Wyoming checkerboard public/private question

[JM77]

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.

That may be the general rule in Colorado, but not Wyoming. Many County Roads in Wyoming are not maintained as long as I've used them, which is decades, and they are public.

County roads that are numbered, and as far as I know all are, are open to public travel. There will be official County Rd signs on all county roads. Get online in the county you will be hunting and they will have a county map of county roads by number.

 

[Dsnow9]

That may be the general rule in Colorado, but not Wyoming. Many County Roads in Wyoming are not maintained as long as I've used them, which is decades, and they are public.

County roads that are numbered, and as far as I know all are, are open to public travel. There will be official County Rd signs on all county roads. Get online in the county you will be hunting and they will have a county map of county roads by number.

I’m going based off the units I have hunted in Wyoming.

 

[JM77]

I’m going based off the units I have hunted in Wyoming.

Then you've seen the blue and yellow county road signs. Those are all open to the public no matter whose blade touches or doesn't touch them.

 

[Dsnow9]

Then you've seen the blue and yellow county road signs. Those are all open to the public no matter whose blade touches or doesn't touch them.

Yeah the county and bridge departments consider those maintained. I don’t care if anyone plows them or not. I just go off what the county says is public or not.

 

[JM77]

Yeah the county and bridge departments consider those maintained. I don’t care if anyone plows them or not. I just go off what the county says is public or not.

You do that. If there is a sign (blue and yellow remember?) it is open to the public.

 

[manitou1]

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 seer 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.

The key term is:"Legally accessable road".
That is the question.
Legally accessable are county maintained roads and I have seen some that are private there too.
Also a WY resident here.
Always check.

 

[Dsnow9]

You do that. If there is a sign (blue and yellow remember?) it is open to the public.

I don’t think you would find a road with a blue/yellow that isn’t on their lists and I didn’t say anything contradicting what you said so keep arguing your point I guess. You will however find roads without blue/yellow that you can access based off of their information. There are always exceptions though.

 

[JM77]

I don’t think you would find a road with a blue/yellow that isn’t on their lists and I didn’t say anything contradicting what you said so keep arguing your point I guess. You will however find roads without blue/yellow that you can access based off of their information. There are always exceptions though.

My point is there are county roads, with the sign, that are not maintained and they are open to the public. You said they weren't.

To clarify, most county roads in Wyoming are maintained. But some are not.

 

[JM77]

Buzz and I had some fun with this one. When a local rancher placed this sign in an unmaintained, but signed county road, a quick call to the Sheriff and the sign was removed. @Dsnow9

 

[Dsnow9]

View attachment 352274

Buzz and I had some fun with this one. When a local rancher placed this sign in an unmaintained, but signed county road, a quick call to the Sheriff and the sign was removed. @Dsnow9

I said there were exceptions multiple times. Just trying to help the guy out. I don’t usually give away all the hints though. I make people work for some things on their own. I thought that’s how you Wyoming guys prefer it.

 

[JM77]

Maintained.

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

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.

I said there were exceptions multiple times. Just trying to help the guy out. I don’t usually give away all the hints though. I make people work for some things on their own. I thought that’s how you Wyoming guys prefer it.

No, us Wyoming guys prefer the facts and you weren't giving them. I don't go out of my way to speak on Colorado, you shouldn't about Wyo, but that's up to you. Bottom line: the county doesn't always maintain county roads, but they are still public.

@Selser363 check with the county roads map where you might be hunting. Don't rely on a hunting forum.

 

[Dsnow9]

No, us Wyoming guys prefer the facts and you weren't giving them. I don't go out of my way to speak on Colorado, you shouldn't about Wyo, but that's up to you. Bottom line: the county doesn't always maintain county roads, but they are still public.

@Selser363 check with the county roads map where you might be hunting. Don't rely on a hunting forum.

Reading comprehension must not be your strong suit.

My first post says exactly what you just said.

 

[TOGIE]

i've come across quite a few wyoming guys that don't prefer the facts.

i recieved an e-mail from a wyo road and bridge dept manager in a rural county once that explicitly told me a county road was not public and the warden later shook his head in exasperation at the same question while he said, "it's public, you're good. that guy knows better than to tell people that."

 

[Selser363]

I said there were exceptions multiple times. Just trying to help the guy out. I don’t usually give away all the hints though. I make people work for some things on their own. I thought that’s how you Wyoming guys prefer it.

I appreciate your input as well as all others. I didn't mean to start a debate or any issues and I'm not asking for any secret info, and I'm definitely willing to work for things on my own, was/am just confused by the private/public blocks and the roads that travel through both, that's the original point of my post. As a recently retired Cop, the last thing I need is to unknowingly trespass or have a talk with a game warden or Sheriff when I only have good intentions.
Based on all responses I plan to call the roads Dept in whatever County I end up in and probably a call to the Game Warden's office as well.

 

[seeth07]

Should we tell the guy about parking along the interstate to access public lands or not?

 

[Forkyfinder]

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

Oh stop it. Just drive faster and smile at dents!

 

[undercover]

My first western hunt was a small antelope area near Buffalo about 3 years ago-one of the roads necked down at a cattle gate and turned into somewhat of a fairly maintained gravel road and I was a little Leary of crossing it. Road name itself was odd, seemed like a ranch name or something. A quick stop to the road commission with my paper map book for verification and I was good to go. When in doubt verify with an official.