When I was in Wyoming antelope hunting 2017 I hunted a couple walk in areas. We camped on a small piece of BLM that bordered the walk in area. The walk in area was open from lets say 9/01/2017 till 11/30/2017. We set up camp the evening two days prior to the opener on 10/15/2017. The day prior to season I did a little scouting on the walk in area. When I was talking to the warden latter he stated I was not allowed on the walk in area till season was open. This has been on my mind from the time he said that. Is what he told me correct? It stated open from 09/01/2017 till 11/30/2017.
Walk in area question
- Thread starter Yell Co AR Hunter
- Start date
D
Disabled Combat Vet
Guest
Depending on the walk in area but I think most walk in areas you can not scout before opening day. If you go on the Wyoming Game and Fish website and look on the list of the particular walk in area you are going to hunt, they have walk in rules for that particular area that you can read.
Summary of Walk-In Area Rules
For complete rules, see Chapter 23
of the Wyoming Game and Fish Regulations
A Walk-In Area (WIA) is a tract of private or state land on which the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
has leased certain privileges for public hunting or fishing enjoyment. Please help keep these areas open
each year by respecting the landowner, following the Walk-In Area rules, avoiding trespass on adjoining
private lands, and by donating to Access Yes when you purchase your hunting or fishing licenses.
Hunters or anglers are not required to seek permission from the landowner directly as long as they are
hunting approved species during the access period as shown in the access table for that Walk-In Area. All
WIAs have signs posted to mark the boundaries.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the access table or detailed stipulations for a certain WIA, the
following regulations apply to all private and state lands enrolled in the Walk-In Area Program:
Walk-in Areas are private property and only landowners may allow other activities such as
trapping, collection of shed antlers or horns, photography, recreational hiking/biking, etc.
Access is limited to individual access for hunting and does not include access for any commercial
activity, including outfitting of hunters.
No pre-season scouting or access outside the dates in the access table.
Only hunt the species that are listed on the Walk-in table for the specific Walk-in Area. WIAs may
be enrolled for hunting and/or fishing. Check the appropriate “hunting” or “fishing” online table for
the appropriate access information.
Motorized vehicles and recreational livestock/horse use are prohibited (some WIAs may have
exceptions, please see each access table).
No construction of blinds, pits or other structures, including “pop-up” blinds.
No camping.
No fires or possession of lighted smoking materials outside your vehicle.
Do not litter. Please pack out all trash (including spent shotgun shells or hulls).
No shooting within 100 yards of buildings and livestock.
Deposit landowner coupons for big game animals harvested on deeded land into provided drop
boxes or mail to the landowner.
Hunters are required to purchase a Pheasant Management Stamp to hunt pheasants on Walk-In
Areas in counties where pheasants are stocked. See current pheasant regulations for more
information.
All other state and local laws apply. Species may only be hunted during open seasons according to
Game and Fish Commission Regulations.
Important definitions for access areas explicitly allowing the use of motorized vehicles:
An Established Road is defined as “any road or trail which has been graded or constructed to carry motor
vehicles or on which repeated motor vehicle traffic has created well-defined tracks.”
A Designated Road is defined as “only established roads marked as open by a white arrow sign.”
For complete rules, see Chapter 23
of the Wyoming Game and Fish Regulations
A Walk-In Area (WIA) is a tract of private or state land on which the Wyoming Game and Fish Department
has leased certain privileges for public hunting or fishing enjoyment. Please help keep these areas open
each year by respecting the landowner, following the Walk-In Area rules, avoiding trespass on adjoining
private lands, and by donating to Access Yes when you purchase your hunting or fishing licenses.
Hunters or anglers are not required to seek permission from the landowner directly as long as they are
hunting approved species during the access period as shown in the access table for that Walk-In Area. All
WIAs have signs posted to mark the boundaries.
Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the access table or detailed stipulations for a certain WIA, the
following regulations apply to all private and state lands enrolled in the Walk-In Area Program:
Walk-in Areas are private property and only landowners may allow other activities such as
trapping, collection of shed antlers or horns, photography, recreational hiking/biking, etc.
Access is limited to individual access for hunting and does not include access for any commercial
activity, including outfitting of hunters.
No pre-season scouting or access outside the dates in the access table.
Only hunt the species that are listed on the Walk-in table for the specific Walk-in Area. WIAs may
be enrolled for hunting and/or fishing. Check the appropriate “hunting” or “fishing” online table for
the appropriate access information.
Motorized vehicles and recreational livestock/horse use are prohibited (some WIAs may have
exceptions, please see each access table).
No construction of blinds, pits or other structures, including “pop-up” blinds.
No camping.
No fires or possession of lighted smoking materials outside your vehicle.
Do not litter. Please pack out all trash (including spent shotgun shells or hulls).
No shooting within 100 yards of buildings and livestock.
Deposit landowner coupons for big game animals harvested on deeded land into provided drop
boxes or mail to the landowner.
Hunters are required to purchase a Pheasant Management Stamp to hunt pheasants on Walk-In
Areas in counties where pheasants are stocked. See current pheasant regulations for more
information.
All other state and local laws apply. Species may only be hunted during open seasons according to
Game and Fish Commission Regulations.
Important definitions for access areas explicitly allowing the use of motorized vehicles:
An Established Road is defined as “any road or trail which has been graded or constructed to carry motor
vehicles or on which repeated motor vehicle traffic has created well-defined tracks.”
A Designated Road is defined as “only established roads marked as open by a white arrow sign.”
This is about as clear as mud. Is it pre-season scouting if it is with in the dates in the access table.
I will do my best to clarify, the area in question may have been open for another species. For instance some form or fashion of bird may have been available to hunt, so it would have been open at that point. Loop holes galore with this but that would be my assumption.
D
Disabled Combat Vet
Guest
HighPlainsHunter
Active Member
Another situations to look out for is where the BLM s part of the walk in area. Sometimes the BLM falls under the walk in rules depending on the situation. I have run into this on a few occasions.
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hunter25
Very Active Member
Before I knew what hunter management areas were I was asked to leave BLM land as it was inside a hunter management area which required permission. All I had were blm maps at the time.
Easy to get the permission but slowed me down 4 hours.
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Easy to get the permission but slowed me down 4 hours.
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BKC
Very Active Member
Hilltop
Veteran member
No license is required to hunt coyotes in Wyoming. Each area will have different regulations but I don't believe predator hunting is listed as allowed prior to big game seasons in most of them. The main reason they don't want scouting in these areas is they don't want the animals pushed off before hunters get a chance to harvest them. A good spotting scope from a public road is a hunters best chance to locate prior to the season.
Heck those 5 boys from Wisconsin that thought you could chase an antelope down did good enough job at that.
Colorado Cowboy
Super Moderator
One other thing about WIA's, the landowner can cancel the contract at any time....at least that's what I was told by a Warden.
Prerylyon
Veteran member
Yeah. I noticed last yr that for some weeks last summer all the WIAs and HMAs vanished from the online hunt planner. [emoji44]
I called G&F & they said it was due to the maps being updated with the current WIAs & HMAs enrolled for the upcoming hunting seasons. Some do go away/change, but other new ones sometimes come in too. A few weeks later they were back on the maps again-mostly. lol
Its definitely something to keep an eye on, especially if certain WIAs HMAs figure prominently in your acess plan.
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wy-tex
Veteran member
HMAs and walk in areas are updated in July, they remoove them from the Hunt Planner just before they get them resigned. You can contact the GW or access coordinator for your area to see if any changes coming before July that they know of.