Wildlife managers will announce some changes to moose, bison and elk hunting seasons in the Jackson Hole area at a meeting tonight in Jackson.

Another meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Pinedale.

Wyoming Game and Fish Department officials are trying to protect a dwindling moose population while decreasing the number of elk that summer in Grand Teton National Park, a herd segment they say is overpopulated.

Wyoming Game and Fish wildlife biologist Doug Brimeyer said hunters can expect increased elk hunting opportunities around the National Elk Refuge and southern Grand Teton National Park but more limited opportunities in the Gros Ventre drainage.

“[In the Gros Ventre], we’re going to continue to manage them a little more conservatively because of a couple years of poor calf ratios,” he said. “Our concern is that the population in the Gros Ventre is below where we want it right now.”

Brimeyer said the Fall Creek population is doing well.

“Hunters will see a liberalized hunting season south of Jackson to address the numbers of elk that are in that herd unit,” he said.

Hunters will also see more opportunities for bison season on the National Elk Refuge and Bridger-Teton National Forest. Bison season will run through the first weekend in January, a change that echoes an extension of the hunting season that wildlife managers implemented this year in order to increase the harvest.

“We want to make sure that we have an adequate harvest on that population,” Brimeyer said, adding that wildlife managers eventually hope to reduce the herd to about 500 animals. “We’re just under 900 animals right now from a high of 1,250 two years ago. We’re starting to reduce the population.”

For bighorn sheep, biologists say the population is recovering nicely after a die off in 2001. While Game and Fish will stay with eight licenses this year, an increased number of lambs in the population and good ram numbers could mean an increase in 2010.

The deer hunting season will change slightly next fall. Last year, the last five days of the hunt were limited to antlered only, but this year the season will run from Sept. 15 to Oct. 10 and any deer can be harvested with a general license during that time.

The pronghorn season will stay the same, with 15 licenses allocated for the Gros Ventre.

A moose population drop will, once again, affect the availability of moose hunting licenses in the region for 2009.

About 20 years ago, wildlife managers estimated a moose population of between 2,300 and 2,800 animals in the region and, in 1991, Wyoming Game and Fish issued 495 licenses. Now, with a population of about 1,000, wildlife managers plan to issue 35 tags in the Gros Ventre drainage and another 10 in the Teton Wilderness. All of the tags issued for this year will be for bull moose.

The season-setting meetings will be from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Antler Inn in Jackson and from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Game and Fish office in Pinedale.