WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), introduced the Cape and Antler Preservation Enhancement (CAPE) Act. The CAPE Act provides discretion to the National Park Service (NPS) to donate the cape, hide, horn, and antlers obtained from non-native species during wildlife management activities to volunteers or others authorized by the park service.

“Wyoming is home to some of the most incredible wildlife. This includes the native Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in Grand Teton National Park,” said Barrasso. “Sportsmen and women play a major role in helping conserve bighorn sheep through coordinated wildlife management activities. The Cape and Antler Preservation Enhancement Act recognizes their efforts and will allow for the donation of hide and horns to volunteers who help protect our native bighorn sheep.” 

“The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation works to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife, their habitat, and our hunting heritage. Utilizing the meat from the animals we harvest is an important part of our ethic as sportsmen and women, but so is celebrating the memories of our time outdoors.  The CAPE Act would enable the National Park Service to convey the hides and horns and antlers from the animals that are culled to the volunteers who help do the culling.  The status quo of leaving these parts behind is wasteful, particularly when many of the volunteers would preserve and value them as memories,” said Blake Henning, chief conservation officer of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. 

“It is our ethos as sportsmen to utilize every part of the game we harvest,” said Gray N. Thornton, president, and CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “Even game being hunted 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 the animals taken.” 

“Qualified volunteer hunters are vital to completing management actions such as the removal of mountain goats from Wyoming. While beneficial for ecosystem management, these actions differ from actual hunting - sometimes needlessly. We thank Senator Barrasso for proposing the CAPE Act to reinforce the commitment of ethical hunters to use as much of the animal as practical,” said Tony Schoonen, CEO of Boone and Crockett Club. 

“This bill will provide an opportunity for those who assist with the removal of non-native mountain goats in Grand Teton National Park to possess the inedible portions along with the meat,” said Brian Nesvik, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Read the text of the CAPE Act here. 

Read a summary of the CAPE Act here. 

Read a section-by-section of the CAPE Act here.

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