Wyoming Rattlesnake Mtn HMA

[kesand72]

OK so I've hunted Wyoming twice, but not on a HMA. On Monday, my buddy n I should be finding out the good news that we drew for unit 23 elk (6.5 points).
I see that the Rattlesnake Mtn HMA covers thousands of acres, including ALOT of BLM and some state ground. I understand that the HMA s have their own rules and dates.
So my question is this; Is the PUBLIC ground inside the HMA illegal to hunt on the regular elk opener of Oct 1, considering that the HMA opener ( for last year) isn't til Oct 11??
I'm sure that this info is tucked away somewhere and someone here will know the answer instantly.
Thanks

 

[Musket Man]

I would call the regional office for that area. I have herd mixed reviews on access in that area and I think there are alot of walk in areas that are open to deer and antelope but not elk. Good luck!

 

[kesand72]

Thanks Musket. Gonna call G & F on Monday. I can see from the map that the HMA ties up thousands of acres of otherwise publicly accessible land, and very little private land is actually contained in it.
It strikes me as odd that there is no deer hunting included, and for elk the entire month of September and the first 2 weeks of October are not huntable.
I certainly hope that there are no outfitters hunting either deer or elk on any of this ground during the closed time frame!!

 

[shootbrownelk]

Thanks Musket. Gonna call G & F on Monday. I can see from the map that the HMA ties up thousands of acres of otherwise publicly accessible land, and very little private land is actually contained in it.
It strikes me as odd that there is no deer hunting included, and for elk the entire month of September and the first 2 weeks of October are not huntable.
I certainly hope that there are no outfitters hunting either deer or elk on any of this ground during the closed time frame!!

Kesand72, make sure you have a GPS and a land status chip in it. That area is surrounded by private land, and is patrolled by some. When pressured (always) the elk & deer flock to the private and usually stay there. There is quite a bit of hunter pressure.
Just make sure you know where you are, and the boundarys. Good luck.

 

[NDHunter]

I would sure think that you could hunt the public inside the HMA boundaries but like others have said, I would definitely call the G&F and probably the BLM office too.

Have you got some areas to hunt in mind? I had planned on applying for 23 but after talking to a few G&F guys and other references, they strongly advised me to not apply there. I guess after opening day, there is one large private ranch and the elk filter onto there and rarely leave. Obviously there are elk elsewhere in the unit and I don't mean to be negative but if you draw and don't have any "in's" out there, it might be a tough hunt. I've seen big bulls come out of that unit though too so a guy never knows.

 

[Musket Man]

I looked at it and find it confusing that there is somuch public land included in the HMA too. Maybe alot of it is landlocked? I will be interested to see what you findout about it!

 

[kesand72]

Yes I have the GPS and Wyoming chip, along with the BLM maps all marked up! I've been looking at this hunt for several years while drawing points, and spent a day scouting along the western perimeter after filling my unit 67 lope tag in 2011 with a great 76" buck.
My bud n I were suppose to hunt Wyoming elk last year but ended up hunting New Mexico insread .
My big concern here is that I hope this is not a cooperative effort between G&F and these ranches to keep public land hunters out in exchange for almost no access to their private land. This HMA appears to be made up of about 90% BLM and state ground.

 

[Musket Man]

I was looking into that area a couple years ago and i thought the area was open to deer and antelope then. I could be remembering wrong or there have been some changes but I really thought you could hunt deer then and now I dont see deer on it. it would really change things for deer 89 if you couldnt hunt that whole area. I dont see how they can keep you from hunting blm land that you can access without going through the private land in the HMA

 

[kesand72]

Yes deer hunting had been allowed in the past but now its only antelope, elk for 1\9 of the entire season, and mountain lion. I have printed out everything G&F has on this and the way it reads " It is comprised of private and leased lands of the Dumbbell Ranch, Clear Creek Cattle Co, and Circle Bar Ranch". I certainly hope the "leased lands" does not refer to our federal BLM lands, which is otherwise highly accessible.

 

[WapitiBob]

The dept has the authority to make season decisions that include public land. They could easily have different dates.
I would get past the front desk with that question.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

The dept has the authority to make season decisions that include public land. They could easily have different dates.
I would get past the front desk with that question.

***Very good comment WB. I can also tell him before he calls that you can't go within the boundaries of an HMA, regardless of what lands it's comprised of, unless it's within the dates for the animals designated in the HMA and they have a legal tag for that animal in that unit. That's why the WIHAs and HMAs have their own rules you have to abide by, including dates that may be different than the rest of the lands within a unit. I haven't looked into the legally accessible public lands in that area if it wasn't in the HMA, but would suspect that a lot or all of it may not be legally accessible and that's what G&F and the land owners have agreed to in order to at least open up that ground for hunters during certain dates.

 

[Musket Man]

There is definately access. There is a county road going through the middle of it that goes through alot of BLM and a state highway borders it in one area thats BLM. I think anyone that draws 89 deer and finds out they cant hunt deer on all of that blm land anymore is going to be pretty unhappy. Maybe they closed it for deer and shortened the other seasons on it because of the winter kill and numbers being down?

 

[AT Hiker]

This is the main issue I have with western hunting, you dang near need a team of attorneys to figure out what you can do. I know ignorance is no excuse but man you almost need a PhD in WY G&F laws to hunt out there.

Best thing I can tell you is to ask all the questions you can come up with and get the persons name and number you talked with, so if any issues arise you can always call them back.

 

[Musket Man]

kesand72. Just wondering if you had talked to anyone at F&G or found anymore out?

 

[kesand72]

OK so here it is! Just got off the phone with Access Coordinator Matt Withroder. All public ground within the HMA that is accessible by public means, is legal to hunt as per state regulations, regardless of HMA rules.
This is a big relief, as most of this HMA is public ground, including the highest ground in this unit!

 

[Musket Man]

That sounds much better! Did he say anything about why there is somuch public land in the HMA?

 

[kesand72]

Didn't say. I actually didn't get to ask all the questions I had written down for him, he was in a hurry to get to a meeting.
I am still waiting on calls back from the biologist n game warden, and I ll try Matt again later.
Very happy that those thousands of acres are huntable!

 

[kesand72]

So I talked with the Casper game warden today and he suggests hunting unit 23 elk during Nov/Dec. Said its a real zoo on rifle opener, that all the elk flock to Snider Basin (a 9 sq mile private "refuge" ), along the Rattlesnake hills, and stay there.
This is a big disappointment, as Snider Basin is surrounded by the highest ground in the unit, and where I was looking to start. Warden said half the elk hunters in the unit surround this "refuge" and watch the elk frolick around on the other side of the fence.
I kinda pictured this area as heavily timbered, but it sounds more like rolling sage. Anyone know for sure?
What would a hunt be like here in Dec?

 

[Guy]

OK so I've hunted Wyoming twice, but not on a HMA. On Monday, my buddy n I should be finding out the good news that we drew for unit 23 elk (6.5 points).
I see that the Rattlesnake Mtn HMA covers thousands of acres, including ALOT of BLM and some state ground. I understand that the HMA s have their own rules and dates.
So my question is this; Is the PUBLIC ground inside the HMA illegal to hunt on the regular elk opener of Oct 1, considering that the HMA opener ( for last year) isn't til Oct 11??
I'm sure that this info is tucked away somewhere and someone here will know the answer instantly.
Thanks

kesand72, You will have to call the G&F field office in Casper about the details of that situation. The HMA's are kind of weird and have their own rules and regs to some degree. I believe they are kind of like a unit, inside a unit, and yet, they can lock you out from hunting even the public land inside that area, the way I understand it anyway. Some of them I think even have their own draws to see who can hunt inside them, significantly limiting the hunting pressure. And the rules do chance from year to year, I know that so you have to be careful. The G&F prints a booklet with all of them listed and the rules for each I believe, but it doesn't come out until later in the year.

Sorry I don't know more about it. Let us know what you find out.

G-

 

[Musket Man]

So I talked with the Casper game warden today and he suggests hunting unit 23 elk during Nov/Dec. Said its a real zoo on rifle opener, that all the elk flock to Snider Basin (a 9 sq mile private "refuge" ), along the Rattlesnake hills, and stay there.
This is a big disappointment, as Snider Basin is surrounded by the highest ground in the unit, and where I was looking to start. Warden said half the elk hunters in the unit surround this "refuge" and watch the elk frolick around on the other side of the fence.
I kinda pictured this area as heavily timbered, but it sounds more like rolling sage. Anyone know for sure?
What would a hunt be like here in Dec?

I have not been in that unit but I have been on the western border of it. It is all pretty open country in that area from what I have seen. The right side of the road in the first pic and the left side or the road in the 2nd pic are on the western border of it.