I noticed that the Walk In Areas are currently down on the Wyoming website. Does anyone know if you can access these areas prior to the season, or do you have to wait until the hunt start date? I'll be getting to my unit to scout a couple of days before the hunt, and was hoping to check out one the WIAs.
Walk In Areas
- Thread starter gfontela
- Start date
Big Chief J
Active Member
I'm sure they'll have them up again soon. You'll have to read the rules for the area to see if scouting is allowed.
fackelberry
Active Member
From what i've read in the past and from my own experiences. There is no scouting on any of the walk-in areas prior to opening day for the species you are hunting on it. You may want to double check, but im sure that is the rule.
Big Chief J
Active Member
I've read that too, but sometimes you can hunt small game prior to your big game hunt.
bdan68
Active Member
When you go to "Walk in Hunting" on the WGFD website, this message comes up:
Our Walk-In Hunting Areas are currently down for maintenance.
Access Coordinators are currently working on updating all Walk-In Hunting Area rules, boundaries, and any additional content that needs to be addressed.
Walk-In Hunting Areas will be back online before July 10, 2019.
Our Walk-In Hunting Areas are currently down for maintenance.
Access Coordinators are currently working on updating all Walk-In Hunting Area rules, boundaries, and any additional content that needs to be addressed.
Walk-In Hunting Areas will be back online before July 10, 2019.
Prerylyon
Veteran member
Yeah, I mean this happens every yr, the last few I've been seriously hunting WY; things can and do sometimes change yr to yr, so keep tabs on it so you make good plans for your hunt this fall
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wy-tex
Veteran member
ROGER SANCHEZ
Member
- Dec 3, 2012
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DH56
Active Member
Has anyone used the walk in areas for Deer or other Big Game in the past and like to share their thoughts and experiences using them?
Thanks, I was up poking around my elk unit last week with it being my first time in the unit. Just kinda getting the feel for the land, etc. I couldn't locate parking areas on some WIA property, yet they were bordering public land access. Was wondering if it was legal to access at any location.
Bonecollector
Veteran member
Prerylyon
Veteran member
As I was in a tough access * unit last fall for doe antelope in the Powder river breaks, a sole WIA served as my focus for a couple days of a 4 day hunt. I had one good stalk on a small herd on day 2, as well as probably my best opportunity on the 1st afternoon I arrived, that I didn't take as seriously as I should have, in hindsight. That WIA also allowed me access into some larger blocks of good BLM. Besides those few hrs of action noted, I had many hrs of glassing and hiking, in beautiful country, devoid of game-other than the odd
At one boundary, as has been shared so many times in as many postings on antelope hunting, it seemed the antelope knew to stay on the private land side (part not on the open access WIA). But, take it FWIW, as this was in a tough access area that received a lot of pressure for the 1st part of October. I hunted late season and only saw 1 other active hunter in those 2 days on the WIA. I was the only one camped on the adjacent BLM AFAIK.
Ultimately, all I got was some exercise and pretty pictures off that WIA; as I decided to change things up and navigate some patchwork BLM several miles away, where I got into good numbers of antelope Saturday morning, and was able to connect. However, the terrain and habitat wasn't any different on the WIA. I could see where on the right day, that WIA would have had animals on it and I might have killed one there. I would hunt it again.
LCH
Very Active Member
Some WIA and HMAs are awesome hunting, others not so much, depending on a variety of factors. I hunted an HMA last year for pronghorn, middle of the week, and saw no other hunters on it, and hundreds of pronghorn. BIL took his pick of several rutting bucks out of a group of about 30 pronghorn, in plain site of the road.
I've also had the opposite experience, where game was scarce and pressure was heavy. I'd say the good ones I've hunted have outnumbered the "bad" though.
I've also had the opposite experience, where game was scarce and pressure was heavy. I'd say the good ones I've hunted have outnumbered the "bad" though.
PlainsHunter
Active Member
If access is lousy in a unit, and you only have a couple of smaller walk in areas, they can get hit pretty hard. In other units where access is decent with a fair amount of BLM and other public land, the walk in areas sometimes get less pressure and hold good numbers of animals. It just depends.
DH56
Active Member
Thanks for the replies and good information. The ones I am looking to possibly use are more surrounded by Private land by the look of what I see on my maps. I would assume if the pressure is pretty high on the WIA in this type of situation, then the Deer and Antelope will be pushed on adjacent Private property. But it can work in reverse if the private property is hunted hard or an outfitter is using it. Some are near roads with parking areas and some don't show any designated parking. I have hunted in the area in the past, but haven't been there for a good dozen years.