Hunters Prevail in Appeal of Ranch Owner’s Corner-Crossing Suit

Four elk hunters legally crossed into public land despite having hovered over adjoining private properties, a federal appeals court affirmed on Tuesday.

The federal Unlawful Inclosures Act preempts a Wyoming state law the hunters likely violated when they crossed over Iron Bar Holdings LLC’s property lines, Judge Timothy M. Tymkovich said in an opinion. The US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirmed a lower court’s grant of summary judgment to the hunters.

"[T]he district court was correct to hold that the Hunters could corner-cross as long as they did not physically touch Iron Bar’s land,” Tymkovich said. ...