Can a hunter use a Wyoming general deer licence in hunt area 144?

Yes. A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident cannot buy a general licence; instead a nonresident must draw a Region G general licence to hunt here, and within the Region G pool three quarters of licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded to highest points first) while a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.

Which deer species can be hunted in this area and under what antler rules?

Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal. The four-point requirement on mule deer antlers (four points or more on either antler) applies to mule deer only. Any white-tailed deer is legal—buck, doe or fawn—with no antler restriction, because the hunt does not specify "antlered" white-tailed deer.

Is hunt area 144 a backpack hunt, and how much of it can a hunter actually reach?

Yes, this is primarily a backpack and horseback area with virtually no road network. The entire 484 square miles is National Forest, and trailheads accessible from Alpine, LaBarge, or Cokeville reach into the high country. Motorized access exists on designated Forest Service routes, but most successful hunting requires foot or stock travel into roadless terrain.

When does the general season run, and what is the weather like?

The general season spans September 1 through October 2, with an archery window from September 1–14 and a rifle window from September 15–October 2. September brings highs near 63°F and lows near 36°F with essentially no snow; October cools to highs near 49°F and lows near 27°F, with average snowfall around 3.7 inches.

Where are deer likely to be in September versus October on this hunt area?

In September, mule deer bucks concentrate in high, open basins and subalpine benches above 8,500 feet during the early fall transition. October sees deer move into timbered habitats at lower elevations in response to hunting pressure and early fall migration, making timber country the focus of the rifle hunt.

Wyoming Hunt Area 144 (Greys River) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

100%

Elevation

5,600–11,400 ft

Terrain

Steep

Deer region

Hunt area 144 is steep, roadless high country in the Wyoming and Salt River ranges, rising from 5,600 feet to over 11,300 feet with typical ground around 8,000 feet. The terrain is dominated by coniferous forest at lower and mid elevations, with sagebrush becoming more prominent at higher elevations where alpine rock and grass basins break the timber. Slope averages 15.8 degrees across the area, with 29% gentle ground, 55% moderate, 15% steep, and 1% rugged. This is rough, vertical country with virtually no road network—a backpack or horse hunt from the start. The Greys River Road offers motorized access to some trailheads, but most hunting requires travel on foot or stock into roadless terrain.

Access is excellent because the entire 484 square miles lies on National Forest land. Roads and trailheads still control entry points, and seasonal closures can apply, but a hunter can count on general access to public ground throughout the area. The major trailhead corridors run from the towns of Alpine, LaBarge, or Cokeville into the high basins and ridges. Because roads are sparse, preseason scouting in July and August pays dividends—a hunter who knows the terrain and where deer concentrate before the season begins has a significant advantage over someone arriving blind.

Seasons split between archery and rifle windows with different terrain use and weather. In early September, bucks inhabit high, open basins and subalpine benches above 8,500 feet where velvet is shedding and before hunting pressure moves them. October brings colder weather and pushes deer into timbered habitats at lower elevations as early fall migration begins and bucks grow more nocturnal. Hunters should plan to pursue high country in archery season and timbered country during the rifle hunt—the same ground shifts between seasons.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 144 (Greys River) 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 G, 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 four (4) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deer
Legal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rules
Archery September 1 – September 14Regular September 15 – October 2

Where a hunt above sets an antler requirement on mule deer and then allows any white-tailed deer, that point requirement is a mule deer rule only. And “any white-tailed deer” means any— buck, doe or fawn. WGFD writes “antlered” where it means a buck and “antlerless” or “doe or fawn” where it means a female, so an unqualified “any” sets no restriction on sex or age.

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 four (4) points… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)

Archery and rifle hunting here spans early September through early October, covering terrain that shifts dramatically between the two seasons. During the archery window in early September, bucks are in high country above 8,500 feet across open basins and subalpine benches as velvet is shedding and before pressure drives them lower; early-fall weather brings highs around 63°F, lows around 36°F, and essentially no snow. The rifle window from mid-September through early October sees bucks retreat into timbered habitats at lower elevations as early fall migration intensifies and hunting pressure mounts, with temperatures cooling from highs near 63°F to highs near 49°F by October and snowfall averaging 3.7 inches in October. Access throughout the season relies on trailheads from Alpine, LaBarge, or Cokeville; motorized routes reach some backcountry but most hunting is on foot or horseback into roadless terrain. The four-point requirement on mule deer antlers applies to mule deer only; any white-tailed deer is legal—buck, doe or fawn—with no antler restriction.

Land and access

National Forest100%

Generally open to public hunting

About 100% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, roughly 484 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

Where deer are mapped

Summer Range96%

used in summer

Winter Range4%

used in winter

Yearlong Range4%

the only layer that means year-round use

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

Conifer64%

Sagebrush32%

Riparian2%

Other cover2%

Mid elevations

Conifer64%

Sagebrush31%

Grass and meadow3%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush43%

Conifer40%

Grass and meadow16%

Other cover1%

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	10°F	33.7 in
February	32°F	10°F	28.5 in
March	40°F	16°F	21.3 in
April	47°F	23°F	10.7 in
May	56°F	31°F	1.4 in
June	65°F	37°F	0 in
July	74°F	44°F	0 in
August	73°F	43°F	0 in
September	63°F	36°F	0 in
October	49°F	27°F	3.7 in
November	36°F	17°F	21.2 in
December	27°F	10°F	31.3 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a Wyoming general deer licence in hunt area 144?: Yes. A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident cannot buy a general licence; instead a nonresident must draw a Region G general licence to hunt here, and within the Region G pool three quarters of licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded to highest points first) while a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.
Which deer species can be hunted in this area and under what antler rules?: Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are legal. The four-point requirement on mule deer antlers (four points or more on either antler) applies to mule deer only. Any white-tailed deer is legal—buck, doe or fawn—with no antler restriction, because the hunt does not specify "antlered" white-tailed deer.
Is hunt area 144 a backpack hunt, and how much of it can a hunter actually reach?: Yes, this is primarily a backpack and horseback area with virtually no road network. The entire 484 square miles is National Forest, and trailheads accessible from Alpine, LaBarge, or Cokeville reach into the high country. Motorized access exists on designated Forest Service routes, but most successful hunting requires foot or stock travel into roadless terrain.
When does the general season run, and what is the weather like?: The general season spans September 1 through October 2, with an archery window from September 1–14 and a rifle window from September 15–October 2. September brings highs near 63°F and lows near 36°F with essentially no snow; October cools to highs near 49°F and lows near 27°F, with average snowfall around 3.7 inches.
Where are deer likely to be in September versus October on this hunt area?: In September, mule deer bucks concentrate in high, open basins and subalpine benches above 8,500 feet during the early fall transition. October sees deer move into timbered habitats at lower elevations in response to hunting pressure and early fall migration, making timber country the focus of the rifle 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