Wyoming Hunter Management Area Question?

[highfastflyer]

One of the HMAs in my area does not open until Oct. 12th, elk area 23. My question is the HMA area encompasses 141,000 acres and much of it is public BLM lands with legal access off the Dry Creek road. The area opens on Oct. 1 for hunting but the HMA does not open until Oct 12th. Can I hunt these legally accessible BLM lands even though they are technically a part of the established Rattlesnake HMA on Oct. 1st? Not sure what is considered legal now with these new HMAs, very little experience using one. Any help appreciated. Any tips on elk area 23 also appreciated as it's my nephew who has a youth elk permit and would like to get him a branch antlered bull.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I'm not sure why they draw hma boundaries to include publically accessible blm, state or forest. You should be able to access the sections that have legal access from a public road, such as a county road or state highway. It may be worth calling the Casper G&F.

 

[nripepi]

You better be able to access these! Heck, you could get dropped out of a helicopter on the inaccessible ones if you want to.

 

[hornkiller]

I would not get caught inside the boundaries of a h.m.a. without a permission slip even if its BLM or public touching a road or you will have a big fat ticket waiting for you!

 

[highfastflyer]

Actually anybody can get a permission slip as they are unlimited, that is not the issue. The question is the HMA does not open until Oct. 12th but much of the 141,000 acres are publicly accessible BLM lands off the dry creek road and the area opens on Oct. 1st. Can you hunt these lands legally on Oct.1st as they are inside the mapped HMA boundary area. The HMA is actually 90% BLM lands and only about 10% private anyway but I don't want a ticket or an angry rancher.

 

[hornkiller]

actually you cant! there are draw only h.m.a. so might want to check on that! like said before if you get caught hunting inside the boundries without a permission slip or outside of the date its legal to hunt them your getting a ticket even if its public or blm!
maybe people just dont understand why wy has h.m.a. with certain boundries and dates.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

How can they keep you off of the publically accessible blm land during they open season? Just curious about how blm can be included in the state hma.

 

[WapitiBob]

I was told by the access coordinator I didn't need a permission slip to hunt legally accessable BLM. I just don't remember the context; ie whether It was a walk in or an HMA we were discussing.

 

[wytex]

>I was told by the access
>coordinator I didn't need a
>permission slip to hunt legally
>accessable BLM. I just don't
>remember the context; ie whether
>It was a walk in
>or an HMA we were
>discussing.


WB is correct from what I've been told by GW and our local Access Yes Corr. as well. If it's legally accessible you can hunt it.

 

[nripepi]

You can hunt the BLM, just can't touch foot on private ground. How in the world would anyone who didn't look up the boundaries of an HMA actually know it was part of an HMA?

 

[dogdoc]

I have a deer tag in 89 ( same area). Rattlesnake HMA is closed to deer hunting, but I spoke to the biologist in Casper. She advised that I can indeed hunt any and all public (BLM) lands within the HMA area as long as they are accessible from a main or county road. If you are on a 2 track and it comes to private land , you cannot cross it, but can continue walking or hiking as long as you stay on federal or state lands. I would get OnX maps.

 

[highfastflyer]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-23-19 AT 01:18AM (MST)[p]Thanks for the answers. I thought that may be the case in Wyoming. Some states aren't that way, By unlimited I was referring only to the Rattlesnake HMA, I know some other areas have draw HMA slips but area 23 elk is all unlimited in numbers. Good to know I can still hunt the majority of the area on Oct. 1. I didn't want a ticket from a Warden or an angry rancher chasing me so now I know. Thanks again guys.

@hornkiller ?actually you cant! there are draw only h.m.a. so might want to check on that! like said before if you get caught hunting inside the boundries without a permission slip or outside of the date its legal to hunt them your getting a ticket even if its public or blm!
maybe people just dont understand why wy has h.m.a. with certain boundries and dates.? According to everyone else here this is Wrong and Bad advice. If you don't know, don't make ##### up, not cool or helpful at all.

 

[nripepi]

Even on "draw" only HMAs, you can hunt the public that can be accessed from a county/public road...I am doing it in a few days for Antelope!

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I'm not sure why they draw the hma boundaries way out into the blm. Looking at the Rattlesnake in particular, there is very little deeded land within the boundaries. Why not just draw the boundaries around those deeded sections? That makes the most sense to me.

 

[hornkiller]

"According to everyone else here this is Wrong and Bad advice. If you don't know, don't make ##### up, not cool or helpful at all."

So your telling me your gonna trust someone you have know clue who they are on an open forum that talked to a biologist about this instead of calling the game and fish?

Good luck! all I can report is what I've been told in person by a game warden. Take it or leave it. it's not wrong when the law is standing in front of you explaining this right where you wanna go hunting!

 

[hornkiller]

So i just contacted my local game warden on this issue.
Everything is true what you fine gentlemen are discussing! I'm sorry for the miss information. the game warden I talked to in person in another part of the state has it all wrong! Again sorry for bad info!

 

[wytex]

Good of you to come back and report that.
Just so you know I did talk with our local GW and the folks in the Access Yes program. I think most try to cover their bases before posting erroneous info.
And not all on here are gentlemen, FYI.

Good luck on your hunts.

 

[DBAINE]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-01-19 AT 01:52AM (MST)[p]True statement wytex.