Since 1973, Wyoming has managed mountain lions in a way that promotes their existence, using regulations that have allowed the native felines to bounce back from extreme scarcity. Cougars were once wiped out of large areas of the state where they now thrive, like the Black Hills, during an earlier era of unrestricted killing.
But a proposal that will be considered by the Wyoming Legislature calls for returning to the time when the cats could be killed without limit. House Bill 286, “Mountain lion hunting season-changes,” would throw out the fundamental structure of current lion management regulations: Cougar killing would be fair game 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department would be prohibited from imposing any limits on cats killed at the local and statewide levels.
Additionally, wildlife managers would be forced to allow lion trapping, a now-prohibited pursuit that results in cats, and other animals, being killed indiscriminately, regardless of their age or sex. Furthermore, mountain lion hunters would no longer need a dedicated license — any person with a valid antelope, deer or elk tag could kill an unlimited number of the stealthy felines legally.
The sweeping overhaul to modern lion management is the idea of Rep. Mike Schmid, an oil and gas industry businessman, Wyoming State Trappers Association board member and Wyoming Freedom Caucus-aligned Republican who hails from La Barge. Although the proposal is similar to reclassifying lions as an unregulated predator — an approach Wyoming uses to inhibit the spread of wolves beyond a designated trophy-game area — Schmid’s aim is not to wipe lions off the landscape, he said.
“It’s more about the mule deer situation,” Schmid told WyoFile, “and trying to help our mule deer population.”
A handful of mostly Freedom Caucus-aligned lawmakers agreed with the premise and signed on: Schmid’s co-sponsors include Republican Reps. Bill Allemand of Midwest, Jeremy Haroldson of Wheatland, Nina Webber of Cody, Bob Wharff of Evanston, John Winter of Thermopolis and Sen. Ogden Driskill of Devils Tower.
Sweeping overhaul
The bill was “based on constituent feelings,” said Schmid, a former Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner who was removed from that appointed position four years ago by Gov. Mark Gordon.
Big game outfitters in the Green River Basin and elsewhere have encouraged wildlife managers to go after predators, especially lions and black bears, because of low deer populations and slow hunting seasons caused by recent severe winters, especially the devastating winter of 2022-’23.
Although a decade-long research project in the Wyoming Range suggests the predators are being unfairly scapegoated for mule deer’ struggles, wildlife managers have listened and responded to the frustrated public: They ratcheted up mortality limits on mountain lions by 50% in four western Wyoming hunt areas.
House Bill 286 would take the predator persecution to another level — and do so throughout the state. It’s an approach conservationists, hunting advocacy groups and dedicated mountain lion houndsmen began vociferously contesting within hours of HB 286’s introduction.
“This is government overreach,” said Luke Worthington, who presides over the Wyoming Houndsman Association’s board of directors. “This is an emotional bill. These guys think they’re going to save all the deer, and that’s not true.”
“I want to see Mike Schmid’s data,” he added. “Let’s see your data.”
Worthington lives west of Gillette, an area where mule deer are struggling mightily from an array of issues. Deer mortality data show that predation is barely a factor.
“I live in an area where there are no mountain lions, and we have no deer,” Worthington said. “Lions are not the problem with the deer. It’s habitat, it’s food, it’s winters.”
Jess Johnson, a lobbyist for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, said she was troubled by House Bill 286. It’s just the latest example, she said, of lawmakers trying to micromanage Wyoming’s wildlife agency.
“Our Legislature is behaving exactly like Colorado, with ballot box biology, saying they know better than the scientists and managers on the ground,” Johnson said. “They’re not listening to anybody who actually knows what they’re talking about.”
Heeding the data?
Schmid’s been forthcoming about his skepticism of wildlife science and research. Although data to support his contentions are lacking, he’s of the earnest belief that knocking back lion numbers will help mule deer.
“Science is a wonderful thing, but it’s not always right,” he told WyoFile. “I don’t think we put enough emphasis on the effect of predators on other species.”
Jason Reinhardt, a western Wyoming houndsman, also wants to see evidence that legislatively mandating the state kill more lions will have the desired effect.
“It’s small-minded BS that these guys have adopted,” he said. “It’s leading them to believe that eradicating the f-ing lions is going to solve their mule deer problem.”
There’s a possibility that killing lions can have unintended detrimental consequences for Wyoming mule deer in the long run.
A Wyoming Game and Fish Department study in the Casper region is examining whether cougars preferentially prey on deer that have been infected with chronic wasting disease — an always-lethal condition that, at its worst, can completely collapse a mule deer population.
In the process, state biologists confirmed prior research showing that mountain lions switch their diets as they age, favoring elk, instead of deer. Heavily hunted mountain lion populations, which skew younger, could therefore consist of more deer-killing specialists.
Johnson, at Wyoming Wildlife Federation, worries that bills like HB 286 hurt Wyoming’s case for managing its other large carnivores, like grizzly bears.
“It is one more bullet in the bandolier for wildlife advocates,” she said. “We’re handing them ammunition to keep animals listed.”
Unintended consequences
Penny Maldonado, executive director of the Jackson-based Cougar Fund, is collecting that ammunition. Her organization opposes mountain lion hunting — and also vehemently opposes HB 286, which she described as “shocking.”
“Doing something as extreme as this really illustrates why it’s a terrible idea to send management of the grizzly bear back to the state,” Maldonado said.
House Bill 286 was received for introduction Monday in the Wyoming House of Representatives.
Many steps remain before the measure could become law: a committee hearing that includes public comment, and then three readings on the floor of the lower chamber. If the measure clears those hurdles, each step would need to be repeated in the Wyoming Senate.
The deadline for bills to be reported out of a committee is Feb. 7, according to the legislative session calendar, which means House speaker Chip Neiman, R-Hulett, has two weeks to decide whether to breathe life into Schmid’s proposal.
Anti Science. Well that pretty well sums up Wyoming and the freedom caucus.
Wolves and lions don’t kill the sick and the weak.This is not Disney out there.Lions take a large number of mature bucks,wolves run down mature bulls!!!Wolves are more likely to find an injured elk in the herd,but a lion hunts the one moving in front of it!!!Wolves still kill a lot of healthy elk and deer .I am not for killing all the lions when no wolves are beening hunted..Don’t put that crap about they only take the sick and the weak.I have spent many years following lions and the kill Bucks,does,and fawns that are healthy!!!
Back in the 1980’s I got elected to the local school board. I was then appointed their Council of Governments representative. I got a pretty good idea of how the legislature interacted with local entities. This is another example. It doesn’t matter who the elected members are there seems to be something in air at the legislature that gives the body the idea they know more than anyone else in the state. They want to manage school board business, commissioners business, Game and Fish business, cities business–you get the idea. At one point I can remember a legislative representative telling me point blank he didn’t like what our local board was doing and he was going to get the legislature to change it. This ego driven attitude is ironic in a state the demonizes the feds for telling the state what to do, but then the legislature wants to tell everyone in the state how to conduct their local affairs including what is going on in bedrooms and bodies.
Business men only look at commercial point of view. Why not get experts views in independent manner . Both species play valuable assets for U.S.A.Also the Unlimited killing idea also not fair as pregnant and milking mothers also will be killed.Over hunting could wipe out any animal .
Let Wyoming Game & Fish do their job of managing the lions. A representative that was removed from his position at WGFD has no legitimate reason to be trying to manage these animals now. WGFD can increase the tag limits if they have reason to believe it will help the mule deer re-populate.
Another giveaway to the livestock cabal. If it doesn’t put weight on a steer, kill it or demonize. Dark times.
We don’t need to be hunting lions year-round. Crazy
Well the one thing not needed here are data and “facts”, because if you torture the data enough it will confess to anything. The real discussion centers around as always human fears, power, bias, and money.
Good luck to the cats.
Bad idea. Good article.
Not good for lions or deer or the people who value wildlife.
Wyo Leg: leave WGFD alone
What’s wrong with these people who want to kill all the lions. They are not the problem. It is the legislature that is the problem. I think the people who are for this bill need to crawl back into there hole and let the people who know about this manage the wildlife. Those people who are for this bill won’t be happy until all the wildlife are killed off. So sad these people are like this. God Bless all the animals that are trying to survive in this world with people like that.
Utah enacted a similar law in 2023, allowing year round hunting with just a hunting license (no tag needed). In 2024 the Division of Wildlife report no significant change in the number lions killed under the new rules. It seems lion hunting is hard, physically demanding, and requires a good amount of skill. So most people hire a guide with the knowledge and resources (meaning hounds) to take on the challenge. Just saying on paper that anybody can do it doesn’t make it so.
Well, Rep Schmid, between HB286 and your support for the bill allowing landowners to sell landowner hunting tags to the highest bidder, you have already made me regret my support for for you in this past election. I was warned not to support you, I should have listened.
I’m glad you are no longer on the Game and Fish Commission (we know why the governor threw your butt off), and now the public will see you leave the legislature in the next election.
Not sure who you think you are, but your ideas are terrible and will lead to further damage to the Game and Fish, and to the hunting public.
As the ethics of Wyoming wildlife management continue to circle the drain.
Always trying to put the blame on something besides the fact that the winter ranges are in bad shape from various reasons -drought, OVERGRAZING by livestock and heavy snow winters . Last time I checked lions don’t eat that much grass !
Anyone who thinks there are too many lions in Wyoming should go spend a week looking for lion tracks and report back how many lions you’ve found
Truth
I strongly oppose this bill!
They never give up their effort to demolish the Game and Fish. The department once was far more independent than it is today.
Let’s stick with scientific management, not seat-of-the-pants decision-making.
“Wyoming lawmaker looks to end science-based management”.
I’m guessing this headline is going to get a lot of use in the next few years.
Ain’t that the truth!
I’m afraid that the proud to be willfully ignorant freedumb caucus is just getting warmed up.
You got to ask yourself, how is it that our Wyoming Legislators seem to have more knowledge about wildlife and wildlife management that Game & Fish? For anyone that wants further numbers on mountain lion licenses sold and related harvest reports (the harvest reports are mostly accurate as all kills need to be reported within specified time periods) go out to the Game & Fish website and click on Trophy Game Harvest Limits. This report shows kills current for the season as of the date indicated on the top. If you want to see past information, then please go to Harvest Reports and Surveys. Agreed that science is not always accurate, but Representative Schmid your beliefs aren’t either. Leave the management of wildlife to the department that has the most boots on the ground, first hand knowledge. Senator Driskill, I am highly suspect of your reasons for “saving” mule deer. First you co-sponsored a bill to separate the licenses for deer species and now this? Could it be that you are more concerned about pandering to the outfitters that lease hunting land on Campstool Ranch, or are your actions really altruistic?
Great ignorance results in great arrogance. It is a badge of honor for a large percentage of our population.
Since the Feds continue to protect overpopulated Grizzlies, and wolves the State is targeting any other predators it can.
Year after year elk cow/calf in the GYE are a disaster. Open the seasons on Grizzlies, and wolves further, and leave the mountain lions be.
Sir, wolves and grizzlies occupy the small western corner of the state. If they are the culprits, why are mule deer populations declining across the entire state?
Yeah let’s just destroy what’s left of everything. Drill baby drill. WY leads the way.
This a bad idea.. Year long hunting of mountain lions. Biologists should be in charge of population control and studies of animals. Need more data and facts.
It’s a sad thing…we elect people that we hope use knowledge…it seems these days that is not the case.
We don’t need less lions, wolves, and scavengers. They cull the sick and weak and research shows they can reduce disease.
We also don’t need more traps spread over the landscape to torture and kill animals and pets, or injure people.
Sad that ignorance seems to have such power in such a wonderful state.
Factor in the loss of deer on roads and highways, you lose one female you have also lost her fawns for years to come . Just because the freedom caucus supports an issue , that doesn’t means that science or research is supporting it .
What an excellent piece of reporting. Loved the pictures and all the quotes from people who are actually knowledgeable about this issue. Let’s hope the Legislature takes heed, backs off this misguided bill and lets Game and Fish do their best to do their jobs professionally.
“Science is a wonderful thing, but it’s not always right” – What an idiotic statement.
Such idiocy is required to be a member of the Freedom Caucus.
Absolutely ridiculous. We need lions to prey on mule deer. I would suggest that they help keep cwd in check. Mr. Schmid must be a real sharp guy. He obviously knows nothing about wildlife or wildlife management. Another radical goofball.
The supporters of this bill need to go back 75 years to Aldo Leopold’s “A Sand County Almanac”, which explains why killing lions to save deer is a bad idea. These guys use data to find oil & gas plays. Why not use 75+ years of data to manage wildlife? Because he’s beholden to dollars, not wildlife. He ain’t looking out for you or wildlife or Wyoming.
Severe overgrazing on our public lands has killed far more Mule Deer then the supposed boogeyman Mountain Lion ever has. It’s the habitat, stupid and you’d think that Mike Schmidt (a former Game and Fish Commissioner) would know that. Wait, Schmidt got tossed off the Board, so maybe he’s not that swift. Nearly free public land grazing and the USFS and BLM looking the other way when the cow and sheep hooves destroy everything is the real culprit. Mule Deer is the 4-legged version of the Sage Grouse and look how that’s worked out
Overgrazing by today’s ranchers by their grandfathers and great grandfathers resulted in the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934. Stewards of the land?
Good post. If you want to see first hand an account of the government agencies turning a blind eye to overgrazing and other abuses of the public lands, look no further than the South and East base of Heart Mountain near Cody. Both the BLM and Bur of Rec have allowed severe overgrazing of the range in critical Sage Grouse habitat. This area used to have a good population of both Grouse, Antelope and Mule Deer but since it’s been turned into a moonscape, not too much lives out there anymore. They also allowed Heart Mountain Irrigation District members to dump trash out on the public land. We can blame the over grazing by the ranchers but yet the governing Agencies are the entities that allow this to happen. Shouldn’t the wildlife managers, Game and Fish get involved? They seem to turn their heads, also. Lack of habitat = less to no wildlife but, yea, let’s blame the mountain lion. What a cheap way out.
That is B.S. !! Please leave in the hands of Wyoming game and Fish!
Sounds like we need an open season on old, greedy, bloodthirsty, ignorant oil industry execs who do more harm to mule deer and the environment as a whole than a Mountain lion ever could.
Fair and balanced?
HB0286 is terrible and should not even be considered. I’ve been a houndsman hunting lions for 20 years and I don’t know one houndsman who is for this nonsense of a bill. I’ve talked to houndsmen across the state and they are all 100% against it. The only avid outdoorsman I know that is for it is Mike Schmid and it was terrible to see he is footing some of this nonsense. Our lions are actually very well managed in Wyoming with a Game and Fish that listens to the houndsmen and compares it to their data to make an intelligent scientific decision. This bill is a disaster! Vote NO to HB0286!
This is an emotional bill with no scientific evidence whatsoever that is also an example of government overreach and against everything the North American model of wildlife conservation was intended to protect.
Shocking is the right word. Schmid is babbling about deer when this bill is really all about “payback” for being thrown off the Commission. So let’s send WY back to the days of unlimited bounty killing and predator elimination to sooth his ego. Fifty plus years of good lion science disagrees with everything Schmid and this bills supporters are claiming.
I suggest that all the commenters here also write to their congresspeople. Comments here feel good, but don’t change the minds of our representatives who are the decision makers. Please consider taking that one extra step. Thank you.
Predators do not exist in numbers great enough to control prey populations. This is true even when all the wild predators are combined into a predator population. Plants have the control by altering their biochemistry when stressed.
There seems to be nothing the WY legislature can’t solve without reaching for a gun. Problem is, they keep using it to shoot themselves in the foot.
Extremely important!!!! Legislative action which declares mountain lions as predators may have the effect of transferring management of the lions away from Game and Fish to the Department of Agriculture. I have considerable experience concerning this matter mostly with respect to prairie dogs which are listed as a pest in the Wyoming Weed and Pest Act – GAME AND FISH DOES NOT HAVE DIRECT AUTHORITY OVER PRAIRIE DOGS – the are managed through each counties Weed and Pest District. So I looked up wolves – are they still under Game and Fishes management in the predator zone or did the legislative designation of wolves as a predator assign them to the Ag Department in the predator area of the state??? No one talks about this matter and it has not become a major issue and as far as I can tell there’s a lot of confusion and misunderstanding. However, the same matter could arise if the legislature designates mountain lions as a predator with open hunting – same as wolves. Would mountain lion control then fall under your local Weed and Pest District??? This is for real folks – we went around and around with Game and Fish over prairie dogs and they ultimately had to admit that the legislature directly assigned prairie dog to the Ag Department. The legislature needs to clearly state their intent on this matter prior to voting and let the people of Wyoming know in advance if lions would be reassigned!!! Again, this is for real and is the type of issue which commonly requires a legal opinion from the Wyoming Attorney General. Do not take this matter lightly.
Additional information: I forgot to mention that coyotes are currently managed as a pest/predator through the Department of Ag/ Weed and Pest districts/ Predator Control Boards. That is, there is precedence for large carnivores not being managed by Game and Fish – this is a long established approach in Wyoming which Game and fish apparently has not challenged the Department of Ag management of coyotes – and. coyotes are listed as a pest in the Weed and Pest Act meaning the legislature directly assigned them to Ag.
This is more of the Freedom Caucus baloney. Are they wildlife biologists? How do they know cougars are depleting the mule deer population. This is the same mentality that justifies killing all predators since humans are superior to animals.
As usual, another great article Mike. Form what its worth, the ranchers and outdoors men I have coffee with mostly talk about mountain lions taking domestic sheep and goats and an occasional dog. The mule deer factor seems to be a western Wyoming concern due to heavy winter losses. I feel uncomfortable with trapping of the lions. There may be the votes in the legislature to pass this legislation – lots of ranchers, hunters and outdoors men in a Freedom Caucus state – they own a lot of Wyoming and have a lot of influence. That’s Wyoming folks.
The bill was “based upon constituents feelings.” What the hell does that really mean? Has the Freedom Caucus polled a scientific representative sample of Wyoming constituents?
Rep. Mike Schmid’s legislation is part of an anti-science attitude currently sweeping the USA, but;
“The good thing about science is that it’s true whether or not you believe in it.”
Neil DeGrasse Tyson
As someone who was raised on a cattle ranch and spent a portion of the past 45 years as a biologist observing the effects of livestock grazing on public and private land I take issue with Schmid’s proposal as a long-term soulution to solving mule deer population numbers in Wyoming.
Of the 6 factors listed on the website generated by the Google keyword search; “why are mule deer population down in wyoming right now”. Schmit’s proposal only addresses 1 of the 6 factors, why, only 1 out 6?
Yes, I believe short-term, mule deer populations will increase in certain areas by reducing mountain lion populations. I also believe there is no single factor that will increase mule deer populations long-term. The challange is; all of the factors (and more) need to be addressed and that will be a pretty complicated and unpopular thing to do in rural Wyoming.
“I like the scientific spirit—the holding off, the being sure but not too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them: this is ultimately fine—it always keeps the way beyond open—always gives life, thought, affection, the whole man, a chance to try over again after a mistake—after a wrong guess.”
Walt Whitman, Walt Whitman’s Camden Conversations