The Fryberger Ranch, owned and operated by Sue and Ron Martin and located in central Sheridan County, is this year’s recipient of the Access Recognition Award Program for the northeast quadrant. The annual ARP award is given to landowners who provide access to their property for public hunting or fishing. It is a joint award between the Game and Fish Commission and the State Agriculture Board.
The ranch was purchased by Sue’s great grandparents in 1913 and Sue and Ron took over ranch operations in 2000. They enrolled their property in the Game and Fish’s AccessYes Walk-in Program in 2005, which opened up premier public access for deer, antelope and game bird hunting. Each year, hunters are able to harvest 30 to 50 big game animals on the property.
“The Martin family’s participation in the program is particularly important and appreciated because they provide public hunting opportunities in an area where public access is increasingly limited,” said Troy Tobiasson, Access Yes coordinator for northeast Wyoming. “The surrounding area is being subdivided, and nearby properties rarely allow hunting.”
The Fryberger Ranch was also recognized earlier in 2022 as the Sheridan region Landowner of the Year.
The Access Yes program (previously known as the Private Lands Public Access Initiative) was created in 1998 with the goal of enhancing and/or maintaining public hunting and fishing access onto Wyoming private and landlocked public lands. This is accomplished by enrolling private landowners into one of the access programs (Hunter Management Area, Walk-in Hunting, and/or Walk-in Fishing). The landowner and department personnel negotiate the terms of an agreement including: agreement length (one to five years), the species that can be harvested, the geographic location, dates access will be allowed, and any other specific rules or stipulations.
In 2021, more than 2.6 million acres of private, state or public lands were available statewide for public hunting through the Walk-in Hunting Area and Hunter Management Area programs. The Walk-in Fishing Area program opened access to 4,005 lakes and 82 stream miles for anglers.
To learn more about the Access Yes program or how to enroll your property for hunting or fishing access, contact Troy Tobiasson at troy.tobiasson@wyo.gov or call the Sheridan Regional Office at 307-672-7418.
In photo above, left to right: Game and Fish Commission President Kenneth Roberts, Game and Fish Deputy Director John Kennedy, Ron Martin, Sue Martin, Sheridan region Access Yes Coordinator and game warden Troy Tobiasson, Wyoming Agriculture Board Member Amanda Hulet (District #4) and Wyoming Agriculture Board Member Jim Rogers (District #2).
