In accordance with the Management Plan and Tri-State MOA,
when the grizzly bear is delisted from threatened status under the Endangered
Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a final rule published in
the Federal Register, management of grizzly bears in Wyoming within the DPS may
include an established hunting season. If the Commission establishes any
grizzly bear hunting season within the DPS after such listing, specific hunting
season dates, mortality limits, hunt areas, and other limitations shall be
established by regulation. Additionally, the Commission establishes the
following grizzly bear regulations:
(a)
No person shall take any grizzly bear outside of established grizzly bear
hunting seasons or hunt areas.
(b)
Any grizzly bear occurring outside of the DPS is considered "threatened" under
the Endangered Species Act and is under federal protection.
(c) All discretionary mortality in the DMA
shall be suspended, except as required to protect human safety, if the
model-averaged Chao2 population estimate falls below 600 grizzly
bears.
(d) All grizzly bear hunting
shall be suspended in the DMA if total mortality limits for any sex/age class
identified in the Management Plan are met at any time.
(e) No licensed hunter shall take any female
grizzly bear with dependent young at side.
(f) No licensed hunter shall take any
dependent young grizzly bear.
(g)
Any hunting mortality that exceeds total mortality limits within the DMA in any
calendar year shall be subtracted from the specific age/sex class' total
mortality limit within the DMA for the following year.
(h) Within twenty-four (24) hours after
taking a grizzly bear, the licensee shall report the taking of a grizzly bear
by calling toll free1-800-264 -1280, and shall present the hide and skull to a
Department Regional Office within five (5) days for registration
purposes.
(i) Any person who makes
a false statement regarding the taking of a grizzly bear shall be in violation
of this regulation and such violation shall be punishable as provided by Title
23, Wyoming Statutes for violation of Commission regulations.
(j) Any hunting season shall immediately
close when specified harvest limits are reached.
(k) Wyoming, Montana and Idaho shall
coordinate management of grizzly bears within the DMA through a Tri-State MOA
to manage grizzly bear mortalities within the age and sex specific mortality
limits identified in the Management Plan for long-term viability of grizzly
bears in the DMA.
(l) A Tri-State
MOA establishes that the states shall meet annually to evaluate annual
population estimation and mortality in order to derive total
mortality.
(m) The Commission is
committed to monitoring the GYE grizzly bear population in Wyoming to ensure
viability and demonstrate that recovery criteria are being achieved. Monitoring
efforts shall include evaluating the genetic health of GYE grizzly bears
through biological samples obtained noninvasively and from bears captured for
monitoring and management purposes.
