Big Game Winter Range closures extended to May 15th
by Bureau of Land Management
April 26, 2023
Due to continuing winter conditions, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Kemmerer and Pinedale Field Offices are extending seasonal travel closures on big game winter range until 6 A.M. May 15. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is also delaying the start of shed hunting season, which will now open at 6 A.M. on May 15.
This annual closure is necessary to protect wildlife and preserve habitat. Motorized travel can place stress on and increase the mortality rate of elk, moose, pronghorn, and mule deer during winter months. Extending these closures will help alleviate pressure on wildlife after an exceptionally difficult winter. Limiting the use of motorized vehicles will also prevent damage to sensitive habitat and ensure wildlife continue to live on healthy rangelands.
Motorized vehicles such as snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, pickups, e-bikes, and sport utility vehicles are prohibited in these areas during the closure. Non-motorized means of travel such as walking, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking are allowed. Highways and county roads are not subject to this closure. Motorized vehicle use on public land is always limited to existing roads and two-track trails when a closure is not in effect.
In the Kemmerer Field Office area, the following areas will be closed:
- The Slate Creek area south of Fontenelle Creek, west and north of Highway 189 and east of the crest of Slate Creek Ridge.
- The Rock Creek area south of County Road 204/Pine Creek Road, west of the crest of Dempsey Ridge, west of Fossil Butte National Monument and north and east of Highway 30.
- The Bridger Creek area south of Highway 30, west of Fossil Ridge, west of the Bear River Divide, north of the Uinta-Lincoln County line, east of the Utah-Wyoming border and southeast of Highway 89.
In the Pinedale Field Office area, the following areas will be closed:
- The Ryegrass, Bench Corral, Deer Hills, Calpet and Miller Mountain winter ranges including lands north of Fontenelle Creek, east of the U.S. Forest Service Boundary, west of U.S. Highway 189 and south of Horse Creek.
- The Mesa winter range including lands east of County Road 110/East Green River Road, north of County Road 136/Paradise Valley Road, west of the New Fork River and south of U.S. Highway 191.
For more information, contact the Kemmerer Field Office at (307) 828-4500 or the Pinedale Field Office at (307) 367-5300.
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