Trespass Fee?

[8andcounting]

The day I pay a dime for access is the day I quit hunting .

 

[JLS]

View attachment 85762

LOL, nothing like correcting someone and not quite getting it right. Hopefully no one parked along the interstate.

 

[antelopedundee]

The first year I hunted antelope in WY (unit 24) was in 1985 and I paid $100 for the access fee on private land. Got a nice buck too.

Last year I hunted 24 again and paid $600 for access. To me LAST YEAR it was worth it......why?

Well.....

1) didn't know anything about OnX mapping system.
2) didn't know anything about goHUNT's Insider program and didn't know the first place to start to look for a place to hunt and a tag to put in for and draw.
3) didn't know anything about HT, Randy Newberg and all y'alls and all the great stuff posted on this forum
4) wanted as much of a "sure thing" as I could get since I was taking one of my sons hunting who had never harvested a big game critter.
5) the landowner contact basically fell into my lap via a friend from work and I didn't have to put in any time scouting or planning
6) the type 2 tag was available in late August......the idea of hunting in WY didn't even cross my mind until after the draw deadline had come and gone.

Now would I do it again? NEVER! Why?.......

1) found OnX mapping app...this is a no-brainer if you are a hunter
2) found goHUNT and was able to research units that assured I would be drawing a tag
3) took a scouting trip to my unit in July to find the good spots on public land as starting points
4) found HT and got some great advice from a fellow HT'er about the unit I'm in via PM's......not to mention all the great stuff y'all post on a daily basis about tactics, techniques, places, strategies, etc.
6) have a nice meat-packing pack now and don't have to worry about getting a critter out, no matter how far from the truck it is
7) made a couple of landowner contacts while I was scouting in July, and since I'm filling doe tags they were more than willing to let me hunt their land without paying an access fee

The thing is, everyone's circumstance is different and circumstances dictate tactics. Last year my circumstances dictated that I pay the access fee. This year, thankfully, my circumstances are totally different.

If you've a wife like mine a scouting trip solely for a freakin antelope is out of the question; the cost of which would far exceed the cost of the fee. In my case I know what I have which is thousands of acres, little to no competition and usually lots of antelope. We each do what works for us.

 

[wytex]

My 2 cents worth, I have paid a trespass fee for hunting that eventually led to free private access after the landowner got to know us and trust us. We now manage that ranch for the wildlife and have access for hunting the entire season.
More than once a small fee one year led to free access. To me a small fee up front may open doors down the road without having to pay and I'll take that. That being said, we have great public land hunting and now I would not pay that fee except to get private access for my bighorn sheep hunt when that happens. A very small fee would get me access to landlocked sheep country for my DIY hunt.

 

[lazyace]

What area?

 

[lazyace]

We are paying $120 each in Wyoming, for tresspass fee and a hunting cabin.

What area is that?

 

[Topgun 30-06]

What area is that?

I think he night hunts in Yellowstone NP and stays in one of the Park cabins---just kidding!!!

 

[RemingtonRules]

The best thing about trespass fees is that they open up more tags for non-residents since locals hate to or aren't willing to pay what it takes to access private land. In area 29, 480 of the 600 tags were allocated to residents but only 49 resident tags were issued in the initial draw. That means that 431 more tags made available [with a concomitant financial windfall to WGFD] to non-residents. If access were a lot easier I'd likely have a snowball's chance in hell of drawing a tag there. There are still 13 type 2 tags left. I'd buy a second one, but I don't need the meat.

The issue you are seeing/creating is taking land that was once potentially open with just permission to a pay for hunt premium that fewer can or want to afford. Freedom of choice but does carve out areas to pay for play only.

Luckily there are landowners that allow hunting with no fee. If my presence has them incur cost then I will pay it. I try to be appreciative and respectful. We do not have much public ground where I live and grew up. I hate to see other areas become a commodity war on cost to hunt.

 

[antelopedundee]

That statement couldn't be further from the truth.

If you want to pick nits, the statement "hunting is ALWAYS better on private land" would be further from the truth. Imagine if you can that everyone [except landowners] who drew an antelope tag for Wyoming would use it on public land, how long would it be before everyone was bitching about how shitty the antelope hunting on public land has gotten.

 

[turn loose]

I have been hunting a ranch south of Gillette since 2008, when it was $100 trespass fee. Last couple years its gone up to $300. This year I chose DIY in a different Unit mostly for the experience. They were always great people and had lots of antelope.

My son and I drew a 23-1 tag each, looking for places that offer trespass or access in that area. Would you mind sharing your contact?
Thank you

 

[rgtenn]

What are people here paying for trespass fees for antelope in Wyoming?

$350 this year and no extra charge to fill a doe tag. After the 4th day I pretty much have the whole ranch to myself.

if you don't mind, what area and a number please, thanks

 

[VikingsGuy]

if you don't mind, what area and a number please, thanks

That’s a good question to PM. I don’t think the land owner wants to be dox’d for 100,000 googlers.

 

[antelopedundee]

That’s a good question to PM. I don’t think the land owner wants to be dox’d for 100,000 googlers.

And I don't need the competition since he usually takes very few hunters and they didn't allow any hunters the last 2 years.

 

[Ryan_941]

I was able to find a few ranchers in area XX to let me hunt their land for free, most others were asking 200 plus.

 

[jnd1959]

The fee can be contingent on when you are hunting. Later in the season my be cheaper.