Wyoming hunters were able to access 105,000 acres of private land in 2024 thanks to funding contributed by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s (WGFD) Access Yes! program.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission created the Private Lands Public Access Initiative (later renamed Access Yes!) in the 1990s as a vehicle to give citizens a way to hunt and fish on private and landlocked public lands. In doing so, it also strengthened relationships between landowners, hunters, anglers and WGFD.
The 2024 Access Yes! Annual Report shows 133 owners took part in the program encompassing 69 Hunter Management Areas covering 1,042,434 acres. Hunters primarily seek big game species but also hunt small game and upland birds.
According to WGFD, hunters game access to 2.1 acres of access for every dollar spent. If you do the math, RMEF’s $50,000 contribution opened access to about 105,000 acres of private land across Wyoming.
(Photo credit: Wyoming Game & Fish Department)