Can a hunter use a Wyoming general deer licence to hunt area 127?

Yes. A resident may buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw required, and it is valid across all general-licence hunt areas including area 127. A nonresident cannot purchase a general licence; instead a nonresident must draw a Region general licence for deer region X, which is valid in all general-licence areas of that region.

Which deer species can be hunted in hunt area 127 during the general season?

The Type Gen (general-licence) hunt permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 restricts hunting to any white-tailed deer only. Type 8 restricts hunting to doe or fawn white-tailed deer only. Mule deer are not legal in the Type 3 and Type 8 hunts regardless of antlers.

When does the regular hunting season run in area 127?

The Type Gen hunt runs October 15–24, the Type 3 hunt runs November 1–December 15, and the Type 8 hunt runs October 15–December 15. Archery hunting across all three types opens September 1–30. The archery season for white-tailed does and fawns overlaps with the mule deer archery season.

How much of hunt area 127 is publicly accessible ground?

About 78% of the area—roughly 208 square miles—is BLM and State Trust Land that a hunter can generally count on. Private land makes up 21% of the area. The eastern boundary along the Bighorn River and the major creek corridors contain much private irrigated ground that is not open to public hunting.

Does hunt area 127 have walk-in areas available?

Yes. Hot Springs County maintains four enrolled walk-in areas within hunt area 127: Walk In Area 5, Walk In Area 12, Walk In Area 1, and Walk In Area 14. These may be entered during their open periods without a permit, though each has posted rules a hunter must follow. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability should be confirmed before planning a hunt.

Wyoming Hunt Area 127 (Cottonwood) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

78%

Elevation

4,200–6,000 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 127 is a 266-square-mile block of rolling sagebrush and grassland ridges, with draws and canyons woven through. The terrain is predominantly gentle—83% of the area slopes at grades under 9 degrees—running from 4,200 feet to 6,000 feet, with typical ground around 4,800 feet. Sagebrush dominates the landscape at 82% of the cover, mixed with 10% grass and meadow. Much of the hunt area is arid country, and mule deer and white-tailed deer respond to its resources. The Bighorn River forms the eastern boundary, and along it and the major creek corridors a hunter will find much private irrigated ground; most of the deeper draws and creek bottoms are closed to public hunting. General-licence access is strong across most of the area—about 78% of the hunt area is BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 208 square miles—but roads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings still apply. Walk-in areas are available through Hot Springs County's enrolled sites.

Type Gen (general licence) hunts run in September and October, spanning the archery and regular seasons. Type 3 (white-tailed only) and Type 8 (doe or fawn white-tailed only) extend into late fall and December, following the calendar that opens white-tailed hunting deeper into the rut. Seasons differ not only in dates but in which animal is legal: the general hunt permits both antlered mule deer and any white-tailed deer under one licence, while the white-tailed-specific hunts narrow the legal game to white-tailed only. A hunter choosing among them needs to know what animal matters and when the season falls.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 127 (Cottonwood) 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 X, 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 30Regular October 15 – October 24
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – December 15
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – 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 Gen — Antlered mule deer or any… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)

The Type Gen archery hunt runs September 1–30 and the regular season October 15–24, spanning both early fall and the transition into peak migration and nocturnal activity. Early September is warm—highs near 76 degrees Fahrenheit—and deer are still in their summer patterns on the open ridges and sagebrush slopes; by late September and into October, they begin moving and becoming active during low light. The regular season in mid-to-late October sees daytime highs cooling to around 61 degrees, and it is here that bucks shift to nocturnal behavior and migrate, making evening and early-morning hunting critical. Both archery and regular seasons work the entire hunt area on public ground, with walk-in areas available; access is reliable but still subject to weather, road conditions, and seasonal closures. This hunt permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer, giving a hunter legal game across both species during their fall movement.

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

The Type 3 archery hunt for any white-tailed deer runs September 1–30, then the regular season November 1–December 15. September hunting finds white-tailed deer still in summer areas, active during daylight when temperatures hover around 76 degrees; the archery period is the calmest window for glassing open country and pursuing individual animals. The regular season begins as temperatures drop into the 40s and transition into November's cold—highs falling to 46 degrees—coinciding with the rut staging, primary rut, and late rut phases; bucks are on their feet, seeking does, and responsive. By December, snowfall increases (roughly 3.2 inches monthly) and highs plummet to around 35 degrees, but the rut is winding down and movement remains strong through the first half of the month. Hunters can access this season across public ground and walk-in areas throughout the hunt area. This hunt is for any white-tailed deer, meaning a hunter is not restricted to antlered animals and may legally take does and fawns alongside bucks.

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

The Type 8 hunt for doe or fawn white-tailed deer spans archery September 1–30 and regular hunting October 15–December 15, offering an extended opportunity on antlerless white-tailed game. The archery window catches early-season weather with September highs near 76 degrees and deer still in their normal summer range. The regular season crosses three distinct periods: early October migration (highs around 61 degrees) when does and fawns move with the bucks; November's primary and late rut (temperatures in the 40s, with roughly 2.2 inches of monthly snowfall) when does are sought by bucks and remain active; and December's deep cold and snow (highs around 35 degrees, snowfall averaging 3.2 inches) that keeps antlerless deer concentrated. Access across both windows is available on the public ground and walk-in areas of the hunt area. This hunt is restricted to doe or fawn white-tailed deer; a mule deer or an antlered whitetail is not legal.

Land and access

BLM73%

Generally open to public hunting

private land21%

Private

State Trust Land6%

Generally open to public hunting

About 78% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 208 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 4 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

Yearlong Range53%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range50%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range47%

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

Across the unit

Sagebrush82%

Grass and meadow10%

Other cover5%

Riparian2%

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	34°F	8°F	2.7 in
February	39°F	12°F	2.4 in
March	52°F	23°F	1.7 in
April	59°F	31°F	0.5 in
May	69°F	40°F	0 in
June	80°F	48°F	0 in
July	89°F	55°F	0 in
August	87°F	52°F	0 in
September	76°F	43°F	0 in
October	61°F	31°F	0.5 in
November	46°F	19°F	2.2 in
December	35°F	9°F	3.2 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a Wyoming general deer licence to hunt area 127?: Yes. A resident may buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw required, and it is valid across all general-licence hunt areas including area 127. A nonresident cannot purchase a general licence; instead a nonresident must draw a Region general licence for deer region X, which is valid in all general-licence areas of that region.
Which deer species can be hunted in hunt area 127 during the general season?: The Type Gen (general-licence) hunt permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 restricts hunting to any white-tailed deer only. Type 8 restricts hunting to doe or fawn white-tailed deer only. Mule deer are not legal in the Type 3 and Type 8 hunts regardless of antlers.
When does the regular hunting season run in area 127?: The Type Gen hunt runs October 15–24, the Type 3 hunt runs November 1–December 15, and the Type 8 hunt runs October 15–December 15. Archery hunting across all three types opens September 1–30. The archery season for white-tailed does and fawns overlaps with the mule deer archery season.
How much of hunt area 127 is publicly accessible ground?: About 78% of the area—roughly 208 square miles—is BLM and State Trust Land that a hunter can generally count on. Private land makes up 21% of the area. The eastern boundary along the Bighorn River and the major creek corridors contain much private irrigated ground that is not open to public hunting.
Does hunt area 127 have walk-in areas available?: Yes. Hot Springs County maintains four enrolled walk-in areas within hunt area 127: Walk In Area 5, Walk In Area 12, Walk In Area 1, and Walk In Area 14. These may be entered during their open periods without a permit, though each has posted rules a hunter must follow. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability should be confirmed before planning a hunt.

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