WY SF0056 access bill
General Topic
So status quo in other words?
If you really want to know how serious they are in WY about ever solving the corner crossing debate...check my link. They brought a bill forward, was never even introduced on the floor. DOA.
Status quo, pretty much... as if the avg hunter was ever taken into consideration for any state. Heaven forbid if we expected access to lands carrying the label "public".
No wonder they shot it down, its way too concise... doesn't leave enough up to the warden's discretion.
^^^ or money paid off legislators to keep it that way...
So did any of you actually read the bill. It has specific language that states you have physically touch the private land to be considered travelling through it. That sounds like a good thing for DIY hunters, no outfitters involved here.
The way I read it, before this bill, crossing property "A" (without permission) to hunt property "B" was just regular trespassing. After this bill, it's trespassing and a separate wildlife offense even if property "B" is public or private the hunter has permission on.
Just adds more penalty if you trespass on the way to hunt vs if you trespass on your way to do any other activity. The "physical touching" text just avoids this bill effecting the corner hopping issue at all.
I agree with wytex. The way I read the bill it's a definite win for the average guy wanting to corner cross from public to public. According to this, they could only cite you if you came into physical contact with the private property. Clearly stated in the definition ""Travel through or return across" requires physically touching or driving on the surface of the private property". And if you did come into physical contact with the private it would be charged as a "low misdemeanor" according to this bill.
And they wonder why hunter numbers are on the decline.
Hunter numbers are on the decline, however due to work lifestyles, technology etc, in many areas game animals are being pressured more than ever. Hunting multiple species, and in multiple states, is being practiced by many so called average hunters. That is a major reason one sees so much point creep. Do not equate hunter numbers, to hunter pressure and success.
I think, but don't know all the details about this but In Wyoming if you privately own a piece of land that has no legal access you can go to court and at a cost for a right of way one will be ordered thru an adjoining neighbor. Can't be landlocked forever. I don't know why this wouldn't apply to a public owned piece. Anyone?
Sapper, hunter numbers may be declining in Wisconsin, but they most definitely are not declining anywhere in the west. Not saying there’s not people who head to Wisconsin to chase whitetail, but whatever than number may be, it’s extremely minuscule compared to those that flock west to chase elk, antelope, moose, sheep, etc. All you have to do is check the number of nonresident applicants. As Missouri points out, there’s a reason point creep continues to increase with every passing year, and it ain’t cuz hunter numbers are declining.
wyobullshooter,
Excluding Colorado, I think the actual increase in hunting pressure is coming from residents. Granted, more NRs are applying for licenses every year, but they aren't issuing more NR tags in most states. It is making it more difficult to draw tags but, within reason, in draw states the amount of NR hunters actually hunting will be fairly stable from year to year.
If you look at elk in Wyoming, any increase in actual hunting pressure is coming from residents because there are only 7,250 NRtags every year. No doubt that NR applicants are increasing every year, but actual stress on the resource and number of NR hunters chasing elk is not.
Bowfreak, you are correct. Other than OTC in Colorado, quotas are capped. No argument. That doesn’t change the fact applicant numbers continue to increase and it’s hunters that are doing the applying.
Saphead, it is because the U.S. Supreme Court says so. They ruled that "recreation" is not a valid reason to force an access easement. There is no such thing as a "publicly-owned piece". Either private or government owned.
This is not a corner crossing bill, but rather a bill to more clearly define the difference between trespassing to hunt, vs. trespassing to sniff flowers.
Bowfreak Wyoming gives out way more than 7250 elk licenses to NRs, take the reduced price and leftover licenses into account also.
Point taken wytex. The point is there are only so many tags that can be issued to NRs every year. It could be 50 more or 1,000 more than the 7,250 by law, I don't know. However, this number is capped for all practical purposed. The number of resident General tags is unlimited.
a little over 13,000 Elk licenses to nr last year
