Understanding Public Access on Maps

[CaptainAwesome]

Will be making my first venture next fall to Wyoming to hunt. Put in for a cow elk and general deer tag in areas that seem to have descent pubic land and I knew I would draw a tag. As I continue map searching for additional hunting areas I have run across a few places where I see "roads" that cross private and public land. As I look at the satellite images it's obvious these are just dirt roads.
I am assuming as these pass across private lands they cannot be used (to get to the public)? Is there a reasonable way to determine which of these roads can be accessed?
I plan on making some phone call to understand all of this but figured some advice here may help clarify as well.
New to the site but been reading through lots of threads and appreciate all the info I have found.

 

[BlackBear53]

Search for the county Road and Bridge department that your unit falls in online and they will have the pdf maps of the public roads and often have the GIS data for download as well if you have a friend with mapping software. This will show you the Federal, State, County, and City roads all of which are public. As a side note BLM and FS roads that cross private require an easement, to learn this you will need to reach out to the local office of the Federal agency to determine if they have that easement. The Fed's have not yet had a chance to digitize that data, its a lot needless to say.

 

[wytex]

The county Road and Bridge Super. will tell you which roads are county roads, public. Some areas have BLM roads that are legal access through private to public lands, the district BLM office may help with those.
The Hunt Planner map on WG&F shows roads, that may help you in which roads to contact the county or BLM to inquire about.
Don't trust OnX.
Many roads will be public to the private property line then go private.

 

[CaptainAwesome]

Thanks for the info. Yup was using OnX, its a great tool but, I don't trust it for true/legal access questions.

I'll go with the county road and bridge as well as the local BLM.

Much appreciated!

 

[ClearCreek]

Don't trust OnX.
Many roads will be public to the private property line then go private.

Great advice right there!

ClearCreek

 

[CaptainAwesome]

Great advice right there!

ClearCreek

That is my main concern. Don't want any issues. I'm happy to hike a bit to hunt but don't need to drive/walk anyplace that I should not.

 

[Thomas11]

The county Road and Bridge Super. will tell you which roads are county roads, public. Some areas have BLM roads that are legal access through private to public lands, the district BLM office may help with those.
The Hunt Planner map on WG&F shows roads, that may help you in which roads to contact the county or BLM to inquire about.
Don't trust OnX.
Many roads will be public to the private property line then go private.

So my question is when it gets to private and then road continues to public if it’s not legally access do they have to post it or have a gate?

 

[jm77]

So my question is when it gets to private and then road continues to public if it’s not legally access do they have to post it or have a gate?

In Wyoming it is your responsibility to know where you are, no signs or gates required.

 

[Thomas11]

In Wyoming it is your responsibility to know where you are, no signs or gates required.

Yea I understood that part. But my question is even if u know where u r and find yourself going thru public and hit private but the road continues on to public after that, if it’s not marked no trespassing etc or gated, how do u determine if it’s a blocked road or a private road that isn’t legal?

 

[jm77]

Yea I understood that part. But my question is even if u know where u r and find yourself going thru public and hit private but the road continues on to public after that, if it’s not marked no trespassing etc or gated, how do u determine if it’s a blocked road or a private road that isn’t legal?

See response above from wytex

 

[desperatehills]

Hunting Wyoming a few years ago my friend hiked into public ground from the country road. Once he got in a couple miles he started seeing antelope as well as a few trucks. He wanted to shoot a goat but didn't want to pack it two miles by himself in the dark. He asked if I could find the road the other trucks used before he filled his tag.

I found a well used road that was not posted. My onx showed the first couple hundred yards going through private land then several miles of public ground. I was not willing to cross the private so I was discussing our options with my friend when a old timer pulled up behind me. I asked him about the access on that road. He said it went up to a radio tower and everybody used it. I followed him up the road and picked up my buddy on top of the ridge. We saw several trucks on this road and there was even a camp just past the private ground at the start of the public.

On the way out there was a game warden at that camp. I asked him what the legal access was on that road. He told me he could not tell me it was ok to be on it. With it not posted he would not write citations unless he got a complaint from the land owner.

The next day we drove back in there and my friend filled his tag. We were parked on the ridge and he was a mile or so down the other side. We followed roads but again came to a spot where the road crossed private ground. We parked there and hiked around the private property to help my buddy. When we got to him he was at a fence line talking with a land owner. He questioned how we got in there saying the land owner never lets anyone cross the short piece of private. I think he was just trying to intimidate us so we don't hunt there again. Knowing what the game warden told us I couldn't hike out of there fast enough.

I have not been back to that spot but I bet there is now a sign on that road. Crossing the private property without permission is trespassing. It doesn't matter if everybody does it. Wyoming people are proud of their ways. They do not have to post their land like most western states and suggesting they should will only get you a "If you don't like it don't come here!" I can understand not posting every inch but a no trespassing sign at a main entry road would be nice.

 

[junior]

I corner crossed 4 sections on our last hunt....it's not posted yet. Some don't give a dam

 

[highfastflyer]

If it’s corner hopping a checkerboard the no trespassing signs are basically worthless. There are a few places where ranchers do it to intimidate you. The issue is the airspace above the corner, the game warden won’t get involved but potentially a county sheriff might. Several on here say no county will do it but I know a horsemen was cited for corner crossing a decade ago.
pretty hard to get a horse across a corner gracefully, maybe you could teach it to walk on his hind legs across. LOL.

 

[jm77]

If it’s corner hopping a checkerboard the no trespassing signs are basically worthless. There are a few places where ranchers do it to intimidate you. The issue is the airspace above the corner, the game warden won’t get involved but potentially a county sheriff might. Several on here say no county will do it but I know a horsemen was cited for corner crossing a decade ago.
pretty hard to get a horse across a corner gracefully, maybe you could teach it to walk on his hind legs across. LOL.

Actually the airspace is not the reason the game warden doesn't get involved with corner crossing. The reason is the AG opinion which states the intent of corner crossing is to access and hunt(or fish) the public land on the other side, not to trespass.

As far as horses go, last year in my county a case of trespassing with horses was thrown out when the defendant proved he could lead the horse to a corner with public on the other side. The landowner claimed the terrain would not allow it. Obviously, with case law being nonexistent on corner crossing, DAs are quite hesitant to take it on. LOL