With its biggest fundraiser of the year in March, the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the American Bear Foundation want those not into black bear hunting to know the funds raised by the two nongovernmental organizations assist Wyoming habitats and wildlife in need. Not just bears; all things and places wild.

“I think one of the coolest things about the Wyoming Wildlife Federation and the American Bear Foundation is that their whole ethos behind raising money at these banquets is to make sure that wildlife is conserved like into the future,” said Wyoming Wildlife Federation banquet coordinator Jaden Bales, “So even if someone’s not a big bear hunter, experiencing the event, or just going and learning some more, is going to be supporting those conservation efforts. And I think that that is one as wildlife people we can all kind of get behind.”

The sixth annual banquet, set for March 21 at the Cody Cattle Company and sponsored by Montana Knife Company, brings together conservationists, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and community partners in support of conservation and science-based wildlife management across the state for a crowd that wants to have fun and play a lot of games and raise money for wildlife. The Bear Banquet has quickly become a highlight of the conservation calendar.

The event has become one of the top tickets of the season. It has sold out for the past four years and last year’s banquet was a record-breaking success, raising over $34,000.

“It’s not stuffy, and it’s not some, you know, high end, big auction type event. It’s really built for people who are just blue collar and like to hunt or just love wildlife, and they can come and just enjoy the time together with some like minded folks,” Bales said.

He said, unlike other banquets, the entry level for raffles and games is set lower so that an average family can have a great time and possibly go home with great prizes without spending their nest egg.

The two organizations combined their banquets out of necessity but the American Bear Foundation, which has a national membership, treats the banquet as its annual national event.

“We pull a lot of people from outside of Cody, the state, you know, even Washington, Virginia, California, we get people kind of coming from all over,” said chief volunteer and Cody resident Joe Kondelis.

The American Bear Foundation is committed to bringing chapters to all 50 states despite relying on an all-volunteer staff. Missouri, Oregon, Virginia and Washington were the first state chapters organized and Idaho, Montana and Wyoming state chapters are close to joining in.

The banquet’s success reflects a vibrant community of wildlife supporters. Last year’s celebration included educational workshops on black bear conservation, large carnivores in the state Legislature, hunting tactics, and field skills led by wildlife experts, a lively dinner and auction featuring unique outdoor experiences and gear and opportunities to learn about ongoing and future wildlife initiatives. The crowd is “super unique,” Kondelis said.

“I’d say one of our biggest demographics at the banquet is in that mid-20s to early-30s [segment], which is really cool to see that age group coming out to support to conservation organizations,” Kondelis said. “We get a lot of bear hunters, but also a lot of people that are simply passionate about conservation.”

Year over year the popularity of bear hunting in Wyoming continues to grow. Interestingly, as the sport grows, the black bear population has remained stable to slightly increasing, according to Wyoming Game and Fish Department Large Carnivore biologist Dan Thompson in a previous interview about the species.

Unfortunately, while grizzly bears have been one of the most studied wildlife species on the planet, interest, scientific knowledge and funds available for black bear conservation studies are relatively limited. The department has studied the species and began its first attempt ever to quantify the population in 2019, Thompson said.

Bear hunting has become more popular as hunters find more ways to get outside and kind of disconnect from the “busyness of life,” Kondelis said. “Spring bear hunting is a great time because there’s no really other hunting going on at the time. People are starting to realize they can buy a bear tag over-the-counter and go out and enjoy the spring,” Kondelis said.

He said bear hunting is different from hunting most game in the state.

“It’s the challenge of hunting a solitary predator. It’s a lot different of a challenge than hunting [such as deer species]. And I think that’s what drives a lot of bear hunters, more than the harvest or anything. It’s actually like pitting yourself against an apex predator out there that doesn’t move around in herds in great numbers,” Kondelis said. “I think it brings a lot of people into the fold.”

But there is one thing Kondelis would like to change in the Wyoming black bear hunting regulations.

“The way Wyoming manages it, hunters are not required in the state of Wyoming to take bear out of the field for the meat. And so I think it really shows people like, well, if I don’t have to take it out of the field, the meat must not be good,” he said. “It couldn’t be more opposite. I wish we would change that in the state, because bear meat is fantastic. It’s highly regarded in a lot of areas in the United States, and we just haven’t quite got there yet. It is some of the best meat you’ll get.”

Tickets: wyomingwildlife.org/banquet (Additional event details will be announced in the coming weeks.)