Wyoming checkerboard public/private question

[Selser363]

I am planning to burn my Antelope points for this upcoming 2025 season. Not going to get a great unit but thats fine, only have 4 points to burn. My question is can I drive the county roads and other roads listed on the maps that go through private property to access public land (BLM, State)? Several of the units I will get with only 4 points have a ton of private and not much public. I included a screen shots of what i'm talking about. For example, the area that I have circled shows a county road but it goes through private, and all the other roads on the map that do the same, am I allowed to pass through? I randomly picked unit 38, might put in for that but it's a great example of my question.
Thanks for any answer that might steer me in the right direction.
I plan to set a small camp, so once I'm in I will be there until I harvest or leave.

 

[rmyoung1]

Not a satisfying answer but it totally depends. A Motor Vehicle Use Map can provide the details which you can get by calling the regional BLM office.

 

[Dsnow9]

It all depends. You will need to look up the county road and bridge map for each county. If the county maintains the road you should be good to go. If not no dice. That’s the general rule. Sometimes there are exceptions.

 

[Selser363]

Not a satisfying answer but it totally depends. A Motor Vehicle Use Map can provide the details which you can get by calling the regional BLM office.

Never heard of that, but that's a great start for me. I appreciate it.

 

[Wild Bill]

It all depends. You will need to look up the county road and bridge map for each county. If the county maintains the road you should be good to go. If not no dice. That’s the general rule. Sometimes there are exceptions.

This. Trust local sources before your digital maps. Don’t be afraid to call and ask the county for it if you can’t find it online

 

[Caseknife]

Just had a big kerfuffle in the Snowy's. The property owner had been maintaining the road that the county said was theirs but never maintained. Property owner gated it until the county finally found the budget to do the maintenance, IIRC. So, as @Dsnow9 said, it depends. The other thing to consider, seems a lot of roads that appear on digital maps are nowhere to be found when you lay feet to the ground.

 

[Knight.54]

It all depends. You will need to look up the county road and bridge map for each county. If the county maintains the road you should be good to go. If not no dice. That’s the general rule. Sometimes there are exceptions.

Does the county actually have to “maintain” it?…. Or just put a number on it?

 

[HiMtnHntr]

You can travel on county roads. If it’s not a county road you generally cannot unless there is an easement.

 

[Dsnow9]

Does the county actually have to “maintain” it?…. Or just put a number on it?

Maintained.

Lots of numbered roads with gates on them. And not just in Wyoming.

 

[antlerradar]

It all depends. You will need to look up the county road and bridge map for each county. If the county maintains the road you should be good to go. If not no dice. That’s the general rule. Sometimes there are exceptions.

And there can be exceptions to this to. For example, the county has their emergency radio repeater on our property and part of the agreement for the repeater is the county maintains the road to the repeater, but the road is not a public road.

 

[Flatbrimmer]

Here in Montana, if you don’t need your helmet, mouthpiece and 4WD, it’s probably NOT a public road…..

 

[Addicting]

I am planning to burn my Antelope points for this upcoming 2025 season. Not going to get a great unit but thats fine, only have 4 points to burn. My question is can I drive the county roads and other roads listed on the maps that go through private property to access public land (BLM, State)? Several of the units I will get with only 4 points have a ton of private and not much public. I included a screen shots of what i'm talking about. For example, the area that I have circled shows a county road but it goes through private, and all the other roads on the map that do the same, am I allowed to pass through? I randomly picked unit 38, might put in for that but it's a great example of my question.
Thanks for any answer that might steer me in the right direction.
I plan to set a small camp, so once I'm in I will be there until I harvest or leave.

Keep in mind the die off a few years ago. Those units are still very much affected. Animals can be far and few. Your strategy of camping on one spot and harvest or go home is a recipe for failure.

You will need to be mobile, hike, and glass a lot. I’ve hunted 38 and driven past it since the die off. It took quite the hit.

 

[Selser363]

Keep in mind the die off a few years ago. Those units are still very much affected. Animals can be far and few. Your strategy of camping on one spot and harvest or go home is a recipe for failure.

You will need to be mobile, hike, and glass a lot. I’ve hunted 38 and driven past it since the die off. It took quite the hit.

Yes sir, thanks for the advice. I probably won't hunt 38, I was just looking at it. Might do the special draw and try to get a good unit. I should have mentioned that I planned to do some driving, hiking, or limited scouting prior to setting camp. My plan was to find an "area" with decent animals and then camp and hike as far as I need to to reach them. I do see what you mean, I'll always have a backup plan. Just so limited in scouting since I will be driving from Florida, but I am in good shape and will hike as far as I need to get the job done.

 

[wytex]

Superintendent of the County Road and Bridge Dept can tell you which roads are in fact public, email them well before hunting season and ask bo9tu specific roads, they have maps online too for each county.

pm sent

 

[seeth07]

Yes sir, thanks for the advice. I probably won't hunt 38, I was just looking at it. Might do the special draw and try to get a good unit. I should have mentioned that I planned to do some driving, hiking, or limited scouting prior to setting camp. My plan was to find an "area" with decent animals and then camp and hike as far as I need to to reach them. I do see what you mean, I'll always have a backup plan. Just so limited in scouting since I will be driving from Florida, but I am in good shape and will hike as far as I need to get the job done.

Hike in deep? You realize this is an antelope hunt right? If you hike in deep, you will most likely walk by every antelope in the unit

 

[Selser363]

Hike in deep? You realize this is an antelope hunt right? If you hike in deep, you will most likely walk by every antelope in the unit

I know what you mean. I said "hike as far as I need to" If I pass them I'll get them on the way out, just want to get away from the road is all i'm saying....

 

[Djfan]

I AM NOT A LEGAL ADVISOR, but I live in WY and was told by my G&F buddy that if a legally accessible road takes you into public land, you can hunt that public land.

I do it all the time.

One more thing - land owner access to hunt pronghorn is much more common than access for deer and elk is. Make some calls. If you get access, meet up before the hunt and get them to sign your tag. Just a way to cover your behind.

 

[Addicting]

I know what you mean. I said "hike as far as I need to" If I pass them I'll get them on the way out, just want to get away from the road is all i'm saying....

On the road covering square miles with quality glass will always out produce hiking away from the road. Let the binoculars and spotter do the walking for you.

You need to get this hiking as far as I need to out of your mind for antelope.

Hike to a glassing knob, drive to the next, hike to the glassing knob. Stay in a hotel….

 

[seeth07]

On the road covering square miles with quality glass will always out produce hiking away from the road. Let the binoculars and spotter do the walking for you.

You need to get this hiking as far as I need to out of your mind for antelope.

Hike to a glassing knob, drive to the next, hike to the glassing knob. Stay in a hotel….

I don't think I've ever hiked more than .25 miles to get to a spot to look from to find antelope on a hunt. That was even a bit too much as I probably didn't even need to hike that far to when I probably could have used the spotter at the truck and still spotted them.

Unless your goal is really to find the best buck in the unit, my guess is that just by driving the roads you will likely locate probably half the bucks in the unit in just a day or two.

This would not apply to some of the unit antelope hunts that exist where antelope aren't found on traditional grounds

 

[Selser363]

Hike to a glassing knob, drive to the next, hike to the glassing knob. Stay in a hotel….

This is honestly what I meant....I'm not talking about mule deer/elk hunt hiking....maybe I should have worded it differently.
And I just retired after 29 years at a busy police Dept in FL.....I'm camping, trust me I need the solitude.

I do appreciate all the advice, absolutely makes sense.