Can a hunter with a general Wyoming deer licence legally hunt area 105?

Yes. Hunt area 105 is a general-licence area in region F, and any resident or nonresident with a valid general licence for the region can hunt the general-licence seasons here. Residents purchase general licences over the counter with no draw; nonresidents must draw a Region F general licence in the random draw pool.

Which deer species are legal on a general licence in area 105?

Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal, but the rules differ by season and location. From September through October, antlered mule deer are legal on national forest and any white-tailed deer throughout the area. In November, antlered mule deer are legal off national forest and any white-tailed deer throughout the area. A separate November season permits doe or fawn white-tailed deer only.

Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a Region F general licence for area 105?

Nonresidents do need preference points to compete for the drawn portion of the licence pool, but only three-quarters of Region F general licences go to the preference-point draw ranked by points; a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants regardless of points. Wyoming residents drawing any deer hunt do not use preference points at all—the resident draw is random.

Can a nonresident hunt designated wilderness in area 105 without a guide?

No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in all designated wilderness areas. Hunt area 105 contains designated wilderness, so a nonresident planning to hunt that ground must arrange either a commercial guide or a resident companion before the season.

When is late-season hunting better than early season on area 105?

Most mule deer in the national forest portion migrate through the area, making late October a stronger bet for a general-licence hunter than September or early October. White-tailed deer remain concentrated in the creek bottoms and irrigated lands along the eastern side throughout the season and are dependable targets any time.

Wyoming Hunt Area 105 (Beartooth) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

82%

Elevation

4,000–11,500 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Deer region

Hunt area 105 spans a mix of basins and high country, from irrigated valleys at 4,000 feet to peaks above 11,500 feet, with typical ground at 7,800 feet. The western side holds rugged mountains; the eastern edge runs arid basin and riparian corridors. Slope averages 10.2 degrees — mostly gentle and moderate ground, with steep and rugged terrain scattered through. Lower elevations are sagebrush-dominated, with pockets of riparian growth along creek bottoms; mid elevations shift to conifer forest mixed with sagebrush; higher country stays open or lightly timbered. The layout favors foot hunting in most places, though road access into the mountains allows some hunters to cover more ground.

Public land makes up 82% of the area—roughly 295 square miles of National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land—but entry still hinges on roads, trailheads and seasonal closures. Designated wilderness covers part of the ground; nonresidents must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide within it. Park County Walk-In Area 4 gives dependable access along the northern portion. Private land concentrates in the basin and irrigated areas, where white-tailed deer cluster in creek bottoms and around farmland, especially early in the season before the National Forest herds shift their patterns.

The general-licence seasons split the year into distinct hunting windows. Early archery and October rifle hunting work the national forest portion during the fall transition; late October becomes prime timing for migratory deer moving through their corridors. November opens the off-forest ground where access tightens but white-tailed deer are dependable. A separate November doe-and-fawn rifle season allows harvest of female white-tailed deer. Two drawn hunts—Type 1 for any deer across the broader fall and Type 8 for does and fawns through the deep winter months—open areas or animals that the general licence does not reach.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 105 (Beartooth) is a general-licence hunt area, and how a hunter gets a licence for it depends on where they live.

A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter — unlimited statewide, on sale from mid-July. No draw, no application, no preference points.
A nonresident cannot buy one. They must draw a Region general licence — for this hunt area, deer region F, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region and nowhere else.

A hunter may hold only ONE general deer licence in a year, so a general licence is a single choice rather than something to stack.

Wyoming residents have no preference points for deer — the resident deer draw is random, and no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. For nonresidents points matter a great deal: Wyoming awards 75% of each nonresident pool through the preference-point draw, top-down by points, and the remaining 25% at random. Nonresidents also choose between the Regular and Special pools — the same hunts at two price points, competing separately.

Seasons (2026)

Type Gen — general licence · Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Archery September 1 – September 30
Type Gen — general licence · Antlered mule deer valid on national forest; any white-tailed deer valid in the entire area
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Regular October 1 – October 31
Type Gen — general licence · Antlered mule deer valid off national forest; any white-tailed deer valid in the entire area
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Regular November 1 – November 5
Type Gen — general licence · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular November 6 – November 20
Type 1 · Any deer
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – November 20
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular September 1 – December 31

The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “doe or fawn” hunt is not a deer hunt in general, and a hunt limited to part of the area is not valid across it. Confirm every hunt in the current regulations before applying.

Mandatory CWD sampling in 2026

A CWD sample is required from every deer harvested in hunt area 105 in 2026, on licence types 1, 3, 8. A sample can be left at a game check station or the Cody regional office of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, or collected by the hunter and sent to the Wildlife Health Laboratory.

In the words of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department: “mandatory CWD sampling in effect in Hunt Areas 105, 106, and 109 for License Types: 1, 3, and 8” The areas under mandatory sampling change every year, so confirm the current list before hunting — 2026 mandatory CWD sampling areas.

Hunting each season

Type Gen — Antlered mule deer or any… · mule deer & whitetail (September)

Early-season archery hunting runs through September as velvet comes off and deer move into their fall patterns. Highs average 61 degrees and lows 36, with light snow around 0.7 inches; the weather stays mild and hunting pressure from other seasons is absent. Access is widespread across national forest and public land; the walk-in area along the northern portion opens for this season. Archery hunters can take antlered mule deer on national forest and any white-tailed deer across the entire area.

Type Gen — Antlered mule deer valid on national forest; any white-tailed deer valid in the entire… · mule deer & whitetail (October)

October regular-season hunting spans the early fall migration and staging phases, with deer moving through their corridors and nocturnal activity beginning. Temperatures drop through the month—highs drop from the upper 40s to the low 40s and lows fall into the upper 20s—while snowfall averages 6.2 inches, enough to concentrate deer use. For this general-licence hunt, antlered mule deer are legal on national forest land, and any white-tailed deer are legal throughout the area. National forest access remains open; this is a prime window for hunters targeting the migratory mule deer herds.

Type Gen — Antlered mule deer valid off national forest; any white-tailed deer valid in the entire… · mule deer & whitetail (November)

Late October and early November hunting intersects the pre-rut staging phase as deer prepare for the November peak. Antlered mule deer legal hunting is restricted to off-national-forest ground during this five-day general-licence window, reflecting the shift to private-land and lower-elevation hunting as the season hardens. Any white-tailed deer remain legal throughout the area. Temperatures fall through the 30s (highs averaging 35 degrees, lows 18) and snowfall reaches 15.5 inches—difficult conditions that push deer into their winter patterns early and concentrate them in lower creek bottoms.

Type Gen — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer · whitetail only (November)

A November general-licence rifle hunt opens for doe and fawn white-tailed deer only, running through November 20 as the primary rut peaks and the late-rut transition begins. This hunt accesses the same general ground as the archery and October hunts but focuses specifically on females in white-tailed country—the creek bottoms and riparian areas where they concentrate. Temperatures remain cold and snow remains substantial, concentrating deer and improving visibility.

Type 1 — Any deer (September–November)

The Type 1 drawn hunt for any deer spans September through November, bridging the early fall transition, fall migration, staging, and primary rut phases. It opens with archery through September (mild conditions, light snow around 0.7 inches) and shifts to rifle in October and November as temperatures plummet from the 40s to the 30s and snowfall stacks up to 15.5 inches by late season. This hunt permits either mule deer or white-tailed deer, reaching ground and animals not available on the general licence.

Type 8 — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer · whitetail only (September–December)

The Type 8 drawn hunt for doe and fawn white-tailed deer runs the full four months from September through December, tracking the entire rut cycle and winter consolidation. It opens as velvet sheds in September (highs 61, lows 36, 0.7 inches snow) and closes deep in December (highs 27, lows 11, 22.8 inches snow) as the herd settles into winter range. This rifle-only hunt permits female white-tailed deer exclusively, reaching targets across all seasons and months unavailable to general-licence hunters.

Land and access

National Forest72%

Generally open to public hunting

private land18%

Private

BLM9%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land1%

Generally open to public hunting

About 82% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 295 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

State trust land counts toward the open figure above. Wyoming extends hunting on legally accessiblestate trust land to the public unless a parcel is specifically closed — the catch is the access itself, since crossing private ground to reach it still needs the landowner’s permission. Camping, fires and off-road vehicles are not allowed on it.

This hunt area has 1 enrolled walk-in area. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Walk-In Area needs no permission slip — a hunter may walk in during the open period, subject to its posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.

This hunt area includes designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness.

Where deer are mapped

Summer Range67%

used in summer

Yearlong Range32%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range12%

used in winter

Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where deer are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.

Habitat and cover

Lower elevations

Sagebrush81%

Other cover10%

Grass and meadow5%

Riparian3%

Conifer2%

Mid elevations

Conifer54%

Sagebrush41%

Other cover2%

Riparian1%

Grass and meadow1%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush51%

Conifer33%

Grass and meadow10%

Other cover4%

Riparian1%

Shares are of each elevation band, not of the whole hunt area — they describe what grows up there, not how much of the area sits at that elevation.

Weather through the season

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Snowfall
January	29°F	11°F	21.4 in
February	31°F	11°F	18.9 in
March	39°F	17°F	16.5 in
April	45°F	22°F	10.8 in
May	53°F	31°F	2.8 in
June	62°F	38°F	0 in
July	71°F	44°F	0 in
August	70°F	43°F	0 in
September	61°F	36°F	0.7 in
October	47°F	27°F	6.2 in
November	35°F	18°F	15.5 in
December	27°F	11°F	22.8 in

Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.

Common questions

Can a hunter with a general Wyoming deer licence legally hunt area 105?: Yes. Hunt area 105 is a general-licence area in region F, and any resident or nonresident with a valid general licence for the region can hunt the general-licence seasons here. Residents purchase general licences over the counter with no draw; nonresidents must draw a Region F general licence in the random draw pool.
Which deer species are legal on a general licence in area 105?: Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal, but the rules differ by season and location. From September through October, antlered mule deer are legal on national forest and any white-tailed deer throughout the area. In November, antlered mule deer are legal off national forest and any white-tailed deer throughout the area. A separate November season permits doe or fawn white-tailed deer only.
Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a Region F general licence for area 105?: Nonresidents do need preference points to compete for the drawn portion of the licence pool, but only three-quarters of Region F general licences go to the preference-point draw ranked by points; a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants regardless of points. Wyoming residents drawing any deer hunt do not use preference points at all—the resident draw is random.
Can a nonresident hunt designated wilderness in area 105 without a guide?: No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in all designated wilderness areas. Hunt area 105 contains designated wilderness, so a nonresident planning to hunt that ground must arrange either a commercial guide or a resident companion before the season.
When is late-season hunting better than early season on area 105?: Most mule deer in the national forest portion migrate through the area, making late October a stronger bet for a general-licence hunter than September or early October. White-tailed deer remain concentrated in the creek bottoms and irrigated lands along the eastern side throughout the season and are dependable targets any time.

Sources

Wyoming Game & Fish — Hunting & Trapping — licence types, general and limited-quota hunts, and season structure
WGFD Hunt Planner — hunt-area boundaries, season dates and the unit descriptions
WGFD — Draw results and odds — how the resident random draw and the nonresident preference-point draw work
WGFD — Regulations — the legal limitations on each hunt, and the statewide licence rules
USGS National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2021) and 3DEP elevation — land cover and terrain by elevation band

Seasons, licence types and boundaries change. Confirm every detail with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before applying or hunting.

All Wyoming deer hunt areas