Antler hunting is a legitimate recreational activity that many people in Wyoming enjoy. It's a hobby that gives them a chance to be outdoors and collect antlers that can either be used for craft items or sold. Racks can fetch up to $20 per pound.

But those who are abusing the privilege are responsible for the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's consideration of a seasonal ban on antler hunting in parts of the state.

The proposal would ban antler hunting on public land west of the Continental Divide in the state from Jan. 1 through April 30. We encourage the commission to pass it when it meets next month, and also consider whether the ban should be extended to any other problem areas in the state.

In recent years, several Rocky Mountain states have reported problems with antler hunters who ride snowmobiles or all-terrain vehicles. They can spook herds of elk and deer into running, which Wyoming Game and Fish Department spokesman Mark Gocke said is dangerous for animals already weakened from months of wallowing in deep snow and eating scarce forage.

"It really is a matter of life and death," Gocke explained.

He said many people start looking for antlers before they have even fallen off the animals. In some cases, people on four-wheelers and snowmobiles have intentionally chased elk and mule deer until the exertion causes the animals' antlers to fall off.

That practice has led to seasonal bans on antler hunting in Colorado and northern Utah. In Nevada, wildlife officials have prosecuted antler hunters on ATVs who chased deer through sagebrush.

People shut out of those states have headed to Wyoming in recent years, where they have taken advantage of the state's lack of regulations to put more pressure on big game here and ruin the activity for on-foot antler collectors.

If a ban is passed, enforcement will likely be tricky. It would be worth it for Wyoming to study the example of Montana, which has closed choice winter ranges to humans from early winter to May to protect its elk and deer from the impact of antler hunting.

According to USA Today, every year Montana game wardens conceal radio telemeters in antlers placed in areas closed to antler hunting, then track their movements as the violators take them home. The offenders are given tickets for trespassing and fined up to $500. That sounds like it would be an effective deterrent that's well worth the extra effort by the state.

Wildlife officials in Montana, Utah and Idaho claim it's also relatively common for hunters to collect antlers during seasonal closures, then stash them until it's safe to pick them up during the first days when antler collecting is legal. That will likely be more difficult to prevent, but legitimate antler hunters should be encouraged to turn in those who break the state's rules.

Jim Lowe of Casper, an antler collecter, isn't optimistic that a ban would help. "It will stop the honest people, is all it will do," he told The Associated Press. "These guys are going to be able to get in there, get the stuff and get out, and most of the time they'll get away with it."

But if Wyoming does not pass the seasonal ban, the situation in the state will only continue to deteriorate as more people use snowmobiles and ATVs to chase elk and deer to try to cause their antlers to fall off. The state should do everything it can to protect wildlife from unethical collectors, and the ban is the best way to do it.