Monday, April 6, 2026 |
Photo – Corner Crossing example – From court documents
State lawmakers agree to delay further action on corner crossing.
On April 1st, the Wyoming Management Council met to set interim policy ahead of the January 2027 legislative session. During the meeting, the Management Council heard from members of the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee.
Senator Bill Landen and Representative Andrew Byron outlined the Committee’s interim priorities, including the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s budget and landowner habitat issues. Representative Byron said that during the coming months he and his fellow lawmakers will continue to research private property hunting access.
Senator Landen added that landowners, stock growers, and sportsmen are some of the state’s most important partners in wildlife management and conservation.
Management Council member Representative Jeremy Haroldson recommended continuing the conversation about corner crossing. The Laramie and Platte County Republican said the state must define when and where corner crossing can occur.
In 2021, a group of four Missouri hunters used a ladder to “corner cross” from one public parcel to another on Elk Mountain. The adjacent private landowner sued the hunters for trespassing, arguing they violated his airspace despite never setting foot on his property. The Carbon County District Court ruled in favor of the hunters, and the case was eventually brought before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. In March 2025, the federal court upheld the lower court’s decision, citing the 1885 Unlawful Inclosures Act, which protects public access to federal lands in checkerboard regions. Since that time, Wyoming law enforcement officers have been directed to follow the court’s finding that corner crossing is legal when done at the corners of two public parcels without touching the adjacent private land.
During the March legislative session, state lawmakers introduced House Bill 19, which was set to codify the 10th Circuit Court’s ruling into state law. Supporters said the bill would reduce confusion when law enforcement responds to trespass calls. Opponents argued it failed to protect private property rights and that, because GPS devices can be inaccurate, corner crossing should occur only over clearly marked U.S. Geological Survey monuments.
Ultimately, the Wyoming Senate voted four to 27 to indefinitely postpone House Bill 19, effectively killing the measure.
At the April 1st Wyoming Management Council meeting, Representative Jeremy Haroldson urged the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee to revisit the corner‑crossing issue during the interim.
Representative Andrew Byron acknowledged that House Bill 19 failed to satisfy both landowners and sportsmen. The Lincoln and Teton County Republican added that the amendment requiring a USGS monument to legally corner cross would have been too costly.
Senator Bill Landen said the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee can use its 60 years of experience to come up with a solution that balances the interests of stock growers, landowners, and hunters.
Senator Tara Nethercott took a different stance from her fellow Management Council member, Representative Haroldson. The Laramie County Republican recommended waiting several years before introducing additional corner‑crossing bills.
Representative Byron agreed that the legislature needs more time to consider the issue of corner crossing. The Lincoln and Teton County Republican said opponents of House Bill 19 argued that lawmakers should wait to see how the issue develops before acting.
Senator Landen said in the interim, the Joint Travel, Recreation, Wildlife, and Cultural Resources Committee will continue listening to landowners, stock growers, and sportsmen to learn more about the issue of corner crossing.
