CHEYENNE-- For more than 10 years Wyoming hunters and anglers have had additional places to pursue their activities thanks to an aggressive Wyoming Game and Fish Department program to provide additional access on private lands throughout the state.

The AccessYes program was set up shortly after the walk-in area program began as a method to provide a funding mechanism to compensate landowners for providing access. Game and Fish state access coordinator Matt Buhler said that in 2008, hunters and anglers donated $131,375 to AccessYes. An additional $45,261 was donated by private conservation and sportsmen organizations. "Most of the donations are made at the time of license purchase," said Buhler. "We are currently in the resident application period for elk, deer and antelope licenses, and May is the time when many fishing licenses are also sold. Hunters and anglers are encouraged to remember the AccessYes program when making application for these licenses. These donations help us maintain the access we now have and hopefully fund additional places to hunt and fish."

Wyoming has two major programs: Walk-In areas and Hunter Management areas. In 2008, there were 655,973 private land acres available in 21 of Wyoming's 23 counties through the walk-in hunting program. A walk-in area is a tract of private land on which the Game and Fish leases hunting rights for public enjoyment. Participating landowners may receive compensation based on the amount of land enrolled. As the name implies, public access is limited to hunting by foot traffic only and is limited to the time period and species agreed upon by the landowner and the Game and Fish Department. Each August, the Game and Fish publishes a walk-in hunting area atlas listing maps and acreage of different areas on a county-by-county basis. No permission is required to use these areas for hunting the approved species during the dates listed in the atlas. Walk-in Fishing is very similar to the walk-in hunting program. Currently there are 97 stream miles and 272 pond/reservoir acres available under this program. These include 55 fishing spots in 10 drainages throughout the state.

The Hunter Management Area (HMA) program differs from walk-in areas in that hunters must obtain a permission slip from the Game and Fish Department. The majority of HMA permission slips can be obtained via the Game and Fish Web site . The Hunter Management program was developed to maintain and enhance access by forging agreements with landowners who control large expanses of Wyoming's open spaces. A hunter management area may refer solely to private lands or a combination of private, state trust land and federal land within the ranch boundaries. Last year, 888,752 private land acres were enrolled in 40 hunter management areas. Access available on several hunter management areas approaches 100,000 acres. Together with the walk-in area program, there were more than three million private and public land acres available to hunters during 2008 through WGFD access programs. Oftentimes, access provided on private lands also provides access to adjoining public lands as well.

Buhler said the landowner enrollment period for access program is almost complete for 2009, and he anticipates more hunter access will be available for hunters this fall.

Hunters and anglers can learn more about the walk-in hunting and fishing programs and Hunter Management by going to the Game and Fish Web site or by calling (307) 777-4600. The walk in atlases are also available online and at Game and Fish offices and license agents throughout the state.

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