Wyoming Approves $4.8 Million for Predator Control as Statewide Demand Outpaces Available Funding
Why It Matters
Wyoming’s predator control program, which funds the trapping and killing of coyotes, wolves, and other wildlife deemed harmful to livestock, is consuming an increasing share of state general fund dollars. For the 2026-27 fiscal year, the Wyoming Animal Damage Management Board is distributing nearly $4.8 million to county predator boards — part of a broader two-year legislative appropriation that has grown sharply in recent budget cycles and now touches nearly every agricultural county in the state.
What Happened
The Animal Damage Management Board convened in Casper last week at the Agricultural Resource and Learning Center at the Natrona County fairgrounds to finalize its budget allocations for the coming fiscal year. County predator board representatives traveled to the meeting to present their requests, with federal Wildlife Services employees — who carry out much of the on-the-ground trapping and aerial shooting — also in attendance.
Fremont County Predator Board Chairman Rob Crofts described a challenging winter in which sparse snow cover made tracking difficult, yet contracted hunters and trappers still eliminated roughly 1,000 coyotes across the county’s 4.9-million-acre footprint. Crofts noted that Fremont County is home to nearly 987 farmers and ranchers with more than $10,000 in annual agricultural sales. Despite that case for continued support, his board’s request of $387,000 was trimmed to $290,000 — a reduction of nearly $97,000.
The gap between what counties requested and what was available totaled approximately $466,000 statewide. Only three county boards — Crook, Sheridan, and Weston — received their full requested allocations.
By the Numbers
$9.8 million — Total two-year appropriation approved by the Wyoming Legislature earlier this year for predator management, to be distributed over the 2026-27 and 2027-28 fiscal years.
$4.8 million — The portion being allocated in 2026-27 alone.
$5.8 million — The two-year total allocated in 2022, reflecting how significantly costs have risen since then. The 2024 two-year budget reached $8.4 million.
$1.6 million — A designated set-aside within the current budget for projects aimed at preventing wildlife from being listed under the Endangered Species Act, with most of those funds targeted at sage grouse habitat management.
$1.2 million — Approximate annual revenue collected statewide through a $1-per-head predator fee charged to livestock producers when they sell animals, which county boards retain separately from state allocations.
Zoom Out
The rising costs reflect broader inflationary pressures on government programs, including fuel prices and operational expenses. Predator Management Coordinator Jerry Johnson told the board that the Legislature factored those cost increases into the expanded appropriation. Similar cost-driven pressures on wildlife and livestock protection programs have emerged in other Western states where ranching and large-predator populations intersect.
The sage grouse funding component reflects a parallel federal concern. The bird, dependent on the sagebrush biome, has faced sustained population declines, and state-level efforts to prevent a formal Endangered Species Act listing have intensified. Most Wyoming counties received $38,000 in sage grouse-specific funds, while Carbon, Natrona, Sweetwater, and Fremont counties each received $65,750 based on the extent of core habitat within their boundaries.
The Trump administration has also taken steps at the federal level to address predation threats to Wyoming’s livestock industry. Earlier this year, the administration ordered immediate action to protect woolgrowers’ lambs from golden eagle predation, signaling alignment between federal and state priorities on livestock protection.
Teton County remains the lone Wyoming county without a functioning predator board, despite a statutory requirement that one exist. Johnson noted the county simply opts not to hire trappers — a reflection of the different land-use and economic priorities in a county dominated by tourism and conservation rather than ranching.
What’s Next
Sublette County may soon join the program. County board treasurer Kristy Wardell briefed the state board on an effort to get local producers to begin paying the $1-per-head predator fee, circulating a questionnaire to gauge their interest. A federal district supervisor noted Sublette County presents a demanding environment — with both trophy and predator zone wolf management — and could sustain a full-time trapping operation if funding materializes.
County predator boards are required to submit annual activity reports to the governor and three legislative committees, though reporting standards remain inconsistent across counties, with some boards providing significantly more detail than others. Standardizing those requirements may become a future legislative discussion as the program’s budget continues to grow.