Wyoming Wilderness areas

[bluedunn0]

The regulations state you must be accompanied by a guide or resident guide. What is everyones take on "accompanied by?" How close do they need to be??

[SouthernWyo]

They have to be in your presence. Camping with a guide or resident guide and then going your separate ways to hunt every day won't cut it.

[AKaviator]

bluedunn0, I can't speak for Wyoming. Alaska has a similar regulation in place and has recently defined "Accompanied" to mean within 100 yards when the non-resident is attempting to take game. The regulation had been less well defined but people were trying to circumvent it and coming up with all sorts of there own ideas of what "accompany" means.
It used to be that a "reasonable man" standard was used. Now, it's far harder to find that "reasonable man". Giving the regulation a defined distance requirement makes it more enforceable, although it is still a tough one to enforce.

[Edelweiss]

Kind of BS that the number of assholes that drive directly past a fairly large wilderness signs and just ignore them. I wish they would make the wilderness areas biggers.

If Alaska didn't limit brown bear, sheep, goat to guide only for non-resident there woudln't be any left in the state. I wish they would add moose to that list.

[Bitterroot Bulls]

Kind of BS that the number of assholes that drive directly past a fairly large wilderness signs and just ignore them. I wish they would make the wilderness areas biggers.

If Alaska didn't limit brown bear, sheep, goat to guide only for non-resident there woudln't be any left in the state. I wish they would add moose to that list.

I have to absolutely wholeheartedly disagree here.

There are plenty of respectful and responsible out of state hunters out there.

I went on a DIY Alaskan Moose hunt this season and was checked thoroughly by an Alaskan State Trooper that commended us on our by-the-book hunt, meat, and trophy care. I am thankful that the state of Alaska made that available to me. It was a tremendous experience.

[Fink]

Kind of BS that the number of assholes that drive directly past a fairly large wilderness signs and just ignore them. I wish they would make the wilderness areas biggers.

If Alaska didn't limit brown bear, sheep, goat to guide only for non-resident there woudln't be any left in the state. I wish they would add moose to that list.

That's a fairly substantial blanket statement.. Where I come from, we don't have wilderness areas, but we do have lots of private property, and it seems to me that most of the offenders of boundaries are local people, not nonresidents. It also seems as though most of the poaching is done by locals as well.

[Edelweiss]

Bitterroot, I think we will have to disagree on that one. Between the Forest Service and WGF I don't think there are enough cops in both agencies to keep all the non-res idiots from running their quads into the Wilderness areas in Wyoming.

I am not saying everyone from out of state is an idiot. I am saying that idiots are common.

As for Alaska moose, they should shut it down on the road system for non-res. I would consider that to be a very quick notion.

Dall Sheep and Mountain Goats are on the verge of being 100% drawing for both. A lot of guys moved to Alaska just so they could hunt sheep every year. Problem is that between them and the guides the sheep are getting pretty thin on the ground. The damn NPS "Gates of the Arctic" doesn't help either.

[bluedunn0]

I still can't find a logical reason for the law in Wyoming...Other than outfitter driven $$

[Bitterroot Bulls]

I still can't find a logical reason for the law in Wyoming...Other than outfitter driven $$

That is THE reason.

A non-resident backpacker can traverse any wilderness in Wyoming, but a hunter can't hunt there? Ridiculous.

Edelweiss,

I fully agree that residents should have some tag advantages, but limiting the activities tax paying Americans can do on Federal lands they pay for does not pass muster. What is the logic to your position on the Alaskan road system? We hunted the backcountry, but entered from a road system, and ONLY saw residents on the road system, and plenty of them.

We hunted BLM land that we pay taxes for and used it appropriately. I don't see why we should be restricted from that.

It is true that there are idiots everywhere that pay no attention to the law, but non-residents certainly don't have a corner on that market.

It drives me nuts when guys break the wilderness laws in MT, but I am certain residents and non-residents are responsible.

[Colorado Cowboy]

Bitterroot,

You got it right. Here in Colorado (at least locally in my area), the people who break the rules on off road use are usually NOThunters. The Wyoming law that says NR hunters must have a guide or local when hunting in wilderness is surely outfitter driven. In Colorado the G & F Commission, who mostly make the rules, have more seats on the commission than " non connected" hunters and fisherman. Recently the Parks & G&F were combined into one department, making it even worse.

My experience with the Wyoming Wilderness areas (while limited to the Teton Wilderness) is that there really is no problem with OHV use as these areas are just too rough and watched pretty closely by everyone, not just "authorities". The view that the public is or will destroy the wilderness areas if you let them is what the protectionists spout off as scare tactics. It just doesn't hold water.