Wyoming’s Top Hunt Units

Laramie Peak and Muddy Mountain country rewards careful access planning. The Laramie Peak Wildlife Habitat Management Area mixes grassland, pine and juniper, with rough terrain and private inholdings. Its public easements and marked vehicle routes matter as much as the acreage on a map. WGFD habitat and access details.

2026 license distinction: Type 2 is now valid for any elk. WGFD advises securing private access before buying the unlimited Type 8 license. 2026 forecast.

Our take: shortlist Area 7 if you can put together a connected, legal route through mixed country. Compare it with Area 100 for the kind of terrain you want to hunt; do not choose either on reputation alone.

Area 100 is associated with the Steamboat elk herd. The Steamboat landscape includes sagebrush, dunes and broken slopes rather than a continuous high-mountain forest. BLM describes this terrain in its 2015 landscape assessment; use that as geographic background, not a current herd or access report.

Our take: compare Area 100 with Area 7 if you prefer spending time glassing more open country. Open terrain still demands a practical approach and meat-recovery plan. Check current license types, roads and land ownership before deciding that a desert hunt will be easier.

Area 38 is part of the North Bighorn elk herd. WGFD’s 2026 forecast identifies that herd among its priority CWD sampling areas. Include sample collection and drop-off in the trip plan. 2026 forecast.

Planning priority: compare the elevation and recovery distance of specific routes. For a later hunt, identify an alternative approach if snow prevents reaching your intended starting point.

Area 62 is administered through WGFD’s Cody office. Take a map of your proposed route to the area-research stage, with questions about legal entry, seasonal travel restrictions and where you would recover an elk. The 2026 regulation brochure lists the regional offices and their hunt areas.

Planning priority: check designated wilderness boundaries. For nonresident big-game hunting, wilderness access requires an accompanying professional guide or resident guide; confirm the arrangement before committing to that route.

For 2026, WGFD recommends securing private access before purchasing an unlimited Type 8 license in Area 116. The agency also requests CWD samples from harvested elk here. 2026 forecast.

Planning priority: establish usable access for the exact license you want. An available cow/calf license does not establish that a workable public-land hunt is available.

Compare Eastern, Southern and Western using the current map, then investigate individual general areas within the region. The region label alone tells you little about the routes, private-land boundaries or physical demands of the hunt you will actually make.

Planning priority: keep a primary area and a backup area that both match the license and dates. Compare draw reports for the same residency and drawing pool before deciding how to use your points.

Mapped areas: 135 and 143–145.

For a mountain hunt, compare the climb from your actual trailhead to glassing country and the return route with a loaded pack. Make the recovery plan part of area selection. A shorter hunt with repeatable access may fit your available days better than a remote route that consumes most of the trip getting in and out.

Key comparison with H: use the specific area and route, not just the region’s reputation. Both merit current herd and season research.

Mapped areas: 130, 138–142 and 149–155.

The larger list of area numbers creates more research choices, but does not make every area equally accessible or open for the same dates. For a nonresident DIY hunt, mark wilderness boundaries early and develop routes on land you can hunt under your guide arrangements.

Key comparison with G: compare usable hunting days, trailhead access and pack-out demands for two concrete routes before comparing draw history.

Mapped areas: 82, 84, 100–102 and 131.

The appearance of Areas 101 and 102 inside Region W’s map outline does not mean a Region W general license grants their limited-quota opportunities. Keep the regional general hunt and those individual licenses separate in your notes.

Planning priority: identify legal glassing points and connected huntable ground, then compare the season and restrictions for each area you intend to use.

Mapped areas: 132–134 and 168.

Compare these areas individually rather than borrowing expectations from Region G or H. Record where you would park, the land you would cross and a backup place to hunt if the first route is unavailable.

Planning priority: match the legal animal and season to your license. Check access arrangements before making travel commitments.

2026 regular seasons: general hunting runs October 1–22; Type 1 runs November 1–20. Both allow antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. The Type 1 total quota is 75. 2026 deer regulations.

The resident drawing lists 60 Type 1 licenses against 3,834 first-choice applicants. That resident allocation is part of the total quota, not a nonresident odds estimate. Resident demand report.

Our take: compare this with Area 130 Type 1 when your main choice is November versus October travel. A general license does not give you the November Type 1 hunt.

Include this area when comparing limited-quota deer hunts, using the South Rock Springs herd context above as one research input. Pair it with the exact license’s draw history, season and access map.

Planning priority: avoid treating population recovery or an area’s reputation as a prediction of your own success. Build a realistic scouting and glassing schedule for land you can reach.

2026 regular seasons: general hunting runs October 1–6 and requires four or more points on either antler for mule deer. Type 1 runs October 15–31 and allows antlered mule deer. Both also allow any white-tailed deer. The Type 1 total quota is five. 2026 deer regulations.

The resident drawing allocated four Type 1 licenses against 490 first-choice applicants. Resident demand report.

Our take: a Region H general trip and an Area 130 Type 1 trip need separate calendars and expectations. Compare the later October hunt with Area 128’s November option before researching your own drawing pool.

The 2026 deer map places Area 87 within Region Q. Start with that current map and the written area boundary, then match the season to your license.

Planning priority: locate legal entry points and the distance from glassing ground to a recovery route. Compare the actual route with your physical preparation and the time available.

Research the current deer areas around the Black Hills. Check where public access ends and do not assume a general deer license permits every season or species combination.

Build the hunt around land you can legally enter. Secure any needed permission before spending money on a tag or trip.

Check the exact hunt-area rules for a whitetail-focused trip. Keep the license’s species restriction visible in your notes when comparing mule deer opportunities nearby.

2026 distinction: Type 1 has a quota of 550 and Type 2 has 1,500. Both regular seasons run October 1–31, but Type 2 is restricted to private land. Type 7 is also private-land only and is for doe/fawn hunting. 2026 antelope regulations.

Our take: a larger Type 2 quota is useful only if you have suitable private access. For a public-land plan, research the Type 1 license and reachable parcels separately. Never compare the two drawing pools as if they provide the same hunt.

The official boundary identifies Area 76 as Copper Mountain, with portions following the Wind River Reservation boundary, Bighorn River and surrounding drainage divides. Official area description.

Our take: compare this with West Farson (Area 96) as a different geographic option, not an adjacent alternative. Build your access map for the antelope boundary specifically; the same number on a deer map identifies a different hunt.

Area 96 is West Farson. Its boundary uses the Green River and portions of the I-80, US 30, US 189 and US 191 corridors. Official area description.

Our take: begin with legal entry and connected huntable parcels. A highway appearing in the boundary description establishes where the area ends; it does not establish permission to enter the land beside it. Compare the actual hunting ground with Area 76 before comparing draw history.

Research each area and license type individually. Their proximity does not mean they share quotas, access conditions or drawing odds.

Use the moose-area map and current license details. The 2026 Type 1 allocation lists 28 resident and 2 nonresident licenses; Type 4 has a separate allocation. 2026 moose quotas.

Budget enough time to locate animals on accessible ground and arrange recovery support. The 2026 Type 1 allocation lists 8 resident and 1 nonresident license. 2026 moose quotas.

Review the area’s current report and access restrictions. The 2026 Type 1 allocation lists 39 resident and 4 nonresident licenses. 2026 moose quotas.

Check wilderness boundaries and guide requirements before applying. Work out transport, scouting and recovery support for the actual route.

Confirm the legal boundary and permission arrangements for the country you intend to hunt. Compare current reports without assuming a particular ram score.

Read the current area quota and applicable draw report before evaluating your point position. The point level needed can change as quotas and applicants change.

Use the current sheep map and area report. Confirm the precise boundary and access routes before making travel arrangements.

Choose from the current official hunt listing, then assess steep terrain, access and pack-out support. Different license types can have different restrictions; do not treat every goat opportunity as the same hunt.