Many wildlife areas closing to the public for winter

Posted 12/10/19

Many of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMA) are closing to provide protections for wildlife on their winter ranges. The majority of WHMAs close or have …

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Many wildlife areas closing to the public for winter

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is instituting a series of winter closures at many Wildlife Habitat Management Areas around the state. The closures are aimed at protecting wildlife — like these elk — during the tougher winter months.

Photo courtesy Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Posted Tuesday, December 10, 2019 10:10 am

Many of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMA) are closing to provide protections for wildlife on their winter ranges. The majority of WHMAs close or have restrictions put in place for each winter.

“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 wintering wildlife.”

Several wildlife habitat management areas in Park County and the northern Big Horn Basin are impacted.

For instance, the Sunlight WHMA, located northwest of Powell and Cody, closes to all human activity on Dec. 16 and will remain closed to people through April 30.

Meanwhile, the Sunshine WHMA west of Meeteetse is off-limits from Dec. 22 through May 31. Vehicles are not allowed in the area at any time, but travel on foot or horseback is allowed between June 1 and Nov. 30.

Outside of Hyattville, the upper portion of Renner WHMA and most of the Medicine Lodge WHMA will close to people from Jan. 1 through May 31. However, the lower portion of the Renner Reservoir area remains open year-round, while Medicine Lodge Creek remains open to foot traffic — but only for fishing.

Finally, in contrast to the other sites, the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area located east of Lovell remains open to the public year-round.