Wyoming's 2017 deer and antelope application overview

Jump to: New for 2017 State Information Draw System Mule Deer Breakdown Whitetail Deer Breakdown Antelope Breakdown

The Cowboy State offers some of the most breathtaking landscapes as well as some of the best big game hunting in the West. Trophy caliber deer and elk are annually harvested in general hunt areas. The state consistently produces record book antelope.

Note: The application deadline for resident deer, elk and antelope as well as nonresident antelope and deer is May 31, 2017 at midnight MST. The application is entirely online here.

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Why Wyoming for deer and antelope

From easy rolling topography with plenty of roads to deep backcountry expeditions and everything in between, Wyoming offers the type of hunt you are after. Wyoming offers reasonably priced tags, tens of millions of acres of public land and cheap points for nonresidents.

The Cowboy State continues to offer the best general area mule deer hunting in the West. With the hard winter in Regions G and H hunters may want burn their points before a potential population crash in the coming years. The Wyoming winter and its effect on Regions G and H are detailed in this article here.

As the saying goes, “Wyoming has more antelope than people.” Well, that's not too far from the truth. Wyoming consistently produces good numbers of antelope as well as trophy caliber bucks in most hunt areas. Out of the 101 antelope hunt areas, 45 of them have trophy quality bucks of 75”+. Biologists have confirmed that once an antelope buck has reached three years old, horn growth is mostly dependent on that year’s moisture level. Up to this point, most parts of the state have been at or above normal for precipitation amounts. Using the Unit Profiles you can research precipitation amounts by month for each hunt area to help find areas that may have better horn potential.

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New for 2017

• Online applications will be accepted beginning at 8 a.m. on the species specific application opening date. For instance, the deer, elk and antelope application period opened at 8 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2017.
• Elk, deer and antelope regulation brochures will no longer be mailed with the licenses. They are now combined into one brochure and will be mailed in August.

2017 tag allocation cuts

Currently the most notable tag cuts are for nonresident in Region G and Region H due to the high amount of deer mortality in the surrounding winter ranges. Both are receiving roughly 200 less tags. We saw this same tag cut after the severe 2011 winter. Is cutting back only nonresident tags the best answer? Will this winter die off cause Wyoming to apply a limit on the amount of resident hunters on a region by region basis? 

Region G nonresident tag allocation
Year	Tag quota
2017	400
2016	600
2015	600
2014	600
2013	600
2012	600
2011	800
2010	800

Region H nonresident tag allocation
Year	Tag quota
2017	600
2016	800
2015	800
2014	800
2013	800
2012	800
2011	1200
2010	1200

 

Proposed changes to the leftover license process

In prior years, all leftover license that were not obtained through the initial drawing went on sale on a first come, first served basis. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) has proposed conducting a second drawing with all leftover licenses. Hunters would then be able to apply for those licenses June 22 to July 6, 2017 and results for the leftover drawing would be posted the week of July 13, 2017.

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State information

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

Wyoming State Profile Mule Deer Profile Whitetail Deer Profile Antelope Profile Draw Odds Filtering 2.0

Additionally, you can find more information under each deer Region Profile.

Wyoming Deer Region Profiles
Region A	Region B	Region C	Region D
Region E	Region F	Region G	Region H
Region J	Region K	Region M	Region R
Region T	Region W	Region X	Region Y

Important dates and information

• Deadline to apply is May 31, 2017 by midnight MST. Apply online here.
• Deadline to amend or withdraw your deer and antelope application is also May 31, 2017 by midnight MST.
• Draw results will be posted the week of June 22, 2017.
• Elk license costs
  • Nonresident cow/calf: $288
  • Resident either sex: $52
• Deer license costs:
  • Nonresident: $312
  • Nonresident special: $552
  • Resident: $38
• Antelope license costs:
  • Nonresident: $272
  • Nonresident special: $512
  • Resident: $33
• Nonresident applications for deer and antelope will be charged a $14 nonrefundable application fee.
• All refunds will be credited back to the credit card used on the application.
• Crossbows are legal weapons during any archery season in Wyoming.
• Purchasing an archery stamp allows you to hunt during archery only seasons.
• Residents don’t have preference points for deer, elk or antelope. All areas are a random draw.
• The maximum number of points going into the 2017 draw for deer and antelope is 11 points.
• 25% of total antelope and deer tags are issued to nonresidents.
• Preference points only application period is from July 3 to October 31.

Wilderness area restrictions

Public land with easy access is what makes Wyoming so great. Millions of acres of U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management 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.

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Drought/ rainfall/ snowpack

May 2017 Snow Water Equivalent Percent of Normal

May 2016 Snow Water Equivalent Percent of Normal
 

May 2017 - drought status
 

May 2016 - drought status
 

Currently, 91.21% of the state is not affected by drought conditions.

Wyoming experienced a severe snowpack in 2017 with most areas hovering around the 150% to 300% mark during much of the winter. That, accompanied by a wet spring, means the potential for great antler and horn growth.

The impact of wolves and other predators

The court ruling that provides federal protection for wolves in Wyoming was lifted in early 2017 and put back into the state's hands. Prior protections have had 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 be 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 an increasing 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.

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The draw system

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 cow/calf elk license, 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 25% 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 nonresident 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.

What draw is right for you?

The draw odds are slightly higher for hunters entering the special draw. The higher cost means that there are fewer people in the pool, which can increase the draw odds to get the license you want; however, the special draw doesn’t guarantee success. The licenses for both regular and special draws are exactly the same once awarded.

Unlike many states, where if you don’t have the points you have no chance of getting a tag, Wyoming gives hunters a chance to draw no matter how many points you have in the random drawing. If you don’t draw this year, you will automatically be awarded a preference point to increase your chances next year.

Regular vs. special draw example
Area	Species	Regular draw	Special draw
Region G	Mule deer	6 points	5 points
Area 57	Antelope	10 points	9 points

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.

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The point system

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

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.

The preference points race:

2017 maximum nonresident preference points for mule deer: 11
2017 maximum nonresident preference points for antelope: 11

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Wyoming's 2017 mule deer breakdown
 

Wyoming offers some of the most breathtaking scenery to hunt mule deer in the West. From vast rolling sagebrush steppe ecosystems to high country basins often above timberline, 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

The winter of 2017 has seen record snowfall in Regions G and H in northwestern Wyoming; however, the rest of the state’s snowfall was right at average. The Cowboy State is not unique to the West with declining mule deer population due to tough winters, chronic wasting disease, high elk numbers, predators and a continually fragmented landscape. Yet, there are still plenty of mule deer to be found in Wyoming. With diverse habitats, great winter range and liberal seasons, bucks are able to grow to older ages.

Tag cuts are happening across the state and is noticeable when looking at the total nonresident tag trends over the past 11 years. Even though nonresident tags had a slight increase in 2016, expect that number to drop in 2017 with the tough winter impacting parts of the state.

The seasons

Depending on the region, rifle seasons start as early as Sept. 15, 2017, 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.

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The goHUNT hit list areas for Wyoming mule deer

Top areas to consider for 180” or better mule deer (not in order of quality)
Areas	Trophy Potential	Buck:doe ratio	Harvest success
Area 135	190"+	41:100	53%
Area 143	190"+	41:100	40%
Area 144	190"+	41:100	42%
Area 145	190"+	41:100	45%
Area 101	180"+	20:100	69%
Area 102	180"+	20:100	79%
Area 105	180"+	29:100	49%, 46%, 40%*
Area 106	180"+	29:100	40% & 10%*
Area 128	180"+	32:100	50% & 100%*
Area 130	180"+	37:100	38% & 86%*
Area 134	180"+	41:100	44%
Area 139	180"+	37:100	46%
Area 140	180"+	37:100	52%
Area 142	180"+	37:100	44%
Area 146	180"+	37:100	43%
Area 149	180"+	NA	35%

Wyoming offers an additional 7 areas with a trophy potential of 180”+. That's right, a total of 24 area have a trophy potential of 180" plus! You can find these areas by using Filtering 2.0 and adjusting the slider to 180”+.

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How to uncover hidden gem mule deer areas

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 130 hunt areas for mule deer, an impressive 120 areas have the potential to produce 160”+ 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.

Hunters may want to consider Region D. In July 2011, the WGFD created the Platte Valley Mule Deer Initiative (PVMDI). PVMDI brought all interested stakeholders together to improve herd health. Since its implementation, many habitat projects like prescribed fire, juniper removal, fence conversions and water development projects have been completed. The deer in the Platte Valley are migratory, which means deer move into the valley from Colorado as well. Many of the hunt areas within the PVMDI area have gone to special draw areas instead of being available OTC. This will be the sixth season that the Platte Valley has been limited quota. To read more about the initiative click here. This is definitely a region hunters should look into. Additionally, the better Hunt Areas 78 and 81 can be drawn with two points in the nonresident regular draw.

To get started with Filtering 2.0

•  Select state.
•  Select species.
•  Adjust the Trophy Potential slider to your desired size (e.g. 170”+).
•  Click whether you are a resident or nonresident and indicate how many points you currently possess (nonresidents only).
•  Select your minimum percentage of odds for drawing the tag. This can be very good for weeding out hunting areas with unlimited (100%) tags.
•  Select which season(s) you are wishing to hunt. Have other hunts going on throughout the fall? You can also set your date parameters and Filtering 2.0 will automatically find what's in season that time of the year.
•  Choose what harvest percentages you would like to see in the hunt areas.
•  Lastly, click on any of the remaining hunt areas to read in depth profiles containing valuable information.

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 21 results. This is a lot better starting point than looking at all 130 hunt areas. Getting familiar with the INSIDER tools will allow hunters to see the whole picture all at once and reduce the risk of burning points on an area that may not live up to your expectations.

Five year Boone & Crockett entry trends for Wyoming mule deer

Wyoming's top B&C producing counties since 2010 for typical mule deer
County*	No. of entries	Areas found within county
Carbon	7	Region-D (66, 70, 74, 75, 76, 77), Region-E (88, 92, 94, 96, 97, 98, 128, 148, 160, 171), Region-W (82, 100, 131)
Lincoln	5	Region-G (135, 143, 144, 145), Region-H (130, 138, 139, 140, 142, 146, 149, 150, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156), Region-K (132, 133, 134, 168)
Unknown**	3	NA
Sublette	2	Region-G (135, 143, 144, 145), Region-H (130, 138, 139, 140, 142, 146, 149, 150, 151, 152, 53, 154, 155, 156)

Wyoming's top B&C producing counties since 2010 for nontypical mule deer
County*	No. of entries	Areas found within county
Carbon	2	Region-D (66, 70, 74, 75, 76, 77), Region-E (88, 92, 94, 96, 97, 98, 128, 148, 160, 171), Region-W (82, 100, 131)
Sublette	2	Region-G (135, 143, 144, 145), Region-H (130, 138, 139, 140, 142, 146, 149, 150, 151, 152, 53, 154, 155, 156)

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.

Top areas for mule deer buck:doe ratios
Areas	Buck:doe ratio	Trophy potential	Harvest success
Area 17	45:100	170"+	62%
Area 23	45:100	160"+	67%
Area 26	45:100	160"+	58%
Area 18	45:100	170"+	61%
Area 88	44:100	160"+	35%
Area 89	44:100	170"+	80%
Area 30	43:100	160"+	54%
Area 33	43:100	170"+	56%
Area 32	43:100	170"+	42%
Area 169	43:100	160"+	59%
Area 163	43:100	160"+	54%
Area 145	41:100	190"+	45%
Area 117	41:100	170"+	38%
Area 118	41:100	160"+	68%
Area 119	41:100	170"+	81%
Area 120	41:100	170"+	64%

The big two… Region G, H

The famous Region G and Region H 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.

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Wyoming's 2017 whitetail deer breakdown
 

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 2017 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 of the either sex seasons begin Nov. 1, 2017, which offers hunters the ability to hunt rutting bucks. Doe/fawn seasons start early and run late. Wildlife managers are trying to reduce populations that are over objective in the northcentral and northeast areas of the state. Game damage complaints by private landowners have been common in recent years. Due to the damage complaints, many landowners are allowing access to harvest antlerless whitetails.

The goHUNT hit list hunting areas for Wyoming whitetail deer

Top areas to consider for 140” or better whitetail deer (not in order of quality)
Area	Trophy Potential	Harvest success	General or Limited Quota
Area 1	150"+	54%	General
Area 2	150"+	59%	General
Area 4	150"+	48%	General
Area 40	150"+	31%	General
Area 41	150"+	28%, 80%	Both
Area 10	140"+	56%, 11%	Both
Area 11	140"+	38%, 61%	Both
Area 113	140"+	22%, 30%, 100%	Both
Area 116	140"+	41%, 88%	Limited Quota
Area 12	140"+	29%, 53%	Both
Area 124	140"+	82%, 31%	Both
Area 13	140"+	24%, 79%	Both
Area 14	140"+	21%, 88%	Both
Area 145	140"+	9%, 64%	Both
Area 15	140"+	54%, 19%	Both

There are an additional 26 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.

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How to uncover hidden gem whitetail areas

Beyond the top shelf areas, Wyoming offers 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 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. Pay special attention to how much public land is available.

Five year Boone & Crockett entry trends for Wyoming whitetail deer

Wyoming's top B&C producing counties since 2010 for typical whitetail deer
County	No. of entries	Areas found within county
Fremont	1	Region-E (88, 92, 94, 96, 97, 98, 128, 148, 160, 171), Region-H (130, 138, 139, 140, 142, 146,149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156), Region-W (82, 100, 131)
Lincoln	1	134, 135, 144, 145, 151, 152

Wyoming's top B&C producing counties since 2010 for nontypical whitetail deer
County	No. of entries	Areas found within county
None*	NA	NA

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Managing deer preference points and expectations

Nonresident hunters work off of a preference point system. However, all resident tags are drawn at random, which means there are no points for residents for deer, elk and antelope.

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.

2017 maximum preference points for deer: 11

I have 0 deer preference points. What can I expect?

Nonresidents with zero points have 31 hunt areas to draw and hunt mule deer in Wyoming. All of Region A, F, J, M, T and X are 100% draw odds. Hunt Areas 36, 60 and 161 can be drawn as well with 100% odds. You can see that list here.

Areas 105 and 106 of Region F offer a trophy potential of 180”+. There are an additional nine hunt areas with a trophy potential of 170”+.

Nonresidents that want to hunt whitetail bucks can draw 61 hunt areas with zero points. You can see that list here. Five of those 61 have a trophy potential of 150”+. Those hunt areas are: 1, 2, 4, 40 and 41.

What can I do with 3 or 4 deer preference points in the nonresident regular draw?

Hunters with four points have 130 mule deer hunt areas they can draw, including most of Region H. 15 of those areas offer a trophy potential of 180”+: 105, 106, 128, 130, 134, 139, 140, 142, 146, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, and 154. You can easily see that particular search criteria here. Use the Unit Profiles to find the right hunt area for you. Make sure that you consider season dates, amount of public land and how much wilderness is located within each hunt area.

Whitetail hunters can draw 118 different hunt areas with three points. You can see that list here. 40 of those 118 areas have a trophy potential of 140”+.

What can I expect with 6 or 7 deer preference points in the nonresident regular draw?

Mule deer hunters can now draw the famous Region G that contains hunt areas 135, 143, 144 and 145. Hunters will be hunting some of the best areas Wyoming offers. Region G’s rifle season opens Sept. 15, 2017. This hunt caters to the hunter that is looking to hunt high elevation, backcountry bucks. Some bucks may still be in velvet. 

What can I expect with 10 or 11 deer preference points in the nonresident regular draw?

Hunters can now draw any hunt area in the state. Having maximum points allows hunters to draw: 34, 62, 87, 89, 90, 101 and 102.

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Wyoming's 2017 antelope breakdown
 

As soon as you navigate to WGFD’s website you will notice their logo is centered around an antelope and that’s for good reason. The state boasts a robust population of antelope which equals plenty of opportunity. It’s nearly impossible to drive anywhere in Wyoming without dodging darting antelope. More B&C antelope have come from the Cowboy State than any other. 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

Wyoming routinely jokes that there are more antelope than residents, which used to be true; however, that is no longer the case. Between drought conditions, poor habitat, low fawn survival and localized disease outbreaks, 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

Wyoming generally offers liberal antelope seasons. Rifle seasons start somewhere around the third week in September and usually run to the end of October. Archery seasons start as early as Aug. 15, 2017. Use Filtering 2.0 to find the season that will work best for you. Take into account trophy potential and if the antelope will migrate in or out of the hunt area you want to hunt.

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The goHUNT hit list areas for Wyoming antelope

Top areas to consider for 80” or better antelope (not in order of quality)
Area	Trophy Potential	Buck:doe ratio	Harvest success	Resident draw odds	Nonresident points required (regular draw)
Area 108	80"+	45:100	96%	93%	4.5 points
Area 112	80"+	47:100	92%	29%	8.5 points
Area 114	80"+	41:100	76%, 85%	64%, 13%	2.5 points
Area 48	80"+	43:100	81%, 89%	45%, 100%	3 points
Area 57	80"+	55:100	89%	22%	9.5 points
Area 58	80"+	55:100	100%	14%	Max points & 39% odds
Area 60	80"+	49:100	90%	11%	Max points & 16% odds
Area 61	80"+	49:100	94%	13%	9.5 points
Area 62	80"+	64:100	79%, 90%	15%, 87%	9 points
Area 64	80"+	49:100	90%	20%	9.5 points
Area 67	80"+	55:100	77%	33%	7.5 points
Area 68	80"+	55:100	71%	38%	6.5 points
Area 77	80"+	30:100	91%, 88%	43%, 25%	1, 5.5 points
Area 78	80"+	55:100	82%	16%	4.5 points
Area 79	80"+	NA	74%, 93%	33%, 5.3%	2 points
Area 80	80"+	50:100	92%	13%	7 points

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How to uncover hidden gem antelope areas
 

Beyond the best hunt 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. There are an additional 28 hunt areas beyond the 17 mentioned above that boast an unbelievable trophy potential of 75”+.

Five year Boone & Crockett entry trends for Wyoming antelope

Wyoming's top B&C producing counties since 2010 for antelope
County	No. of entries	Areas found within county
Carbon	59	32, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 55, 56, 57, 61, 62, 63, 68, 108
Fremont	41	55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 74, 75, 76, 84, 85, 87, 91, 92, 97, 106, 107, 117
Sweetwater	36	55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 64, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 112
Natrona	23	21, 25, 26, 31, 32, 48, 63, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 113, 115
Washakie	8	76, 77, 79, 83, 114, 115

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.

Top areas for antelope buck:doe ratios
Areas	Buck:doe ratio	Trophy potential	Harvest success
Area 75	67:100	75"+	86%
Area 43	66:100	70"+	91%
Area 62	64:100	80"+	79%, 90%
Area 100	63:100	70"+	89%
Area 98	63:100	75"+	76%
Area 94	63:100	70"+	90%
Area 63	61:100	75"+	91%, 80%
Area 22	60:100	70"+	85%
Area 113	60:100	70"+	90%, 92%
Area 106	55:100	75"+	95%
Area 82	55:100	70"+	98%
Area 69	55:100	70"+	78%
Area 68	55:100	80"+	71%
Area 99	55:100	70"+	88%, 94%
Area 67	55:100	80"+	77%
Area 65	55:100	75"+	94%
Area 95	55:100	75"+	88%
Area 58	55:100	80"+	100%
Area 57	55:100	80"+	89%
Area 66	55:100	75"+	93%
Area 25	55:100	70"+	91%
Area 26	55:100	70"+	99%
Area 78	55:100	80"+	82%
Area 74	55:100	75"+	97%

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Managing antelope preference points and expectations

Wyoming breaks out their allotted tags for nonresidents 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 can 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.

2017 maximum preference points for antelope: 11

I have 0 antelope preference points. What can I expect?

Nonresidents will be able to draw 20 different hunt areas at 100% odds that are mostly located in the northeast corner of the state. You can see that list here. Most of the hunt areas located in northeast Wyoming have limited public land and private land can be difficult to obtain access. Hunters will want to utilize the Unit Profiles to figure out how much public land is available in these hunt areas.

Area 76 boasts an incredible trophy potential of 75”+ and can be drawn with zero points!

What can I do with 3 or 4 antelope preference points?

Hunters will find themselves being able to draw some great hunt areas with three or four points. Hunters with three points have 54 hunt areas to pick from; four of these areas have a trophy potential of 80”+. You can see that list here. Having four points opens up an additional 11 hunt areas and adds in Hunt Area 62, which has an incredible trophy potential of 80”+. You can see that list here.

What can I expect with 9 or 10 antelope preference points?

At 10 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 two hunt areas (one in the Red Desert) that are not guaranteed with maximum points: Area 58 and Area 60. Utilize Filtering 2.0 or Draw Odds to find your chance to pull a tag.

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Wyoming’s 2017 resident elk breakdown

Wyoming residents looking for elk information can review the 2017 Wyoming nonresident elk application strategy article that was posted in January. The article goes over how to uncover hidden gems, bull to cow ratios, B&C trends and top areas for trophy bulls. Use Filtering 2.0 and Unit Profiles on INSIDER to find the draw odds for the hunt area you want to apply for. Elk hunting in Wyoming continues to be excellent. The state offers a great balance of opportunity to harvest any elk, yet still has the potential to harvest a trophy bull out of any area. Out of the 102 elk areas, 91 of them have trophy quality bulls of 300”+.