Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 117?

No. Wyoming residents have no deer preference points at all. The resident deer draw for this hunt area is random. Nonresidents do use preference points: three quarters of nonresident licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded top-down by points), and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.

Which deer species can a hunter legally take on each hunt type here?

Type 1 (mid-September through mid-October archery and regular) permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 (September archery and November regular) permits any white-tailed deer only—mule deer are not legal. Type 8 (September archery and mid-October through November regular) permits doe or fawn white-tailed deer only, and does not allow antlered white-tailed deer.

Can a nonresident hunt the Washakie Wilderness in this area without a guide?

No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide to hunt in designated wilderness. Because the Washakie Wilderness lies within hunt area 117, a nonresident hunting the wilderness must have a licensed guide with them.

Wyoming Hunt Area 117 (Franc's Peek) deer hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

99%

Elevation

6,800–13,200 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Deer region

Hunt area 117 sits between 6,800 and 13,200 feet, with typical ground around 9,800 feet. The country is mostly higher-elevation timber and alpine basins, rocky slopes, and sparse open ground. Slope averages 18.8 degrees—steep enough to demand fitness from a hunter on foot. Terrain breaks into 17% gentle ground, 58% moderate slopes, and 25% steep or steeper terrain. Lower elevations run about half conifer and half sagebrush with scattered grass; mid elevations shift to more sagebrush and less timber; higher country opens up to sagebrush and alpine meadow with conifers becoming sparse. A hunter can generally count on access to 99% of the area—roughly 428 square miles of National Forest and State Trust Land—though roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply. The Washakie Wilderness lies within the hunt area. Hunt area 117 also has the Pitchfork Hunter Management Area, where a hunter must carry printed permission before hunting private ground there.

Seasons span September through November. September brings highs near 57 degrees and lows near 35, with about 1.6 inches of snowfall. October turns cooler, with highs near 44 and lows near 25, and snowfall averaging 9.1 inches. By November, highs drop to the low 30s and lows to the mid-teens, with around 9 inches more snow. Early-season hunts coincide with deer still on summer range and in bachelor groups; later seasons overlap the approach and peak of the rut, when white-tailed deer concentrate and shift toward winter grounds. Access to this area is rated excellent by the wildlife agency.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 117 (Franc's Peek) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. A region licence does not reach it — a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, so there is no fallback for this hunt.

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 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – November 30
Type 1 · Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Archery September 1 – September 14Regular September 15 – October 15

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.

Hunting each season

Type 3 — Any white-tailed deer · whitetail only (September–November)

September through November archery and regular seasons allow white-tailed deer of any sex or age—does and fawns are fully legal. Early September archery hunting finds whitetails still in bachelor groups and summer distribution, with cool nights and warm days offering modest hunting windows. As September ends and the archery window closes, deer begin shifting toward pre-rut staging areas and concentration points. The November regular season runs as whitetail enter and move through the peak rut and into winter consolidation; cold intensifies (highs dropping to the low 30s) and snow becomes heavier, pushing deer downslope and concentrating them around key terrain. Access to public land is reliable, though steep terrain and elevation demand physical fitness.

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

This white-tailed doe and fawn season runs archery in September and regular hunts from mid-October through November. Early-season archery finds antlerless whitetails distributed on summer range with cool September temperatures favoring morning and evening hunting windows. The regular season opens in mid-October as deer transition from summer patterns toward the rut, and continues through November's primary rut and into early winter consolidation. October storms average over 9 inches of snow and November brings near-freezing highs and another 9 inches, driving deer movement and concentration. Access throughout the hunt relies on public land, though steep terrain and elevation require the fitness to reach where deer concentrate.

Type 1 — Antlered mule deer or any… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)

Mule deer and white-tailed deer hunts run archery in early September and regular September 15 through mid-October, spanning the early transition to fall and the early pre-rut phases. In early September, both mule and white-tailed deer remain in bachelor groups on higher summer range near 9,000–10,000 feet; glassing becomes the primary tool as deer densities are low. As September transitions into early October, mule deer begin moving toward staging areas and white-tails shift toward pre-rut concentration points, but remain in upland terrain until cold and snow increase. Regular-season hunting contends with early-October storms (averaging 9 inches of snow) and cooling temperatures (highs dropping from the mid-40s toward the low 40s), which push deer movement and concentrate them in accessible terrain. This hunt is physically demanding; terrain slopes steeply and access to the wilderness portions requires a licensed guide for nonresidents.

Land and access

National Forest99%

Generally open to public hunting

About 99% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 428 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.

It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before hunting it. 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 Range93%

used in summer

Winter Range7%

used in winter

Yearlong Range4%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range3%

the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it

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

Conifer51%

Sagebrush45%

Grass and meadow3%

Other cover2%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush54%

Conifer33%

Grass and meadow9%

Other cover4%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush47%

Grass and meadow24%

Other cover24%

Conifer5%

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	28°F	10°F	6.6 in
February	29°F	9°F	9.7 in
March	37°F	15°F	12.2 in
April	43°F	20°F	16.7 in
May	50°F	29°F	4.5 in
June	60°F	36°F	0 in
July	69°F	43°F	0 in
August	67°F	43°F	0 in
September	57°F	35°F	1.6 in
October	44°F	25°F	9.1 in
November	33°F	16°F	9 in
December	27°F	9°F	8.9 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw a licence for hunt area 117 with a region or general deer licence?: No. Hunt area 117 is a limited-quota hunt area and must be drawn individually for that area specifically. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, never in a limited-quota area. A hunter must apply for and draw a licence to hunt this area, whether resident or nonresident.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 117?: No. Wyoming residents have no deer preference points at all. The resident deer draw for this hunt area is random. Nonresidents do use preference points: three quarters of nonresident licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded top-down by points), and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.
Which deer species can a hunter legally take on each hunt type here?: Type 1 (mid-September through mid-October archery and regular) permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 (September archery and November regular) permits any white-tailed deer only—mule deer are not legal. Type 8 (September archery and mid-October through November regular) permits doe or fawn white-tailed deer only, and does not allow antlered white-tailed deer.
Can a nonresident hunt the Washakie Wilderness in this area without a guide?: No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide to hunt in designated wilderness. Because the Washakie Wilderness lies within hunt area 117, a nonresident hunting the wilderness must have a licensed guide with them.
What percentage of hunt area 117 is accessible public land, and what access programme is there for private ground?: About 99% of the area—roughly 428 square miles—is National Forest and State Trust Land where access is generally reliable, though roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply. The Pitchfork Hunter Management Area is privately held land where a hunter must carry printed permission from WGFD before hunting.

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