Wyoming Wilderness Question

[CiK]

Non-resident here, hunting Wyoming this fall. Am I allowed to sit in the wilderness area and glass from it into the non-wilderness area? Is that considering hunting the wilderness?

Tony

 

[OhBoneCollector]

This has been asked in the past. If you have a rifle in your hands, it will be tough to argue your way out of a citation during hunting season (even if only glassing from wilderness).

 

[Topgun 30-06]

You can go through a wilderness area to get to a legal hunting spot while carrying a rifle, but it's generally recommended to not have it loaded while there or a GW would have good cause to issue a ticket if he ran into you and you were unguided. The same applies if you have to park outside a unit you have a tag for and go through another unit you don't have a tag for to get there.

 

[Power54]

Your best bet is to call the game warden in the area you will be hunting and ask him/her.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Law-Enforcement/Field-Personnel-Contact-Info/Warden-contact-info

 

[LopeHunter]

Right or wrong is less the question as do you have the time to return to fight the ticket and perhaps spend some money to clear your name so you do not get the cooperative state pact penalty if you fail to win the case? If I am a judge living in WY and I have to decide whether to give the benefit to the doubt to the GW who perhaps has a kid on the same baseball team as my grandson or give an out-of-stater the benefit of the doubt then usually there is some home-cooking about to be served up unless is a obvious misapplication of the law in the situation. You sitting in wilderness with a weapon and a tag during hunting season as a non-resident without a guide is a situation where is easy for the judge to take the path of least resistance.

 

[ccc23454]

Why even risk it there is SO MUCH public land you can hunt?

 

[CampRipleyLF]

Your best bet is to call the game warden in the area you will be hunting and ask him/her.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Law-Enforcement/Field-Personnel-Contact-Info/Warden-contact-info

This! You are better off just checking in before trying anything. The whole you need a guide if you are not a resident in the wilderness area is a joke to me.

 

[cur dog]

Personally, I don't worry much about it. I've never had a resident or outfitter demand to see my identification. Wyoming game wardens are spread very thin over huge areas. The scenario you are asking about seems to be a grey area. Even if you did encounter a warden, you are not hunting, or intending to hunt the wilderness. I think he has bigger fish to fry.

 

[el unit]

Personally, I don't worry much about it. I've never had a resident or outfitter demand to see my identification. Wyoming game wardens are spread very thin over huge areas. The scenario you are asking about seems to be a grey area. Even if you did encounter a warden, you are not hunting, or intending to hunt the wilderness. I think he has bigger fish to fry.

Same here.

 

[JM77]

If you are legally licensed for big or trophy game in Wyoming and you are in a wilderness area looking for that game(no matter if you are looking outside the wilderness), you are hunting in a wilderness area.

 

[cur dog]

If you are legally licensed for big or trophy game in Wyoming and you are in a wilderness area looking for that game(no matter if you are looking outside the wilderness), you are hunting in a wilderness area.

I'm sure the Wyoming wardens will waste a lot of time on this.

 

[npaden]

I have been stopped by a warden while hunting in a wilderness area at least 1 mile from the nearest trail. He was on a big ol mule and we were on foot. He asked for my hunting license and my buddies resident guide license. This was about 5 or 6 years ago.

 

[JM77]

I'm sure the Wyoming wardens will waste a lot of time on this.

Here's how you and I commented on this post: I answered the OP's question, you told us that you come to Wyoming and break the law. The Wilderness Guide Law, no matter how much I think it is ridiculous, is state law.