May 2, 2024 |
Photo – Access Coordinator Jon Desonier and Faith Edwards pose with her fish – Courtesy WY Game and Fish Department
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has a new Access Yes Coordinator for the Lander region.
Jon Desonier (De-SONe-yeah ) is now the Lander Region Access Yes Coordinator for Wyoming Game and Fish. Desonier serves all of Teton County, most of Fremont County, and part of Carbon County, specifically Rawlins and areas north of the city.
According to the Wyoming Game and Fish website, the Access Yes program began in the 1990’s, and since that time the program has provided hunting access to over 2.6 million acres of private land. Eighteen percent of antelope hunters, 17% of deer hunters, and 13% of elk hunters surveyed during the 2022 hunting season say they used land set aside through the Access Yes program.
As an Access Yes Coordinator, Desonier works to convince private landowners to allow limited hunting on their land.
Through the Access Yes program, private landowners can choose to create either a Walk-In or Hunter Management Area. Desonier said hunters may freely access a Walk-In Area as long as they follow the rules set by the landowner. However, a Hunter Management Area allows the property owner to set stricter regulations on when hunters may access their land.
Desonier said while Walk-In Areas have looser regulations than Hunter Management Areas, hunters must still abide by the landowner’s wishes. The Access Yes Coordinator said people are not legally permitted onto the property to do anything other than hunt.
Desonier said landowners who participate in the Access Yes program have full control over how their property is used. The Access Yes Coordinator said property owners can set restrictions on what types of animals can be taken on their land and when.
Desonier said as an Access Yes Coordinator, he typically approaches property owners about submitting their land for the program. After getting the ok, Desonier said he’ll work with the landowner to define the limits of access.
In exchange for allowing hunters onto their property, landowners are given a small monetary payment based on the number of acres they set aside through the Access Yes program. Desonier said he will also ensure hunters are complying with landowner wishes and advertise the property on the Game and Fish website.
Wyoming Game and Fish Lander Region Information Specialist Rene Schell said landowners who choose to set property aside for a Hunter Management Area don’t have to personally manage the hunters who come on their land. Schell said the Access Yes program takes care of all administrative services.
Desonier said not every property qualifies for the Access Yes program. The coordinator said he’ll contact local biologists to ensure the land is suitable for hunting and fishing purposes.
Desonier said the Access Yes program is funded through conservation stamp sales, donations, and court-mandated restitution payments.
Desonier encouraged anyone with questions about the Access Yes program to call him at 463-7861.
