Checker board blm areas in southern wyoming
- Thread starter chopperz
- Start date
HiMtnHnter
Active Member
The private sections are private. That's about all there is to tell. Unless you gain permission it may as well all be private, save for those blm sections with a public road running through. You can gain some access, but you have to find out who owns the land and contact them.
Againstthewind
Very Active Member
http://www.coxrail.com/land-grants.asp
Well, it all goes back to when the transcontinental railroad was going through along what is pretty much the old Lincoln Highway or I-80. When the railroad went through they were granted the land in a checkerboard fashion along that stretch. That's why all the towns are almost exactly 100 miles apart. That was the distance the trains could go before they needed refueled with water, wood, coal, etc. The railroad sold most of it I think. There are some large ranches that own some of the private areas and use the BLM inbetween, but a lot of the private areas are owned by energy companies like Anadarko because that is about all that there is there is sagebrush, oil, and gas. I have no idea what the energy company's policy is about hunting, so I am not much help. So I went and made a short story long, but a lot of the privately owned sections are owned by a corporation not individual landowners.
Well, it all goes back to when the transcontinental railroad was going through along what is pretty much the old Lincoln Highway or I-80. When the railroad went through they were granted the land in a checkerboard fashion along that stretch. That's why all the towns are almost exactly 100 miles apart. That was the distance the trains could go before they needed refueled with water, wood, coal, etc. The railroad sold most of it I think. There are some large ranches that own some of the private areas and use the BLM inbetween, but a lot of the private areas are owned by energy companies like Anadarko because that is about all that there is there is sagebrush, oil, and gas. I have no idea what the energy company's policy is about hunting, so I am not much help. So I went and made a short story long, but a lot of the privately owned sections are owned by a corporation not individual landowners.
ssliger
Very Active Member
Where are you hunting? The checkerboard stuff in southern wy is tricky. Some energy companies that own land don't care and everyone treats the land as public. Some don't allow access. I'm from Rock Springs originally, and spent many years outside of town in checkerboard areas.
Colorado T
Active Member
Just a quick story about this. I was up hunting last weekend in a walk-in area that is checker-board with BLM. The main road runs right through this property and we followed our maps and camped in one of the BLM sections. Shortly after setting up camp, the walk-in property owner showed up and started giving me hell for camping on his property without asking. I pulled out my map and showed him the BLM section we were in and he quickly changed his tune and said "30,000 acres and I still don't know all my sections'. Make sure you follow your maps and get the hunt chip for your GPS!!!
Green Back
New Member
- Aug 20, 2014
- 7
- 1
I just came out of a "checkerboard" hunt, unit 62. I also was able to obtain permission on nearly all of it with zero "access fees"
First off, use the information that is available to us online. I went to Carbon County's GIS site (a web mapping server) and the countries tax assessors printed off a huge map of my hunting area and you can highlight the private owned lands and get the owners contact information and go from there... many many phone calls were made before i finally got through to someone!
The two ranchers that owned the private within the checkerboard let me on w no problem or access fee. The other massive owner of this checkerboard land was the Anadarko Oil Co. They owned just massive amounts of land... took about 2 weeks to get a hold of the right person in that international company but eventually i spoke with someone and got legit permission.
I also called the local warden for my unit and he was very helpful on who to contact.
BUT yes have your permission in check, have the boundaries loaded up in your GPS and when you get out there do a kind gesture and speak to the local ranchers and let them know you are in the area to avoid any situations.
Land research is half the battle sometimes... do your homework and have fun
First off, use the information that is available to us online. I went to Carbon County's GIS site (a web mapping server) and the countries tax assessors printed off a huge map of my hunting area and you can highlight the private owned lands and get the owners contact information and go from there... many many phone calls were made before i finally got through to someone!
The two ranchers that owned the private within the checkerboard let me on w no problem or access fee. The other massive owner of this checkerboard land was the Anadarko Oil Co. They owned just massive amounts of land... took about 2 weeks to get a hold of the right person in that international company but eventually i spoke with someone and got legit permission.
I also called the local warden for my unit and he was very helpful on who to contact.
BUT yes have your permission in check, have the boundaries loaded up in your GPS and when you get out there do a kind gesture and speak to the local ranchers and let them know you are in the area to avoid any situations.
Land research is half the battle sometimes... do your homework and have fun
SouthernWyo
Member
- Mar 11, 2011
- 62
- 1
A couple of quick points that may help someone avoid problems in the checkerboard. Anadarko (formerly Union Pacific Resources - the land ownership subsidiary of the railroad) usually includes surface access control in thier surface use leases - the lessee, (the ranch including the leased land), has the right to control access. Some allow access, many do not. The checkerboard around Rock Springs as far east as the Continental Divide is owned/leased by Rock Springs Grazing Association, which has never required permission to access the deeded lands, but obviously could if they wanted to. It's nice to have such a large landowner that allows public access.
And a quick note on corner crossing. No matter what you read on the internet machine, bottom line is that it is not legal to access public lands via corner crossing in Wyoming. You can feel free to do it and take your chances, but if a landowner wants the county Sheriff to prosecute, they will, that's their job.
And a quick note on corner crossing. No matter what you read on the internet machine, bottom line is that it is not legal to access public lands via corner crossing in Wyoming. You can feel free to do it and take your chances, but if a landowner wants the county Sheriff to prosecute, they will, that's their job.
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