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Wyoming

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Wyoming Hunt Area Finder

Answer six questions and get Wyoming hunt areas ranked by habitat fit, 2026 season dates, public land and WGFD harvest history.

How the Wyoming finder works

Wyoming Game and Fish manages each species by hunt area, and seasons, license types and quotas differ from one hunt area to the next. This tool scores every hunt area for the species you pick using WGFD harvest reports from 2021–2025, the 2026 Commission season rules for that hunt area, USGS land-cover and elevation data, and the share of public land plus Walk-In and Hunter Management Areas.

Results show each hunt area's own 2026 archery and regular season dates, its license types (General or limited quota), quotas, and limitations, so you can see whether you can buy a general license or need to draw.

Species covered

  • Mule deer
  • White-tailed deer
  • Elk
  • Pronghorn antelope
  • Moose
  • Bighorn sheep
  • Mountain goat
  • Bison
  • Black bear
  • Mountain lion
  • Gray wolf
  • Wild turkey

Upland birds (ranked by county)

  • Ring-necked pheasant
  • Sharp-tailed grouse
  • Sage grouse
  • Gray (Hungarian) partridge
  • Chukar
  • Forest grouse

Waterfowl and migratory birds (ranked by county)

  • Ducks
  • Canada and dark geese
  • Snow and Ross's geese
  • Mourning dove
  • Sandhill crane

About every species on the species page →

Data sources

Wyoming hunting FAQ

Which Wyoming hunt areas can I hunt with a general elk or deer license?

Each result says whether a General license is valid in that hunt area for 2026, based on the WGFD Commission season chapters. Areas marked "Limited quota only" require a drawn license.

Are Wyoming antelope licenses over the counter?

No. Every Wyoming antelope license is limited quota and issued by drawing. The tool ranks antelope hunt areas assuming you hold or will draw a license there.

Does public land include Walk-In Areas?

Public land is federal, state and local land with public access from USGS PAD-US. WGFD Walk-In Areas and Hunter Management Areas that list big game are counted separately and add to the public-access score.

Are Yellowstone and Grand Teton counted as public hunting land?

No. National parks and monuments are closed to general hunting, so they are left out of the public-land share and flagged on the hunt areas they overlap.

Wyoming harvest leaders

The hunt areas with the highest average reported harvest for each species. High totals often reflect large areas and many hunters; the tool above also weighs harvest per square mile, hunter success, habitat and access.

Mule deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 23 Clearmont: 688 per year, 58% success
  2. Area 15 Southeast Wyoming: 665 per year, 46% success
  3. Area 82 Baggs: 583 per year, 33% success
  4. Area 17 Northwest Gillette: 513 per year, 44% success
  5. Area 1 Crook: 440 per year, 40% success

White-tailed deer (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 24 Sheridan: 1,820 per year, 81% success
  2. Area 2 Bearlodge: 1,450 per year, 49% success
  3. Area 1 Crook: 658 per year, 47% success
  4. Area 23 Clearmont: 646 per year, 60% success
  5. Area 27 Buffalo: 571 per year, 59% success

Elk (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 7 Laramie Peak: 2,075 per year, 47% success
  2. Area 21 Baggs: 1,337 per year, 41% success
  3. Area 129 Non-Herd Unit: 813 per year, 46% success
  4. Area 67 Wigins Fork: 780 per year, 37% success
  5. Area 117 South Black Hills: 686 per year, 54% success

Pronghorn antelope (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 23 Pumpkin Buttes: 1,934 per year, 94% success
  2. Area 47 Shirley Basin: 1,130 per year, 94% success
  3. Area 26 Bear Creek: 980 per year, 90% success
  4. Area 32 Bates Creek: 888 per year, 95% success
  5. Area 72 West Poison Spider: 742 per year, 90% success

Moose (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 38 Snowy Range: 49 per year, 91% success
  2. Area 25 Big Piney - Off National Forest: 48 per year, 96% success
  3. Area 26 Lincoln: 42 per year, 97% success
  4. Area 5 Upper Green River: 20 per year, 91% success
  5. Area 24 Big Piney - On National Forest: 18 per year, 91% success

Bighorn sheep (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 5 Franc's Peak: 32 per year, 86% success
  2. Area 17 Ferris-Seminoe: 25 per year, 96% success
  3. Area 7 Jackson: 23 per year, 73% success
  4. Area 2 Trout Peak: 21 per year, 85% success
  5. Area 3 Wapiti Ridge: 19 per year, 76% success

Mountain goat (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 3 North Absaroka: 23 per year, 75% success
  2. Area 1 Beartooth: 9 per year, 93% success
  3. Area 2 Palisades: 5 per year, 83% success
  4. Area 5 South Absaroka: 0 per year
  5. Area 4 Targhee: 0 per year, 3% success

Bison (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 2 Jackson: 75 per year, 74% success
  2. Area 1 Absaroka: 65 per year, 96% success

Black bear (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 9: 69 per year, 13% success
  2. Area 8: 47 per year, 9% success
  3. Area 7: 35 per year, 17% success
  4. Area 2: 34 per year, 17% success
  5. Area 16: 32 per year, 13% success

Mountain lion (2021–2025 average)

  1. Area 1: 21 per year, 13% success
  2. Area 22: 21 per year, 17% success
  3. Area 21: 20 per year, 20% success
  4. Area 19: 19 per year, 15% success
  5. Area 26: 19 per year, 25% success

Gray wolf (2024–2025 average)

  1. Area 8 Fish Creek: 9 per year, 6% success
  2. Area 2 North Fork: 4 per year, 2% success
  3. Area 5 Wind River: 4 per year, 2% success
  4. Area 6 Pacific Creek: 4 per year, 3% success
  5. Area 1 Clarks Fork: 2 per year, 1% success

Ducks (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Fremont County: 7,558 per year
  2. Big Horn County: 4,494 per year
  3. Lincoln County: 4,480 per year
  4. Natrona County: 3,978 per year
  5. Hot Springs County: 3,216 per year

Canada and dark geese (USFWS 10-year average)

  1. Big Horn County: 9,859 per year
  2. Washakie County: 2,551 per year
  3. Platte County: 2,325 per year
  4. Fremont County: 2,304 per year
  5. Goshen County: 2,055 per year