CHEYENNE—With the coming of the summer months, most of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMAs) that were closed to minimize disturbance to wintering deer, elk and other wildlife are opening up for public use. Game and Fish habitat areas typically provide a variety of outdoor opportunities including fishing, hunting, camping, hiking and wildlife viewing.
“These areas provide access to thousands of acres of land open to the public with amazing fishing, camping, hiking and hunting during set seasons,” Chief of the Game and Fish’s Services Division Scot Kofron said. “We do ask that in the early spring that the public is cautious around wildlife. Elk, deer, pronghorn, moose and others are about to start fawning and calving.”
Users are reminded to stay on designated travel routes, obey all signs, and camp in designated areas where required. If roads become too wet due to spring moisture, users are asked to please try and avoid traveling those roads to reduce resource damage.
To learn more about the Wildlife Habitat Management Areas visit the Game and Fish webite at wgfd.wyo.gov/accessto/whmas.asp
The following is a listing of habitat areas and their opening dates:
| Wildlife Habitat Management Areas | |||
| HABITAT AREA | NEAREST TOWN | DATE AREA OPENS | RESTRICTIONS |
| Forbes/Sheep Mountain | Albany | May 1 | |
| Grey’s River | Alpine | May 1 | |
| Wick | Arlington | May 16 | |
| Bud Love | Buffalo | May 15 | |
| Sunlight | Cody | May 1 | |
| Inberg/Roy (East Fork) | Dubois | May 16 | |
| Spence & Moriarity WMA | Dubois | May 16 | |
| Whiskey Basin | Dubois | May 16 | |
| Medicine Lodge | Hyattville | July 1 | |
| Renner | Hyattville | June 1 | |
| Camp Creek | Jackson | May 1 | |
| Horse Creek | Jackson | May 1 | |
| South Park | Jackson | May 1 | |
| Ed O. Taylor | Kaycee | May 1 | |
| Red Canyon | Lander | May 1 | |
| Sunshine | Meeteetse | June 1 | Closed to Motor Vehicles Year Round |
| Half Moon | Pinedale | May 1 | |
| Soda Lake | Pinedale | May 1 | |
| Fall Creek | Pinedale | May 1 | |
| Morgan Creek | Rawlins | May 1 | Non-Motorized access only |
| Pennock Mountain | Saratoga | May 1 | |
| Amsden Creek | Sheridan | May 1 | May 1 thru May 31 and Nov 1 thru Nov 15 Non -Motorized access only |
| Kerns | Sheridan | June 1 | Nov 1 to Nov 15 – Non-Motorized access only |
| Laramie Peak | Wheatland | May 1 | |
| WHMAs OPEN YEAR-ROUND INCLUDE: | |||
| HABITAT AREA | NEAREST TOWN | RESTRICTIONS | |
| Ocean Lake | Riverton | ||
| Sand Mesa | Shoshoni | ||
| Chain Lakes | Wamsutter | ||
| Grayrocks | Wheatland | ||
| Rawhide | Lingle | ||
| Springer/Bump Sullivan | Yoder | ||
| Table Mountain | Torrington | ||
| Tom Thorne/Beth Williams | Wheatland | ||
| Yellowtail | Lovell | ||
| Red Rim/Daley | Rawlins | ||
| Red Rim/Grizzly | Rawlins | ||
| PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS with Opening Dates | |||
| Mexican Creek PAA | Lander | Sept. 1 | County access road closes on Thanksgiving |
| VonGontard Landing PAA | Jackson | Mar. 15 | Weather may affect opening dates. |
| Brokaw PAA | Arlington | Aug. 1 | |
| Billy Miles/Carter Access | Ten Sleep | Sept. 1 | |
(Contact: Al Langston 307-777-4540)
