CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Archery hunting season opens soon, and as it gets closer, many people are turning again to hunter regulations in order to determine if they are ready to go for the season.
Special archery season has different start dates depending on the animal. Please note that the following are the general start dates, and double-check the date for your specific hunting area here.
- Antelope opens on Aug. 15 and will continue until the end of September.
- Deer, moose, and elk open on Sept. 1 and will continue until the end of September.
- Bighorn sheep and mountain goats begin on Aug. 15 and end on Aug. 31.
- For black bear, gray wolf, grizzly bear, and mountain lion, please double-check with the hunt areas.
Archery hunters can continue using archery equipment into rifle season, but are required to wear orange during that time.
During archery season, hunters are not required to wear orange.
Regarding the equipment used for the season, hunters may use a recurve, longbow, or compound bow. There are specific poundage requirements that must be met depending on the game being hunted.
For antelope, bighorn sheep, black bear, deer, mountain goat, mountain lion, and gray wolf, the draw weight must be at a minimum of 40 pounds, with an arrow equipped with a fixed or expanding point broadhead that when fully expanded cannot pass through a seven-eighths–inch solid ring.
For elk, grizzly bear, or moose, the minimum draw weight is 50 pounds, with an arrow equipped with a fixed or expanding point broadhead that when fully expanded cannot pass through a seven-eighths–inch solid ring.
When hunting any big or trophy game animal, the hunter must have a crossbow with a draw peak draw weight of at least 90 pounds and a bolt at least 16 inches in length. The bolt must be equipped with a fixed or expanding point broadhead that when fully expanded cannot pass through a seven-eighths–inch solid ring.
Be advised that trackable arrow technology may be used to assist in following up the shot, retrieving a hunting arrow, or locating a legally harvested big or trophy game animal. However, any electronic tracking device that is capable of transferring from a hunting arrow to a big or trophy game animal shall not be considered trackable arrow technology.
For further information regarding regulations, including hunting areas, please follow the link here.
