CASPER, Wyo. – Winter closures are implemented annually in 29 of Wyoming’s wildlife habitat management areas to protect animals and their wintering grounds, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.
“Seasonal closures are essential to minimize disturbance causing stress to overwintering deer, elk, bighorn sheep and other wildlife,” said Ray Bredehoft, habitat and access branch manager for Game and Fish. “The closures also reduce human and recreational impacts on forage, which supports wildlife in their wintering grounds.”
Closing dates vary with a number of WHMAs already closed to human presence and pending closures for others. Game and Fish provided charts showing the closing dates for each WHMA, noting that “closures are for all human presence unless otherwise noted”:
WHMA CLOSING DATES
| HOUSING AREA | CLOSEST TOWN | CLOSED SPACE DATES | RESTRICTIONS |
| Forbes/Sheep Mountain | Albany | From January 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| gray river | Alpine | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| Wick/Beumee | Arlington | From December 1 to May 15 | Only lots south of I-80 are closed. Vehicles restricted to FS-111 for Forest Service boundary access, otherwise closed to human presence. |
| love auction | Buffalo | From January 1 to May 14 | Closed to human presence. |
| Sunlight | Cody | From December 16 to April 30 | Fishing along Sunlight Creek is open year-round. |
| Inberg/Roy (East Fork) | Dubois | From December 16 to May 15 | Closed to human presence |
| Spence and Moriarity | Dubois | From December 16 to May 15 | East Fork County Road and the eastern portion of the road are open year-round. The rest of the WMA is closed to human presence. |
| Whiskey Basin | Dubois | From December 1 to May 15 | Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic. |
| Medicine pavilion | Hyattville | From January 1 to May 31 | The lower portion of the campground is open year-round. Turkey hunting is permitted in the lower part during the seasonal closure. |
| Renner | Hyattville | From January 1 to May 31 | Upper part closed to human presence. The lower part remains open all year round. |
| camp stream | jackson | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| horse stream | jackson | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| South Park | jackson | From January 1 to April 30 | Closed to car traffic from December 1 to April 30. Signposted area open to pedestrian traffic from December 1 to December 31. Closed to all human presence from December 31 to April 30. |
| Ed O. Taylor | Kaycee | From January 1 to May 14 | Closed to human presence. |
| Red Canyon | lander | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence |
| Sunshine | Meeteetse | From January 1 to May 31 | Closed to human presence after the end of cow hunting seasons. |
| Half Moon | Pinedale | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| soda lake | Pinedale | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| autumn stream | Pinedale | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| Luke Lynch | Pinedale | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| black mound | Pinedale | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence. |
| Morgan Creek | Rawlins | From November 1 to April 30 | Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic |
| Mount Pennock | Saratoga | From December 1 to April 30 | Closed to vehicles only. Open to foot/horse traffic. |
| Amsden Stream | Sheridan | From November 1 to May 14 | Closed to vehicles. Open to foot/horse traffic from November 1 to November 15. |
| Amsden Stream | Sheridan | From November 16 to May 14 | Closed to human presence. |
| Kerns | Sheridan | From November 1 to May 31 | Closed to vehicles. Open to foot/horse traffic from November 1 to November 15. |
| Kerns | Sheridan | From November 16 to May 31 | Closed to human presence. |
| Laramie Peak | wheat land | From February 1 to April 30 | Laramie Peak is open year-round, except that the Hay Canyon, Tony Ridge, and Duck Creek Canyon areas will be closed to human presence from February 1 through April 30 each year. |
| pilot hill | Laramie | From February 1 to April 30 | Closed to human presence |
WHMA OPEN ALL YEAR
| HOUSING AREA | CLOSEST TOWN | CLOSED SPACE DATES | RESTRICTIONS |
| ocean lake | Riverton | ||
| sand tray | Shoshoni | ||
| chain of lakes | Wamsutter | ||
| Cottonwood/Grayrocks Draw | wheat land | ORV access prohibited. | |
| goo | Laramie | Vehicle access is limited to parking areas. ORV access prohibited. | |
| Rawhide | Lingle | Vehicle access is limited to parking areas. ORV access prohibited. | |
| Springer/Bump Sullivan | Yoder | Closed to motorized vehicles from Oct. 1 to May 15. ORV access prohibited. | |
| Mountain table | Torrington | Closed to motorized vehicles from Oct. 1 to May 15. ORV access prohibited. | |
| Tom Thorne/Beth Williams | wheat land | Closed to motor vehicles beyond the reservoir from February 1 to May 31. | |
| Yellowtail | Lovell | ||
| Red border/Daley | Rawlins | Drifting snow closes most trails in early winter. | |
| Red border/Grizzly | Rawlins | ||
| sand stream | sun dance |
PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS WITH SEASONAL CLOSURES
| HOUSING AREA | CLOSEST TOWN | CLOSED SPACE DATES | RESTRICTIONS |
| mexican stream | lander | From January 1 to August 31 | County access road closed Nov. 22. |
| Mule Creek Ranch | Laramie | From February 1 to October 14. | HMA authorization slip required. |
| VonGontard landing stage | jackson | From December 1 to March 1 | Weather may affect closing and opening dates. |
| Pitcher / Brokaw | Arlington | From January 1 to July 31 | ORV prohibited. |
| Cater/Billy Miles | Ten Sleep | From January 1 to August 31 | |
| Coco Belle Van Meerendonk | jackson | From December 1 to April 14 | Motorized wheeled vehicles prohibited. |
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