Legislature to consider game, fish license hikes

Wyoming lawmakers will face a range of bills concerning hunting and fishing issues when they convene next month, including one that calls for increasing license fees. The Legislature's Joint Travel, Recreation and Wildlife Committee has endorsed a bill to increase most hunting and fishing licenses for both residents and nonresidents. Eric Keszler is spokesman for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. He says the department needs the license fee increases to maintain its current level of operations. He says failing to approve the increases would result in about a 20% cut in the agency's budget. Other proposed bills related to game and fish would allow hunters to kill a cow bison every five years, up from the current law that limits hunters to one bison tag in their lifetime.