A lack of public access is not only frustrating for hunters but it can be a nightmare for wildlife managers tasked with keeping populations at manageable levels.
That was exactly the case in southeast Wyoming along the southern Laramie Range Mountains in remote Elk Hunt Area 7 where elk habitat is rich and abundant but elk herds were above objective for 14 years in a row.
So in 2015, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation worked with private landowners and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to create a 15-year hunting access agreement that applied to the Mule Creek Ranch.
Not only did the deal allow public access to the 6,700-acre ranch but it also opened the gate to 4,000 acres of previously inaccessible state and Bureau of Land management land within the ranch boundary.
Additionally, the agreement included a provision to enhance aspen and sagebrush habitat on the property that benefits elk, mule deer, antelope and other wildlife species.
Opening and improving public access is key to RMEF’s conservation work.
To learn more about the sites and boundaries of RMEF access projects near you or your favorite hunting area, turn on the RMEF layer in the onX Hunt App.
Plus, use the code R-M-E-F when you sign up for your new onX subscription to receive a 20 percent discount, and a portion of the proceeds benefit RMEF’s conservation mission.