Lawmakers Ponder What, If Anything, Can Be Done To Regulate Extreme-Range Hunting
BY Herschel Smith
7 hours, 2 minutes ago
The hotly-debated hunting matter of how far is too far for ethical rifle shots came up again Friday at a Wyoming legislative committee, where lawmakers were in a quandary on how to regulate the issue.
Members of the Legislature’s Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee noted that extremely long-range hunting shots are a growing concern, as they relate to hunting ethics.
But they questioned whether there’s any practical way to regulate the practice without trying to legislate ethics and morals.
The topic “keeps coming up over and over,” but it’s difficult for regulations to stay ahead of the rapid pace of firearms and optics technology, committee member Sen. Larry Hicks, R-Baggs, said.
In one much talked-about instance, a hunter in Fremont County shot an antelope from nearly 2,000 yards away.
Some hunters argue that any shot beyond about 600 yards is just too far.
Committee co-chairman Rep. Andrew Byron, R-Jackson, said he’s been hearing concerns from the hunters among his constituents.
“It is definitely affecting Western Wyoming,” Byron said.
He noted that he heard a story about a hunter who was preparing to take a 400-yard shot at a big game animal, only to have another hunter blast it from much farther back.
I wouldn’t worry about regulating ethics and morals. All laws are legislated morality.
2000 yards is simply too far to take an ethical shot in my opinion. You’re risking pain and suffering of the game animal and that’s just not a moral thing to do. It’s a shame that hunters can’t self regulate, but also a testimony to a sad state of affairs where hunters want to be the next “stud” who took game from a greater distance than the last record. It seems to me sort of like golfers getting out and wanting to put little white balls in holes in the middle of a field. Men worry a great deal over what I consider to be a stupid game.
Erik Cortina has said that he wouldn’t take a shot on a game animal at further than 600 yards, and anyone else shooting out there isn’t Erik Cortina, plain and simple.
Again, it’s a crying shame that hunters don’t have the morals to self regulate.
On June 8, 2025 at 11:15 pm, Dan said:
Any group that won’t self “police” WILL eventually be policed by the state…