NEWS

Game and Fish wildlife habitat management areas beginning to close for winter

 

12/5/2022 5:05:53 PM

Cheyenne - Many of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are closing to human presence — or already have —  for the season to provide protections for wildlife on their winter ranges. The majority of WHMAs close or have restrictions for the winter annually. 

Protecting crucial habitat for wildlife is one of the main reasons the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission invests in land throughout Wyoming. WHMAs provide a refuge for big game that must conserve energy and rely on fat stores to survive the coldest months of the year. 

“Seasonal closures are essential for minimizing stress-causing disturbances to wintering deer, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife,” said Ray Bredehoft, habitat and access branch chief for Game and Fish. “Closures also reduce the human and recreational impacts to the forage, which supports the wildlife on their winter ranges.” 

The closures are for any human presence unless otherwise noted. 

WHMA CLOSURE DATES

HABITAT AREA

NEAREST TOWN

DATES AREA CLOSED

RESTRICTIONS

Forbes/Sheep Mountain

Albany

Jan. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence.

Greys River

Alpine

Dec. 1 thorugh April 30

Closed to human presence.

Wick/Beumee

Arlington


Dec. 1 through May 15

Only lands south of I-80 are closed. Vehicles restricted to FS-111 for access to the Forest Service boundary, otherwise closed to human presence.

Bud Love

Buffalo

Jan. 1 through May 14


Closed to human presence. 

Sunlight

Cody

Dec. 16 through April 30

Fishing along Sunlight Creek is open year round.

Inberg/Roy (East Fork)

Dubois

Dec. 16 through May 15

Closed to human presence

Spence & Moriarity

Dubois

Dec. 16 through May 15

East Fork County Road and that portion east of the road is open year-round. Rest of the WMA is closed to human presence.

Whiskey Basin

Dubois

Dec. 1 through May 15

Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic.

Medicine Lodge

Hyattville

Jan. 1 through May 31

Lower campground portion is open year-round.Turkey hunting allowed in lower portion during the seasonal closure.

Renner Hyattville
Jan. 1 through May 31
Upper portion closed to human presence. Lower portion remains open year- round.
Camp Creek Jackson Dec. 1 through April 30 Closed to human presence.
Horse Creek Jackson Dec. 1 through April 30
Closed to human presence.
South Park  Jackson Jan. 1 through April 30
Closed to vehicle traffic Dec 1 through April 30. Signed area open to foot traffic Dec 1. Through Dec. 31. Closed to all Human presence Dec 31- April 30.
Ed O. Taylor Kaycee Jan. 1 through May 14 Closed to human presence. 
Red Canyon Lander
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence
Sunshine Meeteetse
Jan. 1 through May 31
Closed to human presence after cow hunting seasons ends.
Half Moon Pinedale
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence. 
Soda Lake Pinedale
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence. 
Fall Creek  Pinedale
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence. 
Luke Lynch Pinedale
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence. 
Black Butte Pinedale 
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence. 
Morgan Creek Rawlins
Nov. 1 through April 30

Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic
Pennock Mountain Saratoga
Dec. 1 through April 30

Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic. 
Amsden Creek Sheridan 
Nov. 1 through May 14
Closed to vehicles. Open to foot/horse traffic Nov. 1 through Nov. 15.
Amsden Creek Sheridan
Nov. 16 through May 14

Closed to human presence.
Kerns  Sheridan
Nov. 1 through May 31
Closed to vehicles. Open to foot/horse traffic Nov. 1 through Nov. 15.
Kerns  Sheridan 
Nov. 16 through May 31

Closed to human presence. 

Laramie Peak Wheatland
Feb. 1 through April 30
Laramie Peak is open all year except the Hay Canyon, Tony Ridge, and Duck Creek Canyon areas shall be closed to human presence from Feb. 1 through April 30 each year.
Pilot Hill Laramie
Feb. 1 through April 30

Closed to human presence


WHMAs OPEN YEAR-ROUND
 
HABITAT AREA NEAREST TOWN DATES AREA CLOSED RESTRICTIONS
Ocean Lake Riverton    
Sand Mesa Shoshoni    
Chain Lakes Wamsutter    
Cottonwood Draw/Grayrocks Wheatland  
ORV access prohibited.
Jelm  Laramie   Vehicular access is restricted to parking areas. ORV access prohibited.
Rawhide Lingle  
Vehicular access is restricted to parking areas. ORV access prohibited.
Springer/Bump Sullivan Yoder  
Closed to motorized vehicles from Oct. 1 through May 15. ORV access prohibited.
Table Mountain Torrington  
Closed to motorized vehicles from Oct. 1 through May 15. ORV access prohibited.
Tom Thorne/Beth Williams Wheatland  
Closed to motorized vehicles beyond the reservoir from Feb. 1 through May 31. 
Yellowtail Lovell    
Red Rim/Daley Rawlins   Drifting snow closes most trails in early winter.
Red Rim/Grizzly Rawlins    
Sand Creek Sundance    



PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS WITH SEASONAL CLOSURES
 
HABITAT AREA NEAREST TOWN DATES AREA CLOSED RESTRICTIONS
Mexican Creek Lander
Jan. 1 through Aug. 31

County access road closed Nov. 22.
Mule Creek Ranch Laramie
Feb. 1 through Oct 14.

HMA Permission slip required.
VonGontard Landing Jackson
Dec. 1 through Mar. 1

Weather may affect closing and opening dates.
Pitcher/Brokaw Arlington
Jan. 1 through July 31

ORV prohibited.
Cater/Billy Miles Ten Sleep
Jan. 1 through Aug. 31
 
Coco Belle VanMeerendonk Jackson
Dec. 1 through April 14

Closed to wheeled motorized vehicles. 

 

(Breanna Ball, statewide information specialist - (breanna.ball1@wyo.gov))

- WGFD -

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