Wyoming HMA question

[undercover]

My question is this, and I posted here because this would be for an Elk type 6 or 7 license: If a private section of land is enrolled in an HMA for elk Cow/Calf, and that particular HMA only hands out say 75 permission slips for a specific time period, would someone who did NOT receive a pass be able to get written permission from the ranch owner to hunt his/her ranch that is enrolled? And would this written permission allow hunting on the BLM or other public grounds enrolled in this particular HMA. I am guessing no on the second part. I searched a ton and never found this type of scenario come up, maybe I missed it if it has been asked I apologize. The reason for the question is I am planning my first western hunt and have found a couple units with 50/50 draw odds, not that I am that lucky but ya never know. Maybe I would be better off just calling the Wyoming F&G? Except that I am a third shifter who is hardly awake during daylight hours to even make that call. Here in Michigan we have a similar forum as hunt talk but with a thread called "ask the game warden". We have a couple conservation officers who belong to that particular forum and jump on and answer questions quite frequently. Blessings all and I look forward to your answers or opinions

Over and Out

Brian aka Undercover

 

[midwesthunter]

I think I know the answers but I am not 100%, so I won't post possible false data, but I am tagging in to see what others have to say.

 

[Addicting]

I asked the second part of that question to a Warden in Cheyenne. The property I was going to hunt had a large section of state that was land locked from other parcels. The answer is if it is a private land only License than you can only hunt the private. The State land was off limits unless you had a type 1, 4, or 9 tag.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I would recommend talking to the warden or access yes Coordinator for the region you will be hunting. But I have asked similar questions and the answers i received basically boil down to if you have legal access you can hunt it. So YES to the first question (landowners can let whomever they want hunt their land as long as they have a valid license). And i would say YES if the public land is federal land. Sometimes state land in wy have hunting restrictions on them and you HAVE to have an HMA permit. But again, contact the Game and Fish and get your answer from them. You can do all the research you want on here but its only opinions. Check with the source who will be writing you a ticket if you are wrong. Good luck!

 

[madtom]

Carl beat me to it. The horse’s mouth is a better resource for the legal grey areas.

 

[Wy067]

Unless you have an insider or know someone, I'd be wary of trying to contact those landowners directly. Some of the HMA rules specifically state not to contact the landowners if you do not draw - the Deer Creek HMA for example is bold, highlighted in red.

To answer your question though, I would obviously say yes you can hunt the private with the written permission of the landowner. I would not hunt the public (BLM/State/USFS) ground enrolled in the HMA based on what the rules say. Again, to use Deer Creek as an example: "Each hunter must have a permission slip and a vehicle pass to the specific hunter management area and species they are hunting. Anyone without Department permission shall be subject to trespass charges." Pretty sure every HMA permission slip I have had has had a very similar warning. In my opinion (could be wrong of course...), I think it would be treated the same as an hunt area boundary that cuts through a parcel of public land.

Good luck on the draw and future hunt!

 

[undercover]

thanks for the responses, the reason I asked is because even tho I am in Michigan, I happened to be at the right place, at the right time, and said something that triggered dialogue to get a hard line to the actual ranch owner. kinda a back door type thing without any pre meditated intent to ask for permission because I didn't even know the name of the ranch until after the fact. Did that even make sense? LOL... It just spawned out of need for potential lodging near a unit I am interested in hunting cow elk, and next to a unit I also have similar draw odds. BTW, I cant sleep, I cant stop thinking about heading west, I am so inundated with OnX, google, cyber scouting, I only hope to draw, hunt, learn. There was a recent post about someone being a child and reading western hunting magazines. I to was that same child, these magazines were only available in doctor and dentist offices here in Michigan, For the most part of my youth I thought you had to be a medical person to afford these type of hunting adventures. Boy was I wrong. Thanks again everybody

Blessings All

Brian, aka Undercover

 

[El Guapo]

Federal public lands are NOT enrolled in HMAs or other Private Lands/Public Access programs, so yes, you could hunt any BLM or USFS lands that you legally access. State Trust lands are sometimes enrolled in the access areas, sometimes not, specific to the particular WIA or HMA.

 

[HONEYBADGER]

I spoke with the Laramie office on two different occasions about this exact issue. The answer I was given was that as long as you can LEGALLY access the state/federal land via the HMA that you have permission for you can hunt it. Key word being legally.

 

[undercover]

thanks all for your replies. I guess Ill have to set the alarm clock for mid morning and make that call for clarification. Its not a done deal but it sure may be in the works. But then again I have to hit that draw, never like a game of chance, but in this case what do I have to lose?

 

[Addicting]

I spoke with the Laramie office on two different occasions about this exact issue. The answer I was given was that as long as you can LEGALLY access the state/federal land via the HMA that you have permission for you can hunt it. Key word being legally.

Depending on they type of tag. You can’t hunt that with a type 6. That is the type of tag he was asking about.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

Depending on they type of tag. You can’t hunt that with a type 6. That is the type of tag he was asking about.

Not all type 6 tags are private land only