Hunting Wyo STL for antelope

[rmyoung1]

Clearly, not all Wyo state trust land is open for hunting. I understand that certain pieces under ag production are often off limits. (Example below)



In many instances, however, there are portions of WY state trust land that are under ag production but not shown as closed on mapping software platforms. (See both photos below where ground irrigated by center pivot is NOT marked “closed.”)



Here are my questions: Is the irrigated ground in the latter cases really accessible or is it just a mapping software omission? Can you hunt the irrigated ground not marked closed? How can a guy double-check this stuff before heading afield? The last thing I want is an antelope hunt with my son to turn into a squabble with a guy holding the ag lease.

 

[mevertsen]

I would look at the actual law regarding such lands.

Rather than a map.

Example, this pic is just south of my house. The boundary for the units, is a county road, which was moved, several years ago. The legal boundary is the new county road, but it got omitted in the mapping software.

 

[thomas89]

There’s someone here for sure with a solid answer.

IIRC I was able to look up which pieces of state land were closed via the state GIS website?

I forget the wording, but it’s something to the effect of “cultivated crop lands are off limits to access”. So when I called if it was a fallow field for the season, you could still go on it. But planted with winter wheat (common for my area) it was off limits.

Maybe doesn’t help much, but maybe gives you a nudge towards the right answer.

 

[Addicting]

I would phone the warden for the area. They are the ones you will interact with. They have likely already dealt with the specific issue and have the answers.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

ArcGIS Web Application

gis2.statelands.wyo.gov

Select the layers "restrictions and closures" and "cultivated crop lands- do not hunt"

 

[Fremont15]

Only the cultivated portion of that state land is off limits. It’s a stupid law: but just another reason I cringe when people want the states to take ownership and control of federal lands.

 

[rmyoung1]

@Fremont15 @thomas89 you had the correct take according to the response I got from those folks at the Wyo State Land Board office. If it’s under crop production, it’s off limits regardless of what the online map says. The online map is considered a work in progress apparently.

 

[rmyoung1]

Incidentally, we had a great time with my oldest son. Not a ton of publicly accessible ground in this unit, but it’s his last hunting season before high school graduation. We needed to make the most of it. Pretty fun, quick hunt as it turned out. We turned up this buck on a STL section the day before the opener, and Caleb dropped him at 8:15 the following morning. Short but fun weekend with my dad and oldest. Thankful!

 

[Bighorner]

Good work.

 

[MT_elk]

Nice goat!

 

[BuzzH]

Only the cultivated portion of that state land is off limits. It’s a stupid law: but just another reason I cringe when people want the states to take ownership and control of federal lands.

Its not a law, its a state land board regulation.

 

[gwhunter]

Nice buck! Congrats to your son.

 

[wytex]

Its not a law, its a state land board regulation.

Do GWs ticket for their regs, they used to not?

 

[BuzzH]

Do GWs ticket for their regs, they used to not?

Nope what statute would they cite?

 

[rmyoung1]

Nope what statute would they cite?

So just to continue the discussion: A guy or gal could just go ahead and hunt cultivated state lands with no fear of being issued a citation since no law is being broken. The only thing they’d be guilty of is violating a State Land Board regulation and miffing a landowner, neither of which is a crime. Correct?

 

[TOGIE]

the stand land board could probably take you to court, is my guess.

agencies that are given rulemaking authority can create rules and regulations that are legally enforceable as i understand it.

but i dunno, i'm thinking about colorado stuff and this isn't colorado.

 

[Bighorner]

So just to continue the discussion: A guy or gal could just go ahead and hunt cultivated state lands with no fear of being issued a citation since no law is being broken. The only thing they’d be guilty of is violating a State Land Board regulation and miffing a landowner, neither of which is a crime. Correct?

And potentially being a bit of a jerk. It's one thing in a harvested field, it's another for two dudes to drag an antelope 400 yards across a crop. Use good judgment and don't further the case against hunters.

 

[rmyoung1]

And potentially being a bit of a jerk. It's one thing in a harvested field, it's another for two dudes to drag an antelope 400 yards across a crop. Use good judgment and don't further the case against hunters.

To be clear, I’m not making plans. Just trying to understand the nuances

 

[Bighorner]

To be clear, I’m not making plans. Just trying to understand the nuances

Certainly, I just point it out because not everyone recognizes that as inconsiderate and damaging. I would say good to understand regulations and then apply them with a little common curtesy. The same way you wouldn't park in front of gates or glass from the center of a county road.