Blog · October 14, 2026 · Wyoming
Big Horn County Hunting Map: scouting with parcel and public-land maps
Good scouting near Shell starts with knowing whose ground you're on.
Main page: Big Horn County, WY GIS & Parcel Viewer (official map link, county facts and neighboring maps).
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Looking for places to hunt around Otto? The Big Horn County hunting map is really two maps: state-managed land plus the county's parcel boundaries. What this Big Horn County guide covers: where public hunting land is mapped, using the parcel viewer for boundaries, and how to ask for permission.
Getting started with the Big Horn County hunting map
With a lot near Meadow Lark Lake, public hunting areas are mapped by Wyoming Game and Fish Department, with rules that vary by area.
The free map to start with
Go first to the Big Horn County parcel viewer; it covers each assessed parcel in the county, Cowley included. If you only know roughly where the land is, follow the nearest road on the aerial and select the outline, and that holds around Otto too. Around Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, copy the parcel ID from that panel; every office in the county will want it.
Who owns the ground
For private ground, the Big Horn County parcel viewer is the free source, with owner names for tracts near Otto.
Field tips
The parcel map usually runs in a mobile browser, which helps when you're standing on land near Bighorn National Forest, so load it before you lose signal. A printout of the tract near Shell keeps working without signal.
What the map can't tell you
If you're looking near Hyattville, acreage on the record is an assessed number; only a licensed surveyor establishes the real corners on the ground. If you're looking near Basin, owner names and values update on a schedule, so a deed recorded last month can take weeks to appear.
Good habits afield
Leave gates as you found them on land near Deaver, and tell someone where you'll be; owners remember good guests.
Asking for permission
Around Deaver, offer details: who you are, when you'd hunt and how to reach you, and put any agreement in writing if the owner prefers.
Who handles what
If the acreage or value on a parcel near Greybull looks off belong with the County Assessor, which maintains the tax roll. Zoning, permits and septic questions near Emblem need the planning or permitting office, depending on whether the land is inside town limits.
Backing up the map with records
When the details count, get the recorded deed from the County Clerk; the viewer just points to it, and that holds around Basin too. Out toward Bighorn National Forest, have ready the book and page listed on the parcel record and the lookup takes minutes.
Land on the county line
The county meets Big Horn County, MT, Carbon County, MT, Johnson County, Park County, and Sheridan County, and each of those keeps its own parcel map for land near Emblem. A tract near the line by Meadow Lark Lake may be split in two county records, so open the neighboring map before you assume the acreage. For a home near Deaver, the Platbookmapper state page lists every neighboring county map for Wyoming.
Reading terrain
Switch to aerial imagery near Frannie, travel corridors and edges stand out; match each spot to its parcel.
Before you go
Check Wyoming Game and Fish Department for seasons and licensing, and know your state's trespass rules wherever you hunt near Otto.
Legal descriptions in Wyoming
Wyoming follows the Public Land Survey System, so rural legal descriptions near Meadow Lark Lake cite section, township and range. Each section is nominally a mile square, about 640 acres, with 36 sections to a township, though real sections near Shell vary in size. Keep the legal description for land near Otto before you request a deed or survey.
Places you'll see on the map
Basin serves as the county seat, which is where the courthouse records live. You'll also find Burlington, Byron, Cowley, and Deaver, where town lots give way to larger tracts. Roughly 12,018 people live in Big Horn County (Census estimate, 2023) on about 3,137 square miles. The county was organized in 1890, and some chains of title near Frannie are long. Landmarks such as Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area are easy to spot when you zoom out from Meadow Lark Lake.
Quick answers
Can I trust the map at the property line in Big Horn County?
Usually, treat parcel lines near Otto as a guide; respect marked boundaries.
Where do I buy a hunting license around Meadow Lark Lake?
With a lot near Meadow Lark Lake, licenses are sold through Wyoming Game and Fish Department; read the current regulations.
Do hunting apps show parcel lines around Byron?
For a home near Cowley, many apps and GPS units show parcel data.
Is verbal permission enough for land near Meadow Lark Lake?
Out toward Bighorn National Forest, rules vary by state, so check Wyoming Game and Fish Department guidance; respect a no.
Does the parcel map work on a phone around Meadow Lark Lake?
For a parcel near Shell, no app is needed for most county viewers, though rural signal can drop.
Open the official Big Horn County, WY parcel map See it in the Platbookmapper directory
Not a survey. County GIS and tax parcel maps are assessment and planning layers. They are not a substitute for a recorded plat, deed, or licensed survey, especially for fences, setbacks, or boundary disputes.