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Crater ridge fire-Bighorns

So many of you probably already know from my prior post I will be in unit 38 helping out a friend with a type 9 tag. Or at least I hope. Currently there has been a fire there and the have a good portion of the unit closed. The inciweb says its a full suppression fire so I assume that means they are gonna continue to make efforts to extinguish it completely. My question is if the closure remains in effect during season what does Wyoming game an fish do if anything? Pretty worried for the tag holder it took him 11 years and approx 2k to get the tag. To think all the hunters will be limited to 1/2 the unit is pretty depressing. That with a large area closed doesn't sound good. Hopefully the fire gets put out and everything is as it was but man am I worried. Anyone have any past experience with this? I plan to make a phone call later today and see what I can learn.

Had a Kaibab deer tag last year. Fire was out several weeks prior to the hunt. They day I arrived, they were closing several roads in the fire zone. Blocked off a considerable amount of access...but wasn't a show stopper.

In my experience in Colorado, the Forest Service calls the shots when it comes to closures. The CPW adheres to the closing.

I’m sure Wyoming is similar

Another story from Colorado, the area that we hunt last year was closed for a fire. Fire was 100% out months before season start, the actual area we hunt did not burn. The area is still closed but there are rumors that it may open in September. I'm not holding my breath. This area is manage by BLM.

Had a co unit 49 tag a few years back when the buffalo peak fire was they shut 17k acres down thier and half the units elk spent the season in that regenerated burn. We hunted other places and it worked out ok. They never even considered giving anyone refunds for that- Good luck to your friend that’s a great tag

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