If you were one of the hunters who accessed the Game and Fish website shortly after 8 a.m. on July 10 or 17 to get a leftover license and found that the area you wanted was gone, you weren’t alone.

 

“How could the licenses sell out so fast,” asked one hunter who had gone online several minutes after 8 a.m. on July 10 for an antelope license only to find out that licenses in the area he wanted were no longer available.

Similar stories were voiced by hunters who had lined up before 8 a.m. at Game and Fish offices on July 10 and July 17 to be one of the first in line. 

 

 Leftover full-price elk, deer, and antelope licenses went on sale at 8 a.m. on July 10 and reduced price cow/calf elk and doe fawn deer and antelope licenses were released a week later on July 17.

 

More than 2,500 full price licenses were sold in the first 30 minutes after 8 a.m. on July 10 and over 5,500 reduced price licenses were sold within the first half hour after the 8 a.m. starting time on July 17.

 

The answer to how license could go so fast is a result of the computer age, but issuing licenses via computer is not new.  For several years the Game and Fish has been issuing leftover licenses online via the Game and Fish website.

 

 “Before 8 a.m. on the license release dates there were hundreds of people who had already logged in, waiting for the licenses to be released,” said Game and Fish computer programmer Tom Graham.  “On the morning of July 10 we looked at the activity on our website and 1,200 people were already logged in and waiting for the licenses to be released at 8 a.m.”

 

  Numerous people were also waiting at license agents and Game and Fish offices, but Graham said licenses are sold at those facilities the same way they are on your home computer.  “At Game and Fish offices, a hunter’s personal information must be entered by the Game and Fish employee, and by the time that gets taken care of, others who were already online had often taken the available licenses in some of the areas,” Graham said.

 

 “Essentially, the people who were waiting at offices had 1,200 people ahead of them in the line on July 10 and about 1,600 folks on the 17th.” 

 

For more details log on to http://wgfd.wyo.gov