# Extended Archery Wasatch includes Park City. Think again



## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

Not sure how many of you saw that the extended area for the Wasatch now includes Park City and it's surrounding areas. With this realization I half jokingly mentioned to a friend who lives near Park City (his address says Park City but he doesn't legally live IN town) that I could help him with a little payback as the elk that live behind his house have been chowing on his trees and tearing up his yard for a couple of years. He lives in a neighborhood that is adjacent to some public owned land which the town of Park City could have purchased but they only bought a small parcel and let the county buy the rest.

On the Utah Bowhunting website it said that permission must be granted by the city to hunt there. So my buddy, who used to bowhunt but now mostly hunts duck, inquired both as a bowhunter but also as a resident of a neighborhood to find out if there would be hunters in the area this fall. Park City had no clue what he was talking about.

So he called DWR and after 2 hours found out from the horses mouth that it was indeed open for hunting. He called the previous land owner who said it was sold to the county and that it's public land now, open for hunting. Both he and I were :mrgreen: and *()*. That was about a month ago.

Then things took a turn for the worse. He called me the other day to tell me that Park City is now suing DWR about the boundary change and are posting this area even though they don't own the land. Apparently they have told their police force that anyone caught hunting should be arrested for trespassing. 

I know there is at least one tree stand in the area and access is via public lands that the county owns. 

I'm sure Park City wants to keep this quiet as I've not heard or seen anything on the news or even in the Park Record but I would be careful if you're hunting public lands (or private access land) adjacent to or near Park City this coming season.


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## alpinebowman (Sep 24, 2007)

Very interesting. keep up posted on any updates.


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## jahan (Sep 7, 2007)

If Park City doesn't own it they can not legally post it or arrest you for trespassing. If they did they would get their butts sued off.


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

jahan said:


> If Park City doesn't own it they can not legally post it or arrest you for trespassing. If they did they would get their butts sued off.


+1 I hope you are using plat maps to verify land ownership and have a very accurate GPS.

Good Luck on your hunts.


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## BullCrazy76 (Mar 6, 2009)

Not a dang thing they can legally do if they don't own the land. Hunt it anyways and if you get stopped tell the sheriff you verified the info with ownership records and the DWR and you are legit, that's what I would do anyways.


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## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

Having surveyed the area extensively AND talked with several city officials, I want to offer some correction here. The surest way to screw up this additional opportunity for bowhunters is to stir up unnecessary antagonism based on rumors or highly questionable hearsay.

First, the new extension is a mottled patchwork of property rights and owners - USFS, private residents, home owners associations, the ski resorts, development agencies, Summit county and the cities. Please don't hunt this area based on information that somebody said that somebody said because in all likelihood, that information is incorrect. Do your homework, know where you're at, dot your "i's" and cross your "t's". And remember, permission granted over the phone is NOT legal permission - you need to have that little card signed and in your pocket if you're hunting "by permission" lands.

That said, it's a valid observation that you really can't hunt Park City proper. But there's more to this new extension than that. In my opinion, the value of this extension to public bowhunters is not so much in the new land made available to hunt as it is in the new access now available to the traditional boundary area. Enough said...again, do your homework.

Bowhunters of Utah provides a listing of access waypoints on a Google Earth format as an aid only. You don't have to be a BOU member to use our map, but you do have to register on our website - a minimal effort. This service is provided to help bowhunters avoid conflicts that can not only ruin your own hunting experience, but ruin the deal for everybody. As you'll notice, I only found 7 waypoints. Granted, I may have missed a couple. But be warned - there are several apparent access points that aren't legal and using them will get your vehicle towed and/or get you a trespass citation and you can count on being prosecuted. 2 of the points listed are by permission from Park City Municipal Corporation (number provided) and another is highly questionable as far as game to hunt.

So what we have is 4 new legal access points. It would be a huge mistake for anybody to think that because this area is new, it provides hunting that's in any way better than the rest of the Wasatch extended area. Most definitely, some local residents will benefit and they're excited about this new opportunity - wouldn't it be sweet to have your own private hunting preserve literally in your back yard? But for those public hunters who are willing to make the necessary effort (and aren't intimidated by some serious hiking), there's also some benefit. Really, the only public hunters who should be getting excited by this new access are the ones who have enough background information to know how to use it. Let's not blow it for them, or for the resident bowhunters up there, either.

The BOU info is at:
http://www.bowhuntersofutah.net/index.p ... oints.html

Good luck to you all!


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## ktowncamo (Aug 27, 2008)

I'm not going to take any of what you posted personal, cause I don't believe you meant any harm by your words, but I will say that I know VERY well what area I can and cannot hunt and have done extensive homework, not to mention years of pouring over land owner maps in this area due to a previous line of work and from living in Park City for 7 years. I was vague in my description because, well, I'm sure you understand. Having spoke to the biologist at DWR who made the decision to change the boundary I'm very clear on why they did it and the ins and outs. 

But yes, your point about the access is the most keen aspect of the change.


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## jungle (May 10, 2008)

This is simple. Im a hydrogeologist and do extensvie land work.

Have CURRENT, recorded pacel maps from the county seat on your person while hunting, and you are good to go.


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