Legislators to Decide on Silencers for Hunting

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming lawmakers will decide in coming months whether to allow the use of silencers on hunting guns.

A legislative committee recently endorsed a bill to end the state's prohibition on silencers. The full Legislature will consider the issue in the general session starting in January.

Proponents of allowing silencers say they would protect hunters' hearing from the muzzle blast of their rifles. They also say silencers would reduce noise pollution for people who live near hunting areas.

But some opponents say using silencers would be unsporting, giving hunters yet another unnecessary technological advantage over wildlife.

More than half the states allow silencers and the number is growing. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is taking no position, saying it sees arguments for and against allowing silencers for hunting.

In a September KOWB News Center Poll, 67% of respondents said that they did not believe the use of silencers while hunting was a good idea.