HD Outdoors is giving you a heck of an opportunity to go on a hunt you’ll never forget, and for some, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance. After several years of applying for a commissioner’s licence, they have received one for the 2026 hunting season, and they’ll auction it off to the highest bidder on Thursday, February 19.

What will the money raised be used for?

From H.D. Outdoors. org:

“All funds raised through this auction will be used entirely to further the mission of H.D. Outdoors, serving Veterans across the State of Wyoming. In addition to sustaining current efforts, this auction allows us to expand our reach. Offering more events, serving more Veterans, and continuing to deliver meaningful, high-quality outdoor experiences that honor their service.”

How will the auction work?

On Thursday, February 19, H.D. Outdoors will hold an auction via phone and Microsoft Teams only. This will not be an in-person auction. Registration will begin at 1:00 pm (MST), and the auction will begin at 2:00 pm (MST) and will end at 3:00 pm (MST).

The opening bid for the auction will be $30,000, with bids increasing by $1,000 each. At the end of the one-hour auction, the person with the highest bid will win the commissioner’s licence.

What is a Commissioner’s License?

Each of the Wyoming Commissioners has a total of 8 Commissioners’ Licences, which they can issue to nonprofit organizations in Wyoming for use as they see fit. The holder of a Commissioner’s license can pick the Wyoming hunt area of their choosing for elk, deer, or antelope.

Chapter 44, Section 12
Wyoming statutes provide that each appointed commissioner may cause, through the issuance of license authorizations to nonprofit charitable organizations, to be issued at full price, complimentary elk, deer, or antelope licenses. All big game licenses authorized under this section are valid for a specific region or hunt area as designated by the license holder at the time of application. Holders of Commissioner Complimentary licenses shall be exempt from the provisions in this Chapter limiting the number of licenses an individual can possess in any one calendar year. As a condition to issuance of a Commissioner

 

Complimentary license, the Department shall require an authorized officer of the recipient organization to certify under penalty of law that the respective organization is a non-profit, charitable organization as defined in this regulation and eligible to receive the Commissioner Complimentary license authorization.

How do I connect to the auction on February 19?

The auction will be held remotely, with all bidders attending via phone or Microsoft Teams. You will only need to use one of the two communication modes to participate in the auction. To register, call 307-277-6509 between 1:00 pm (MST) and 2:00 pm (MST) on Thursday, February 19.

After you’ve called and registered, you can join the auction when it begins at 3:00 pm (MST).

CLICK HERE TO JOIN VIA TEAMS

TO JOIN VIA PHONE CALL (307) 277-6509

This “nearly complete and remarkably well-preserved” fossil has now been excavated and transported to the Tate Geological Museum, where Touren Pope has had the chance to work on its preservation and give it a name: Little Timmy.

In 2025, 11-year-old Touren Pope was rock hunting with his grandparents in southwest Wyoming when he stumbled upon something extraordinary: a prehistoric fossilized turtle shell.

Experts examined the fossil and determined that it dated back 48 million years, to a time when Wyoming was much warmer and wetter than it is now. To thank Touren for his discovery, paleontologists allowed him to help with the excavation process and even name the turtle. Now, “Little Timmy” is undergoing further study at the Tate Geological Museum.

11-Year-Old Touren Pope Discovers A Prehistoric Turtle Shell In Wyoming

Touren Pope of Nevada was visiting his grandparents, Tom and Patti Patterson, in Wyoming when he made his incredible discovery. The Pattersons are amateur geologists and rock collectors, and they took Touren along with them to hunt for rocks on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management’s Rock Springs Field Office.

“We were looking for quartz crystals and some rocks,” Touren told Your Wyoming Link. “We found these clams. Then we started looking around the clams and trying to find a whole one, but then I spotted a rock figure, and that was that.”

Touren wanted to dig up the rock, but his grandparents instead reported the find to the Bureau of Land Management, who alerted paleontologists. The family later led researchers to the site, and they set out to determine what, exactly, Touren had uncovered.

Craig Thomas, BLM Rock Springs Field OfficeTouren Pope helps J. P. Cavigelli excavate the turtle shell.

J. P. Cavigelli, a collections specialist at the Tate Geological Museum at Wyoming’s Casper College, told Wyoming Public Media, “Within a few minutes, we could tell it was a pretty complete turtle shell and worth collecting.” The paleontologists let Touren help them carefully dig the fossil out of the ground.

“We basically just pulled it out and then carried it,” said Touren. “It took around three stops, and then we put it in the truck. Then we had lunch — the best part.”

The fossil was then transported to Tate Geological Museum, where researchers could take a closer look.

What Life Was Like In Wyoming 48 Million Years Ago

The turtle fossil was found in a prehistoric rock layer known as the Bridger Formation, and paleontologists believe the creature died roughly 48 million years ago.

At that time, Wyoming was hot and humid, similar to parts of the Carolinas today. Craig Thomas, an archaeologist and paleontology field coordinator with the Rock Springs Field Office, explained to Wyoming Public Media, “You had lots of rivers and streams. You had lakes. Lots of wildlife and turtles, crocodiles, large mammals, tiny mammals, monkeys in the trees.”

“Little Timmy” was seemingly a soft-shelled turtle of the family Trionychidae. These reptiles have shells, also known as carapaces, that are more leathery and flexible than those of their cousins, like box turtles or tortoises.

When the creature died, its body was covered in sediment and naturally fossilized. It remained buried for tens of millions of years until it was eventually revealed by erosion. Touren came upon it at just the right time, as fossils tend to weather quickly once they’re exposed to the elements.

Tate Geological MuseumThe inside of the fossilized shell after it was cleaned by paleontologists.

“A complete turtle like this is a pretty good find,” Cavigelli told Your Wyoming Link. He explained that small pieces of shells turn up fairly frequently, but full carapaces are much less common. “I’ve only been here 21 years, and we’ve collected, I think, three of them,” Cavigelli said. “This may be the fourth one.”

For Touren Pope, however, it was the discovery of a lifetime. The 11-year-old became interested in paleontology after watching Jurassic World, and he even compiles his own books about dinosaurs by jotting down facts and figures in notebooks.

In a statement from the Bureau of Land Management, the organization said, “This discovery would not have been possible without Touren’s keen observation for fossils and his decision to report the fossil to the BLM… His discovery not only helped preserve an important piece of Wyoming’s paleontological history but also highlighted the role the public plays in protecting and responsibly reporting scientific resources found on public lands.”

While the fossil is still undergoing analysis as of now, researchers hope that “Little Timmy” may be displayed to the public in the near future.

After reading about the 11-year-old boy in Wyoming who found a prehistoric turtle fossil, go inside the stories of 11 more historical artifacts discovered by children. Then, learn how Steve Irwin’s son bred a rare turtle species that the “Crocodile Hunter” himself discovered in 1990.