Is hunt area 120 drawn by region licence or does a hunter draw for it specifically?

Hunt area 120 is a limited-quota area drawn individually for residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence is not valid here — the limited-quota licence is the only one that covers this ground.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for hunt area 120?

Wyoming residents do not accumulate or use preference points for any deer hunt, including in hunt area 120. The resident draw for any limited-quota hunt area is random, with no point cutoff.

Which deer species can a hunter legally take in hunt area 120's different seasons?

Type 3 (September through November) and Type 8 (September through December) permit white-tailed deer only — mule deer are not legal on those hunts. Type 1 (September through mid-November) permits both antlered mule deer and any white-tailed deer, though the mule deer hunt is restricted to a two-week window in early November.

How much of hunt area 120 is private land, and can a hunter count on public access?

Private land makes up 85% of the hunt area. About 15% is public ground that a hunter can generally count on, but roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still restrict entry. Walk-In Areas 10 and 11 provide designated access during their posted seasons, though enrollment is renegotiated annually.

Wyoming Hunt Area 120 (Hamilton Dome) deer hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

15%

Elevation

4,300–10,800 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 120 is a rolling sagebrush and grassland country cut through by river and creek bottoms, spreading across 583 square miles at elevations between 4,300 and 10,800 feet. The ground slopes gently — averaging 7.9 degrees, with 71% of it graded gentle and 26% moderate. The lower and mid elevations are dominated by sagebrush with scattered grass and meadow; higher country mixes in more grass and conifer, though conifer remains sparse across the area. The country is huntable throughout its elevation range, and white-tailed deer are the primary opportunity here, though the November mule deer season draws focused effort during the rut.

Getting onto this ground requires some planning. About 15% of the area is public land that a hunter can generally count on — roughly 85 square miles of BLM and State Trust Land — but public ownership alone does not guarantee access; roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still apply. Hot Springs County Walk-In Areas 10 and 11 offer designated entry during their open periods, but these enroll annually and their availability depends on private-land agreements. The southern two-thirds of the hunt area lies within the Wind River Indian Reservation and is closed to non-tribal members, which substantially restricts practical hunting ground in that portion of the area. The mixed pattern of public and private elsewhere means a hunter needs current knowledge of which parcels are open and how to reach them.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 120 (Hamilton Dome) 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 October 1 – 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 30Regular November 1 – November 15
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular September 1 – December 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)

Hunting white-tailed deer in Type 3 spans both archery and rifle seasons from September through November, with archery running the entire month of September and regular season October and November. Early September finds white-tailed deer still in their summer patterns on high ground, with bucks carrying velvet into early September and shedding it as the month progresses; the archery window demands quiet, careful hunting. September weather is mild, with highs near 72 degrees and negligible snowfall. Regular season arrives as deer begin to funnel into migration corridors in early October and November temperatures drop sharply — highs fall from 57 degrees in October to 43 degrees in November — while the rut gathers intensity through late November. Limited public access requires knowledge of which parcels are open; the northern portion of the area outside the Wind River Indian Reservation holds the only viable hunting ground.

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

The Type 1 season targets antlered mule deer during a brief two-week window in early November, when the mule deer rut peaks, while also permitting any white-tailed deer throughout the archery month of September and the regular season from November 1 to November 15. Archery hunters in September find deer still in summer range and bucks in velvet, with temperatures mild and snow absent. The regular season opens as mule deer transition into the peak of the rut, when bucks are most visible and vulnerable; November weather turns cold fast, with highs dropping from 43 degrees early in the month to the low 30s by mid-month, and snowfall averages 3 inches. This season is drawn by residents randomly and by nonresidents through a points-weighted process; nonresidents without preference points still enter a separate random draw for a portion of the available licences. The southern two-thirds of the area lies within the Wind River Indian Reservation and is closed to non-tribal members, leaving the northern portion as practical hunting ground.

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

Type 8 is a white-tailed doe and fawn season spanning September through December, permitting focused hunting of antlerless white-tailed deer over the longest window on this area. Early September hunting occurs while deer remain in summer range with mild temperatures and no snow, but the season extends through the rut and into winter. By late November, weather turns severe — temperatures drop from 43 degrees in November to 32 degrees in December, while November and December together average over 7 inches of snowfall. Access remains constrained by the private-land mix and the closed southern portion within the Wind River Indian Reservation; the northern two-thirds holds the accessible hunting ground.

Land and access

private land85%

Private

BLM13%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land2%

Generally open to public hunting

About 15% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 85 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.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 45% public land for this hunt area. That counts public ownership; the figure above counts ground a hunter can depend on getting onto. They answer different questions, so both are shown rather than blended.

This hunt area has 2 enrolled walk-in areas. 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.

Where deer are mapped

Winter Range90%

used in winter

Yearlong Range19%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range12%

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

Sagebrush77%

Grass and meadow10%

Other cover7%

Riparian4%

Conifer2%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush80%

Grass and meadow14%

Conifer2%

Other cover2%

Riparian1%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush71%

Grass and meadow20%

Conifer9%

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	33°F	9°F	3.1 in
February	37°F	12°F	3.8 in
March	48°F	22°F	3.1 in
April	55°F	29°F	1.6 in
May	64°F	38°F	0 in
June	75°F	46°F	0 in
July	85°F	53°F	0 in
August	83°F	52°F	0 in
September	72°F	43°F	0 in
October	57°F	31°F	0.9 in
November	43°F	19°F	3 in
December	32°F	10°F	4.2 in

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

Common questions

Is hunt area 120 drawn by region licence or does a hunter draw for it specifically?: Hunt area 120 is a limited-quota area drawn individually for residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence is not valid here — the limited-quota licence is the only one that covers this ground.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for hunt area 120?: Wyoming residents do not accumulate or use preference points for any deer hunt, including in hunt area 120. The resident draw for any limited-quota hunt area is random, with no point cutoff.
Which deer species can a hunter legally take in hunt area 120's different seasons?: Type 3 (September through November) and Type 8 (September through December) permit white-tailed deer only — mule deer are not legal on those hunts. Type 1 (September through mid-November) permits both antlered mule deer and any white-tailed deer, though the mule deer hunt is restricted to a two-week window in early November.
How much of hunt area 120 is private land, and can a hunter count on public access?: Private land makes up 85% of the hunt area. About 15% is public ground that a hunter can generally count on, but roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still restrict entry. Walk-In Areas 10 and 11 provide designated access during their posted seasons, though enrollment is renegotiated annually.
Does the southern part of hunt area 120 have hunting restrictions that differ from the rest of the area?: The southern two-thirds of the hunt area lies within the Wind River Indian Reservation and is closed to non-tribal members. The northern portion is where most hunting occurs.

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