Antelope unit 59 private lands

ducksbucksandbulls · Feb 28, 2016

For those who have hunted the unit or other areas south of Rock springs...
Is all the checker- boarded private/ pubic land a problem to hunt?
Is some of it open to hunting on the private. Was it part of an old land swap with the railroad?
Who owns most of it.???
Anyone know the facts?
Thanks,

WapitiBob · Feb 28, 2016

The game dept in Rock Springs told me the railroad land was not huntable when I called last year prior to my antelope hunt in a nearby unit.

TOPGUN · Feb 28, 2016

There appears to be plenty of legally accessible BLM down in the south/southeast part of the unit that is along and north of the county roads that are the southern boundary of the unit. That's where you would need to go due to all the rest of that unit to the north being checkerboard lands.

HiMtnHntr · Feb 28, 2016

A lot of the checkerboard immediately south of RS is accessible due to the owners of the land allowing access. They just use it for grazing.

TOPGUN · Feb 28, 2016

>A lot of the checkerboard immediately
>south of RS is accessible
>due to the owners of
>the land allowing access. They
>just use it for grazing.
>

I believe the unit he's talking about is to the west of where you're talking about, so I wonder if that would be true over there.

nontypical · Mar 2, 2016

LAST EDITED ON Mar-02-16 AT 04:17PM (MST)[p]Most of that land is Rock Springs Grazing Association or Anadarko. They allow hunting. Access is not much of an issue in 59. Union Pacific also is a landowner there, and they don't mind as long as you stay off the RR right-of-way. Hunted out there for decades and never had an issue.

DoubleDropMuley · Mar 2, 2016

+1 what Nontyp said access not a problem!!

TOPGUN · Mar 2, 2016

Good to know since many, including myself, have always thought that the checkerboarded areas in the southern part of the state were a nono.

HiMtnHntr · Mar 2, 2016

A lot of the checkerboard remains off limits, but much of it in the aforementioned area is accessible.

ducksbucksandbulls · Mar 3, 2016

Thanks Non Typ and everyone else who replied..

My new daughter in law who is new to hunting has a cow tag in 31 along with my wife.
So the girls will meat hunt and 3 of us with points can chase speed goats. so we are looking for a close antelope unit we can draw with our 6+ points and 59 looks good.

I'll also talk with Game and Fish & BLM in Rock Springs before we apply.

WapitiBob · Mar 3, 2016

I just talked to the front desk when I called. Evidently I got info opposite to local customs. I never could find a number for the local railroad office.

mulecreek · Mar 3, 2016

I think if the G&F and BLM are being responsible they will tell you that you cannot hunt private land without the permission of the owner. But what non-typ stated is right on the money. Be respectful, leave the gates as you find them, pack your trash out with you, keep your wheels on established roads, keep clear of active drilling sites, etc and hopefully it will stay this way for many years.