CAPE Act Has Interesting Implications For Hunters

The Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) expressed its support for Senator John Barrasso’s (R–WY) proposed bill that would ensure that even under a depopulation management action, no part of an animal will go to waste.

The bill is timely considering the current removal of Rocky Mountain goats in some parts of Wyoming. The goats are a non-native, introduced species to these regions and pose a disease transfer risk to native bighorn sheep. As part of this management action, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the National Park Service (NPS) are using sportsmen and women as qualified volunteers to carry out removal of mountain goats.

“It is our ethos as sportsmen and women to utilize every part of the game we harvest,” said Gray N. Thornton, President, and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “Even game harvested as a wildlife management activity has value. We applaud Senator Barrasso for recognizing this fact and proposing this bill to make it legal to fully respect and utilize the animals taken.”

The Cape and Antler Preservation Enhancement (CAPE) Act will allow the cape (hide), horns, or antlers from animals harvested by qualified volunteers to be donated and not discarded or wasted. Currently, only meat can be donated, but by NPS law, other valuable parts of animals cannot be removed from the field, thereby are left to waste.

Thornton added, “WSF’s focus is the health and vitality of wild sheep populations in North America and internationally. Removal of non-native mountain goats from native bighorn sheep ranges where the goats negatively impact wild sheep is the right thing to do. Making sure every useable part of the animals taken is used is also the right thing to do.”