]

Why not just make those tags once in a lifetime? Or per species once in a lifetime? Sounds like these groups have no issues finding veterans that would use them. Could always allow people that have had a tag to sign up on a alt list so a tag doesn’t go unused but it seems like it should be going to people who never had the opportunity with that program

 

[cgasner1]

Even just a 10 year wait after you get a tag would probably fix most of this and make it easier to keep the program. I’m sure when it was put in no one had the thoughts of abuse and just wanted to do a good thing

 

[Addicting]

Why not just make those tags once in a lifetime? Or per species once in a lifetime? Sounds like these groups have no issues finding veterans that would use them. Could always allow people that have had a tag to sign up on a alt list so a tag doesn’t go unused but it seems like it should be going to people who never had the opportunity with that program

There are a lot of us that help others every year, we do it on general tags. Or whatever antelope tags we can scrounge off the list. Making tags once in a lifetime time would stop the all of that in its tracks.

The abuse is the glory tags not the general OTC tags.

 

[Addicting]

e option in NP abusing the system for this would to be putting a cap to the number of non resident 100% veterans that utilize this benefit. Put a limit on D/E/A For once every 3, 5, 7 years before eligibility resets.

That is not what is effecting the program at all. It’s M/G/S the DEA mostly get used or expire on the list. There will be a bunch that go unused.

Limiting it won’t fix anything, it will make the problem worse.

All the tags that get donated a week or two before the season will be useless. Try and find a Vet who knows the system can get all of the paperwork done and snail mailed in on time. Actually utilizing those tags takes experience and preparation.

The NP at that point are focused on running camps and coordinating travel with the tags they have already done. The DIY crowd is the only one watching the list at that point.

 

[JLDemo]

I had no plans on logging back in, but I do check in, and this thread struck a nerve. This is an incredible program being abused by those it's supposed to benefit. No arguing that. But it's a select few, I hope people understand that.

You'll get no advocacy from this vet for the season extension. I think it's appropriate for some, but only if they qualify for the extension via other requirements. I can only imagine the headache this causes g&f. I agree with g&f on that assessment.

The tricky part is the actual tag donations and who receives the tag. I'd love to see what ideas are being pitched and what is proposed once updated.

I think the only real way to make it fair is to limit it and make it a lottery, if they want to put that effort in. I'd certainly volunteer to help. Make the DEA tags a 3 yr wait once drawn, the MSG needs to remain OIL.

In a far fetched approach, make an incentive to resident veterans. No extra draws, no additional tag allocations. Simply square the # of applications entered in a draw based on disability % and throw a bone to those vets without a % and were honorably discharged, or something along those lines.

 

[thomas89]

I had no plans on logging back in, but I do check in, and this thread struck a nerve. This is an incredible program being abused by those it's supposed to benefit. No arguing that. But it's a select few, I hope people understand that.

You guys are killing me. What info am I punching in for this FOIA request to find out who these greaseballs are?

 

[Addicting]

To everyone who says it should be a waiting period for all tags consider this.

What about the undesirable tags that are basically unhuntable without private access. A unit 10 antelope tag for example.

New to WY application draws it in the initial draw, finds out it’s a waste of time because of access and donates it. This happens several times every year!

New Vet throws their name in without researching. Gets selected in the lottery. Has no access and can’t use the tag. Should they be penalized a 3 year wait because it was a raw deal to begin with?

I fully support the OIL or wait list on high demand tags. But the list is any tag that gets donated to include a lot of OTC general tags. Most of those general tags go to Veterans who have family or friends they hunt with.

When writing regulations you need to distinguish between the two scenarios. They are not the same and shouldn’t be treated the same.

You could say if it takes 15 or more NR points it OIL or a waiting period. But don’t punish the family and friend camps because of the small group that abuses the current system.

 

[cgasner1]

To everyone who says it should be a waiting period for all tags consider this.

What about the undesirable tags that are basically unhuntable without private access. A unit 10 antelope tag for example.

New to WY application draws it in the initial draw, finds out it’s a waste of time because of access and donates it. This happens several times every year!

New Vet throws their name in without researching. Gets selected in the lottery. Has no access and can’t use the tag. Should they be penalized a 3 year wait because it was a raw deal to begin with?

I fully support the OIL or wait list on high demand tags. But the list is any tag that gets donated to include a lot of OTC general tags. Most of those general tags go to Veterans who have family or friends they hunt with.

When writing regulations you need to distinguish between the two scenarios. They are not the same and shouldn’t be treated the same.

You could say if it takes 15 or more NR points it OIL or a waiting period. But don’t punish the family and friend camps because of the small group that abuses the current system.

With as many of you guys are in camp a wait period seems like the best option. Not my state not my problem I hate to see a program that’s meant to help disappear. I’d rather see an off ball antelope tag go unhunted than the entire program thrown in the trash. It seems like wait period for and le tag would fix about 90% of the issue

Edit to add you could do the wait period on all le tags but leave antelope out of it since people don’t get to worked up and both r/nr have plenty of antelope opportunities

 

[Addicting]

With as many of you guys are in camp a wait period seems like the best option. Not my state not my problem I hate to see a program that’s meant to help disappear. I’d rather see an off ball antelope tag go unhunted than the entire program thrown in the trash. It seems like wait period for and le tag would fix about 90% of the issue

Edit to add you could do the wait period on all le tags but leave antelope out of it since people don’t get to worked up and both r/nr have plenty of antelope opportunities

There won’t be camps then. The HT Vet camp would have never happened. This punishes everyone for the few who take advantage of the high demand tags.

A sheep tag is not a general OTC tag.

 

[cgasner1]

There won’t be camps then. The HT Vet camp would have never happened. This punishes everyone for the few who take advantage of the high demand tags.

A sheep tag is not a general OTC tag.

Thanks for your service.

 

[WyoCoalMiner]

@Addicting do you happen to know the number of OTC Gen tags in a year that get donated to a veteran? It was stated earlier that those are not an additional tag but rather one that is not used by a resident. That is not always true. It’s been awhile but I helped get a donated Gen elk tag for a NR veteran. I had my SIL purchase a Gen tag and then we donated that to a veteran. She has never hunted a day in her life and would not have purchased a tag had it not been for the donation. This was an additional tag. I went by a different HT name at the time so I can’t recall the veteran who reached out to me about doing this but I seem to recall it was you. Possible I am mistaken. Just curious how often this happens. I really like many of the aspects of the current system but not all of it. Wondering how many Gen tags we are really talking about.

 

[Addicting]

@Addicting do you happen to know the number of OTC Gen tags in a year that get donated to a veteran? It was stated earlier that those are not an additional tag but rather one that is not used by a resident. That is not always true. It’s been awhile but I helped get a donated Gen elk tag for a NR veteran. I had my SIL purchase a Gen tag and then we donated that to a veteran. She has never hunted a day in her life and would not have purchased a tag had it not been for the donation. This was an additional tag. I went by a different HT name at the time so I can’t recall the veteran who reached out to me about doing this but I seem to recall it was you. Possible I am mistaken. Just curious how often this happens. I really like many of the aspects of the current system but not all of it. Wondering how many Gen tags we are really talking about.

I don’t think there is a way to know without data mining G&F. I would bet they don’t keep that info long. I would say that the increase is negligible from that. Even with it WY still isn’t killing enough elk to get back to objectives in the general areas.

It may of been me, I’ve used that method for the Vet trips I organized. I’ve scaled back to just one Vet a year now. Doing the larger camps became too much.

 

[338win]

The amount of people who actually draw a tag, know about the opportunity, and actually utilize the system has to be very low as a percentage of tags. Of course people are gonna complain.

 

[JM77]

I fully agree with the changes proposed by G&F on season extensions. I have first hand knowledge about this, having helped a veteran who used a donated tag, during the 2025 season in a general area for elk. Plain and simple, the qualifying extension requirements should be the same for any group and physical limitations should be required.

We hunted a relatively small area with a robust herd of elk that used private irrigated land on a daily basis. The private land was closed to hunting. By midday it became apparent there were 4 other vets there using the season extension. Keep in mind, to hunt this area required miles of steep and sometimes treacherous hiking, which became much worse packing out elk meat. Our vet and one other vet that we knew about killed the first day. Our vet and guide/helper packed the whole elk out over the course of two days. Due to my bad left knee, which was replaced in March, I was useless in helping with the packout.

The vet I hunted with used a tag donated by my wife. At first he decided not to use the extension, but in the end changed his mind. Let me be clear, he did nothing wrong and his participation was totally legal regarding regulation. He had a 100% military service disability pertaining to hearing and PTSD. I fully support the donated tag program, with some possible changes to the nonprofit end, helping vets and giving back to those who served.

I'm not so sure that qualifying for the extension is as hard as it's been portrayed here, as it seems fairly common with vets I know who receive donated tags and appear to have no physical impairments. Hearing seems to be a common disability.

The nonprofit we were involved with was absolutely First Class and holds events for the vets related to, but outside of actual hunts. The vet we took has been invited to several of these events. I have seen other nonprofits post on Facebook soliciting tags through donation. I am not impressed with some of those postings.

 

[brymoore]

What’s the DAV percentage to qualify in WY?

One of Idaho’s problems, in my mind, is the 35% for DAV qualification is too low. The qualification DAV percentage needs raised to give the higher percentage DAV a better chance.

 

[thomas89]

What’s the DAV percentage to qualify in WY?

One of Idaho’s problems, in my mind, is the 35% for DAV qualification is too low. The qualification DAV percentage needs raised to give the higher percentage DAV a better chance.

50.

I'm not upset at getting tags in the hands of vets, the season extension and transfer of glory tags sounds like it's become an issue.

 

[BuzzH]

With any regulations like this, I believe it's prudent, and only fair, to consider intent when it was actually passed.

The intent was 100% to give people with a significant physical disability the season extension. In other words, hunters missing a limb, in a wheelchair, or suffering from MS etc. I have ZERO issue with hunters with those obvious mobility issues hunting 5 days early, and what the intent of the regulations addressed.

It seems very unfair for hunters with significant physical limitations to have to compete with others who have no physical limitations. As such, I fully support the changes to chapter 35, stick to the intent of the regulation.

 

[JLDemo]

There's no disagreement with the season extension issue, g&f got it right.

But where's the discussion on the # of tags received? Where's an actual statement of reason for the 2 tags received in a 5 yr period? The reasons stated are too vague for me to truly comprehend. I just want to know the thinking behind those specific numbers. Not saying they're wrong. How does the 2 tag limitation in 5 yrs actually cool down the issues? Why not one tag annually or one tag per species per x amount of years? Just seems a bit odd with those numbers. If it's easier for those in the know, if you have a POC to address ideas and/or ask for a better explanation, I'd appreciate the contact info. My wife, myself, and a few family members donate quite a few tags each year, just disappointed in a few things. It's such a wonderful and frustrating program!

If the state had a meaningful draw advantage for resident veterans and disabled veterans, I think a lot of the unfair practices with this wonderful program would cease, but not disappear. It'd also serve to retain a few working age vets and recruit more. Might be a topic for another discussion. (Wishful thinking)

 

[Addicting]

Got to read thru them. There is no reason or justification for the 2 full price tags per 5 years. Moose, Goat, Sheep, and Bison are now OIL.

This really fixes nothing as the NP still control access to Glory tags by means of the endorsement letter. They will just continue to gate keep on those tags for their private interests. Plus it’s not retroactive so the same folks who abused the system can have 1 more tag before it OIL for them.

Guys like me who take vets each year are hampered with no reasoning listed.

One shot hunt language is removed but the 160 tags remain. Those tags don’t count against your limit. You can still apply in the draw and get a type 1 license.

 

[JM77]

Got to read thru them. There is no reason or justification for the 2 full price tags per 5 years. Moose, Goat, Sheep, and Bison are now OIL.

This subject was brought up during the Task Force when complaints about abuse were surfacing. They did a check and found one vet had licenses four years in a row. What should be the limit?