Wyoming Game And Fish Department Just Wants The Tooth

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is asking selected Wyoming hunters to donate teeth from their harvested mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose, bison, mountain lions, black bears, and bobcats.

Wildlife officials can learn about the ages of the animals from the teeth. That information is used in managing wildlife in the state.

“It’s one source of important data collected from hunters that helps wildlife managers to assess how hunting seasons affect the population,” said Miranda Strand, tooth aging coordinator for Game and Fish. “It is amazing to know that we can learn the age of an animal from one little tooth.”

The agency is mailing some hunters tooth boxes. Those who provide the agency with teeth can use their hunting license number to see the animal's age online starting at the end of February for mule deer, white-tailed deer and moose, and March for elk. Bison ages will be posted online in mid-April.

Ages for other game animals will be posted later in the year, according to a Game and Fish Department news release. Hunters who do not receive a tooth box in the mail but want the age of game they have killed may do so for a fee of $25-$30 per animal.

They should contact the tooth aging coordinator at (307) 721-1926.