New for 2016

State Information

Source: United States Drought Monitor

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The Draw System

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The Point System

Wyoming's Mule Deer Breakdown

Wyoming mule deer buck taken with Shoshone Lodge Outfitters — A goHUNT Business Member

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How to Uncover Hidden Gem Mule Deer Areas

Drake with a Wyoming mule deer taken with Tri Spoke Outfitters — A goHUNT Business Member

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Wyoming's Whitetail Deer Breakdown

Nontypical whitetail buck taken with Big Horn Outfitters — A goHUNT Business Member

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Managing Deer Preference Points and Expectations

Wyoming's Antelope Breakdown

Ron Niziolek with his 2015 Wyoming archery antelope buck.

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Antelope taken with Tangle Ridge Outfitters and Guides — A goHUNT Business Member

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Managing Antelope Preference Points and Expectations

Wyoming's Deer and Antelope Application Overview

The opportunity state! Nonresidents have the opportunity to draw a deer and antelope license every year. With mule deer greater than 180” Boone & Crockett (B&C) and antelope greater than 80” B&C, Wyoming lives up to its reputation as the state with plenty of opportunity. Need convincing? Check the most recent B&C entries to see the proof for yourself. Resident also reap the benefits of this state with the best general season deer hunting left in the west. From the high deserts to above tree line, the opportunities and quality of animals are endless.

Note: The application deadline for Wyoming deer and antelope is midnight MST May 31, 2016. The application is entirely online and can be found here.

Why Wyoming for Deer and Antelope

Big Antelope Bucks

Wyoming is known for its giant antelope and mule deer bucks. 75” plus antelope can be found in most hunt areas. Bucks up to 85” also range across the state. 160” plus deer can be found in most areas and bucks up to the 190” plus can be found around the state.

Lots of Accessible Public Land

Between Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), state land and several private land/public hunting programs offered by Wyoming Game and Fish a hunter won’t have a problem finding places to hunt.

Archery Opportunities

Hunters have the opportunity to hunt either deer species with a bow or a rifle on the same license, but archery hunters must purchase an Archery Stamp if they would like to hunt either deer or antelope with archery equipment. A resident license is $16.00 and a nonresident license is $30.00.

To view important information and an overview of Wyoming’s rules/regulations, the draw system and preference points, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile. You can also view the Deer and Antelope Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy areas.

Additionally, You Can Find More Information under Each Deer Region Profile.

Important Dates and Information

Wilderness Area Restrictions

Public land with easy access is what makes Wyoming so great. Miles of USFS and BLM lands are available for hunting, including some of the most wild and scenic wilderness areas in the West. A Wyoming resident or licensed outfitter must accompany nonresident hunters in order to legally hunt in a designated wilderness area. Study the Unit Profiles to locate which areas have designated wilderness, which creates access restrictions for nonresidents. If you are a nonresident and would like to legally elk hunt in a wilderness area, please contact an outfitter. A complete list of outfitters in Wyoming can be found in our Outfitter Directory. Residents need not worry about the wilderness area restriction since they can legally hunt without restriction.

Drought/ Rainfall/ Snowpack

Currently, 81.36% of the state is not affected by drought conditions. Wyoming experienced a predominantly “normal” snowpack in 2016 with most areas hovering around the 100% mark during much of the winter. That, accompanied by a wet spring, means the potential for great antler and horn growth. The exceptions are the eastern edge of the Wind Rivers and most of the Bighorn Mountains where the snowpack hovered around 70% or less of “normal.”

The Impact of Wolves and Other Predators

The court ruling that provides federal protection for wolves in Wyoming has, and will continue to have, an impact on big game populations. Grizzlies are still not managed through hunting seasons; however, the possibility of grizzly management via hunting is being considered and could more of a possibility in the next few years. Many of the wilderness areas and other remote country along the northwestern portion of the state has a decent population of grizzly bears. It is important to take necessary precaution when hunting in areas inhabited by grizzlies. Keep a clean camp and carry bear spray in the event of an encounter.

Wolves and grizzlies should not be an issue when hunting antelope in any part of the state. If hunting deer in Regions A, B, D, E, J, K, M, R, T, W, X or Y, wolves and grizzlies should not be an issue. However, black bears may be possible.

Understanding the Draw

It is important to understand the draw system before you begin. You can find a complete explanation of the draw process along with important dates and fees in our Wyoming State Profile. The nonresident applicants can apply for either a regular deer or antelope license or a special deer or antelope license. The special licenses available to nonresidents have a higher price, but is designed to provide less competition and, ultimately, a better chance of drawing. Approximately 20% of the total tags will go to nonresidents.

Here's Why That Matters

Nonresident licenses are broken into two categories in Wyoming: the Regular Draw which costs $312 for deer and $272 for antelope and the Special Draw which costs $552 for deer and $512 for antelope. To show you how this works, let’s say an area has 10 licenses available. 60% of these licenses will go for the regular limited quota draw, 40% to the special draw. For the six licenses in the regular draw, 75% will go to maximum point holders who have applied for that area. The remaining 25% are awarded using a random draw. The four licenses in the special draw will be awarded using the same 75/25 split as the regular draw. See the example below.

It's important to check your Draw Odds for the Regular Draw as well as the Special Draw. There are circumstances where applying for the Special Draw will not give you better odds. There are also circumstances where entering the Special Draw may decrease the amount of points you need to draw a certain area by one to three points.

Wyoming works on preference points, not bonus points. You gain one point for every year you unsuccessfully enter the draw. Even if you miss the application deadline for licenses in May, you can purchase a point for $40 from July through the end of October.

There is no point system for residents. It’s basically a raffle with fairly good odds. You might have 300 people applying for 200 tags. All residents can purchase over-the-counter (OTC) general deer licenses starting in July.

To maintain points and build, don’t apply for easy-to-draw areas.

The Preference Points Race

2016 maximum nonresident preference points for mule deer: 102016 maximum nonresident preference points for antelope: 10

Wyoming has done a masterful job of balancing trophy potential with hunter opportunity. No matter what type of hunt or what caliber of deer you are after you will find that experience in Wyoming.

Current Mule Deer Herd Condition

Wyoming is facing some of the same struggles as most western states. Mule deer numbers are down across the board due to winter mortality in 2010/2011, chronic wasting disease, high elk numbers, predators and a continually fragmented landscape. Yet, numbers seem to be remaining somewhat constant at current levels. Wyoming experienced a normal snowpack during the 2015/2016 season which will greatly help the herds. Winter mortality shouldn't be a huge issue this year. With that said, Wyoming is still on a slow recovery and hasn't achieved it's historic levels quite yet.

Tag cuts are happening across the state and can be really noticed when you look at the total nonresident tag trends over the past 10 years.

The Seasons

Depending on the region, rifle seasons start as early as Sept. 15 while most of the other seasons wrap up by the middle of October. There are some hunt areas that do start seasons in November and allow hunters to hunt rutting mule deer. Check out Filtering 2.0 to locate those areas.

Nonresident General Deer License Quotas

The GOHUNT Hit List Areas for Wyoming Mule Deer

* Different seasons

Wyoming offers an additional 20 areas with a trophy potential of 180”+. That's right, 20 additional areas! You can find these areas by using Filtering 2.0 and adjusting the slider to 180”+.

One of the best things about Wyoming is that most areas have some sort of trophy potential. 160” bucks are harvested routinely in Wyoming. Of the 133 hunt areas for mule deer, an impressive 121 areas have the potential to produce 160” plus mule deer. Using Filtering 2.0 and adjusting the search criteria will help you find hidden gem areas. A large percentage of Wyoming’s deer herd is migratory. This means that with the right weather patterns dropping deep snow in the high country, some areas can turn into phenomenal areas literally overnight.

To Get Started with Filtering 2.0

For instance, let’s say you are a nonresident hunter, have minimal preference points of two, want to hunt bucks with the trophy potential of 160”+ and want an area with a tag drawing rate of 70% or higher in the regular draw and a harvest success rate of 50% or higher. Sounds like a pipe dream, right? Most people would also agree, until they watch Filtering 2.0 go to work. Using those parameters, you will be able to narrow the search down to 16 results. This is a lot better starting point than looking at all 133 hunt areas. Getting familiar with this software will allow hunters to see the whole picture all at once and reduce the risk of burning points on a area that may not live up to your expectations.

* Seven other counties with one entry.

** B&C lists three unknown counties during this set of dates.

* Six other counties with one entry.

Trending Buck:doe Ratio Areas

You have probably noticed that we provide data on buck to doe ratios for each hunt area in Wyoming. Male to female ratios are a critical measuring data tool for wildlife managers and indicate the current status of the herd. A higher buck to doe ratio may indicate that a hunt area could have a higher availability of mature bucks compared to an area with a lower buck to doe ratio. This doesn’t always indicate that the bucks will be the highest scoring bucks, but more bucks equates to more bucks to find and harvest. When selecting a hunting area, or comparing several areas, take this into consideration to help your decision. For a complete understanding of male to female ratios, please refer to a recent article covering this in depth.

Additionally there are ten areas that boast 41 bucks for every 100 does.

The Big Two… Region G, H

The famous Region G and Region are still producing quality bucks each year. Do you like to pack deep into the backcountry? Maybe on horseback? So do lots of other hunters. This is due to ample public land, great season dates, and giant bucks. Regions G and H have become exponentially more popular over the past several years. There are big reasons these Regions are gaining popularity; like a 190” plus big reasons. In 2014 Region G had an estimated 5,789 hunters of which 606 of them were nonresidents. Some caution should be known, that the popularity of Region G and H could be hurting these units. A lot of top end bucks were taken in 2015.

Who thinks of Wyoming as a whitetail state? Not many! This makes it a sleeper state for big whitetail bucks. Most whitetails live along riparian corridors and low elevation forested habitats which typically means private land. The majority of whitetails are found in northern Wyoming around Cody, Worland, Greybull, Sheridan, Buffalo and Sundance.

Current Whitetail Deer Herd Condition

As mule deer numbers steadily drop, whitetail numbers are doing the exact opposite. Populations have been growing quickly, which is evident by the amount of available doe/fawn tags.

The Seasons

Most seasons begin Nov. 1, which offers hunters the ability to hunt rutting bucks. Doe/fawn seasons start early and run late. Wildlife managers are attempting to reduce some of the populations that are over objective. Game damage complaints by private landowners have been common in recent years. Some landowners are allowing access to harvest antlerless whitetails.

The GOHUNT Hit List Hunting Areas for Wyoming Whitetail Deer

There are an additional 36 hunt areas that offer a trophy potential of 140”+. Using Filtering 2.0 it has become easy to find these areas and increase your chances at a trophy Wyoming whitetail.

How to Uncover Hidden Gem Whitetail Areas

Beyond the top shelf areas in Wyoming are dozens of other areas that are easily drawn and still allow a reasonable chance at taking a mature whitetail scoring greater than 140”. Utilize our Filtering 2.0 tools and manipulate the Trophy Potential to display the areas that have a legitimate chance at bucks that score 140” or better. Customize your search and click on a specific hunt area to access the Unit Profile in order to gain the greatest resource available to thoroughly learn an area.

Five Year Boone & Crockett Entry Trends for Wyoming Whitetail Deer

* There have been zero B&C nontypical whitetail entries since 2010. The last nontypical whitetail entry was in 2007.

Wyoming breaks out their allotted tags into two categories: a random draw and preference points. 25% of tags go into the random draw. This means that with zero points you still have a chance to draw even the most coveted areas. Nonresidents will have the option of putting in for the regular limited quota draw or the special draw. Paying the extra money will increase your odds of drawing a tag no matter how many points you have. For residents there are no preference points — only a random draw.

For hunters looking to hunt some of the trophy areas in the state it will be necessary to accumulate preference points for 5 or more years.

Obviously, residents always have zero points and should apply for a limited quota hunt choice that they desire most if they are interested in hunting with limited hunting pressure. Otherwise, a resident should simply purchase a resident general deer license. Remember that resident hunters can hunt within wilderness areas without any restrictions.

Find your draw odds

I Have 0 Deer Preference Points. What Can I Expect?

Mule deer

Wyoming offers 85 areas that a nonresident can draw with zero points and have 100% draw odds; 78 of them are general areas and seven of them are limited quota areas. Using Filtering 2.0 and Draw Odds you will find three areas that offer 180”+, 24 areas offering 170”+ and 76 areas offering 160”+ opportunities with zero points. Hunters can hunt both the archery and rifles seasons on the same tag; however, a hunter must obtain an Archery Stamp. If you want to pay the extra money for the special draw, there are an additional six areas a hunter can draw with zero points.

At zero points, the famous Region G and Region H are out of the question. You could draw Region H if you enter the Special Draw and have one preference point.

Whitetail

Wyoming offers 99 hunt areas that a nonresident can draw with zero points; 80 of them are general areas and 55 of them are limited quota hunt areas. Some hunt areas offer a general season and a limited quota season that usually coincides with the rut. Using Filtering 2.0 you will find where you can draw the best trophy areas with zero points.

What Can I Do with 3 or 4 Deer Preference Points?

Mule deer

With three or four points you have added an additional 28 areas for a total of 113 areas you can draw with 100% draw odds; 95 general areas and 18 limited quota areas. Unfortunately, you still will not be able to draw the giant buck areas of Region G (Area 135, Area 143, Area 144, Area 145) if applying in the Regular Draw. If you want to pay the extra money for the Special Draw, then you have a 91% chance to draw Region G. Although at three points, you have a 100% chance at drawing Region H.

Whitetail

With three or four points you have added an additional 18 areas for a total of 117 areas you can draw; 97 general areas and 57 limited quota areas. Some hunt areas offer a general season and a limited quota season that usually coincides with the rut. Hunters can hunt both the archery and rifle seasons on the same tag; however, a hunter must obtain an Archery Stamp.

What Can I Expect with 8 or 10 Deer Preference Points?

Mule deer

You will be able to draw most areas around the state. The historical Region G and Region H are now well within reach; however, there are seven areas that are still not guaranteed even with maximum points: Areas: 62, 63, 87, 101 and 102. Using Filtering 2.0 and Draw Odds will help you find your chance to pulling a tag in those areas.

Whitetail

There are 124 hunt areas at your fingertips with maximum points. 101 of them are general hunt areas while 62 of them are limited quota areas that usually offer season dates that overlap the rut.

There is a reason that WGFD’s logo is centered around an antelope. The state boasts a robust population that offers plenty of opportunity. It’s hard to drive anywhere in Wyoming without dodging darting antelope. More B&C antelope have come from the Cowboy State than any other. Wyoming has plenty of trophy and opportunity hunting options for antelope. Wyoming offers some of the best trophy hunting still available in the west while also offering plenty of opportunity for hunters looking to harvest antelope.

Current Antelope Herd Condition

The running joke for anybody who has driven through Wyoming is that there are more antelope than Wyoming residents, which used to be true. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Between drought conditions and poor habitat, Wyoming’s antelope population is struggling to rebound after the winter of 2010/2011. The good news is that the state is still home to over 400,000 antelope.

The Seasons

Antelope seasons generally run long. Archery seasons start as early as Aug. 15 while most rifle seasons open late September/early October and usually run through the end of October. Use Filtering 2.0 to find the season that will work best for you.

The GOHUNT Hit List Areas for Wyoming Antelope

* Different seasons

Along with these 17 hunt areas Wyoming offers an additional 28 hunt areas with a trophy potential of 75”+.

How to Uncover Hidden Gem Antelope Areas

Beyond the top shelf areas in Wyoming are dozens of other areas that are easily drawn and still allow a reasonable chance at taking a mature antelope scoring greater than 70”. Utilize our Filtering 2.0 tools and manipulate the Trophy Potential to display the hunt areas that have a legitimate chance at bucks that score 75” or better. Customize your search and click on a specific unit to access the Unit Profile in order to gain the greatest resource available to thoroughly learn an area.

Five Year Boone & Crockett Entry Trends for Wyoming Antelope

Trending Buck:doe Ratio Areas

Once again, we provide data on buck to doe ratios for each hunt area in Wyoming. Male to female ratios are a critical measuring data tool for wildlife managers and indicate the current status of the herd. A higher buck to doe ratio may indicate that a hunt area could have a higher availability of mature bucks compared to an area with a lower buck to doe ratio. This doesn’t always indicate that the bucks will be the highest scoring bucks, but more bucks equates to more bucks to find and harvest. When selecting a hunt area, or comparing several areas, take this into consideration to help make your decision. For a complete understanding of male to female ratios, please refer to a recent article covering this in depth.

* Different seasons

Wyoming breaks out their allotted tags into two categories: a random draw and preference points. 25% of tags go into the random draw. This means with zero points you still have a chance to draw even the most coveted areas. Nonresidents will have the option of putting in for the regular limited quota draw or the special draw. Paying the extra money will increase your odds of drawing a tag no matter how many points you have. For residents, there are no preference points — only a random draw.

For residents, the plan of attack should be the same as deer. Tags are drawn randomly and there are no points for residents. The premium hunting areas with easy public access and big bucks are typically found in the center and southcenter portion of the state.

Find your draw odds

I Have 0 Antelope Preference Points. What Can I Expect?

Nonresidents should understand that most of the antelope hunting areas with better access and ones that consistently produce trophy bucks generally require three to seven points in the general draw and one to four points in the special draw. Wyoming offers 37 areas that a nonresident can draw with zero points; 36 of them are Type 1 (rifle/archery), one hunt area for muzzleloader only (Type 0) and one hunt area for archery only (Type 9). Using Filtering 2.0 you will find one hunt area that offers 80”+, five areas offering 75”+ and 37 areas offering 70”+ opportunities with zero points. Hunters can hunt both the archery and rifles seasons on a Type 1 tag; however, a hunter must obtain an Archery Stamp.

What Can I Do with 3 or 4 Antelope Preference Points?

As a nonresident with three or four points, you have added an additional 39 hunt areas for a total of 76 areas you can draw with 100% odds; 75 Type 1 hunt areas, three muzzleloader areas (Type 0) and one archery only (Type 9). Using Filtering 2.0 you will find six hunt areas that offers 80”+, 23 areas offering 75”+ and 76 areas offering 70”+ opportunities with up to four points.

What Can I Expect with 8 or 10 Antelope Preference Points?

You will be guaranteed to draw most areas around the state. Parts of the historical Red Desert will be at your fingertips; however, there are three hunt areas (two in the Red Desert) that are not guaranteed with maximum points: Area 58, Area 60 and Area 61. Utilize Filtering 2.0 or Draw Odds to find your chance to pull a tag for those three areas.