Wyoming Hunters Help Track Wildlife Through Harvest Surveys

Each year, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department estimates how many animals are harvested by hunters across the state, a key piece of information used to manage wildlife populations and set future hunting seasons. While the department sends out nearly 250,000 harvest surveys annually, only about 20 to 40 percent of hunters respond, raising questions about how accurate those estimates really are.

Game and Fish officials say the system is reliable and based on decades of survey science. Harvest questionnaires have been used in Wyoming since the 1940s, and in the 1970s the department partnered with the University of Wyoming to formalize the process using industry-standard statistical methods. As hunting activity has increased, so has the need for accurate data.

In 1939, just over 8,200 big game animals were recorded as harvested statewide. By 2024, that estimate had grown to more than 80,000 animals.

In 2023, Game and Fish expanded its partnership with the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center at UW to modernize the harvest survey program. Most surveys are now conducted online, with follow-up reminders sent by mail, phone or text when needed. A call center staffed largely by UW students also helps collect responses.

Harvest surveys are sent to a random sample of license holders by hunt area and license type. The responses are analyzed and applied to all license holders in that category using established statistical methods, with resident and nonresident data evaluated separately. The results are published annually in public harvest reports on the Game and Fish website.

Officials say hunter participation remains critical. Completing a survey — even if no animal was harvested or no hunting occurred — helps ensure accurate estimates and better wildlife management decisions for the future.