Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 149?

A Wyoming resident can buy 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 H general licence, which is valid in all general-licence hunt areas within that region.

Is hunt area 149 open to nonresident hunters who draw a Region H general licence?

Yes. A Region H general licence is valid in all general-licence hunt areas in the region, including hunt area 149. Nonresident applicants compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to those with the most preference points and a quarter go to a random draw.

Which deer species can a hunter legally take in hunt area 149?

Hunt area 149 offers hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, though the legal animal depends on which hunt type a hunter holds. The general licence hunt permits both species under different rules; two additional hunt types are white-tailed deer only.

Can a nonresident hunt the wilderness in hunt area 149 alone?

No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in the designated wilderness areas here—the Jedediah Smith and Winegar Hole wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt those areas must arrange for qualified accompaniment.

What time of year do deer move lower in hunt area 149?

As snowfall increases in late fall and winter, deer migrate downslope and some leave the area entirely for lower country in Idaho. The highest elevations see the most movement as snow accumulates through November, which receives much higher precipitation than September or October.

Wyoming Hunt Area 149 (Targhee) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

96%

Elevation

6,000–11,100 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Deer region

Hunt area 149 spans the western slopes of the Teton Range, with elevations climbing from 6,000 feet to over 11,100 feet and typical ground around 7,600 feet. The terrain is moderate overall, with half the area being gentle and another 39% moderate in slope. Spruce and fir dominate the higher elevations between 8,000 and 9,500 feet, with whitebark pine and subalpine fir mixed in, while lower elevations hold aspen, sagebrush and mountain shrub. The northern portions transition to lodgepole pine. Numerous drainages bisect the area, heading into high cirque basins that border Grand Teton National Park.

Access to Forest Service land is good across the hunt area, with major entry points via roads and trails running up the drainages that drop west from the Teton Range. The upper elevations contain designated wilderness—the Jedediah Smith and Winegar Hole wilderness areas—where a nonresident must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide. The northern portion has the most motorized access; higher drainages and alpine country require foot or horseback travel. Most of the area (96%) is National Forest or BLM land, offering reliable public hunting opportunity.

Deer are scattered across the mid and higher elevations, concentrated along the major creek drainages and summer ranges in the alpine meadows and cirque basins. As snow deepens in late fall and winter, deer move lower and some migrate into Idaho. White-tailed deer appear close to private lands in the Alta area, and the Coco Belle Wildlife Habitat Management Area south of Alta also holds hunting opportunity. The hunt area sits where a portion of the resident herd moves seasonally between public land here and Grand Teton National Park to the east. Grizzly bear densities are high in the northern portion, and hunters should expect to encounter bears regularly.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 149 (Targhee) 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 H, 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
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 14Regular September 15 – November 30
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 14Regular September 15 – November 30

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)

Type Gen hunts both mule deer and white-tailed deer across September and early October, though under different rules: mule deer must be antlered with four or more points on either antler, while any white-tailed deer is legal. The archery window (September 1–14) falls during early fall transition when deer are shedding velvet and moving into fall patterns. Regular season (September 15–October 2) spans the same transition period and into early fall migration, as bucks become more nocturnal and deer begin moving through migration corridors. September remains warm with highs near 62 degrees and little snow, but October cools to highs near 48 degrees with about 4 inches of snowfall possible. Access to Forest Service lands and trails is reliable throughout both periods.

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

The Type 3 hunt for any white-tailed deer runs September 1 through November 30, giving hunters a much longer window than the general hunt. Archery (September 1–14) opens during early fall transition; regular season (September 15–November 30) spans the transition, migration, pre-rut staging, the primary rut in mid-November, and into late-rut winter consolidation. This extended season puts hunters on the ground through the entire fall and into the rut, when buck movement peaks and visibility improves. Weather cooling from September highs near 62 degrees to November lows near 16 degrees and increasing snow (4 inches in October, nearly 30 inches in November) will drive deer movement and concentrate them at lower elevations as winter approaches. Access remains consistent on public land, though November snow can complicate foot travel in the higher drainages.

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

Type 8 allows hunting doe or fawn white-tailed deer from September 1 through November 30, following the same two-window structure and rut timing as Type 3 but targeting antlerless animals. Archery runs September 1–14 during the early fall transition; regular season extends September 15–November 30 through the full fall migration, pre-rut staging, primary rut and late-rut consolidation. September conditions remain mild, but temperatures drop sharply through October and November, with monthly snowfall rising from near zero in September to 4 inches in October and nearly 30 inches in November. The extended season and long regular window allow hunters to pursue antlerless deer through periods of active movement and into the rut, when deer concentrate in lower-elevation winter ranges. Public land access is consistent, though November snow increases difficulty on higher trails.

Land and access

National Forest96%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership4%

Ownership unclassified

About 96% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest and BLM, roughly 368 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

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 Range95%

used in summer

Winter Range5%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range5%

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

Conifer77%

Sagebrush7%

Riparian7%

Other cover5%

Aspen4%

Mid elevations

Conifer87%

Sagebrush10%

Aspen2%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Conifer40%

Sagebrush40%

Grass and meadow18%

Other cover2%

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	27°F	8°F	47.4 in
February	31°F	9°F	32 in
March	38°F	16°F	27.3 in
April	45°F	23°F	14 in
May	55°F	31°F	1.5 in
June	63°F	38°F	0 in
July	73°F	44°F	0 in
August	72°F	43°F	0 in
September	62°F	35°F	0 in
October	48°F	26°F	4 in
November	35°F	16°F	29.6 in
December	26°F	8°F	47.1 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 149?: A Wyoming resident can buy 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 H general licence, which is valid in all general-licence hunt areas within that region.
Is hunt area 149 open to nonresident hunters who draw a Region H general licence?: Yes. A Region H general licence is valid in all general-licence hunt areas in the region, including hunt area 149. Nonresident applicants compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to those with the most preference points and a quarter go to a random draw.
Which deer species can a hunter legally take in hunt area 149?: Hunt area 149 offers hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, though the legal animal depends on which hunt type a hunter holds. The general licence hunt permits both species under different rules; two additional hunt types are white-tailed deer only.
Can a nonresident hunt the wilderness in hunt area 149 alone?: No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in the designated wilderness areas here—the Jedediah Smith and Winegar Hole wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt those areas must arrange for qualified accompaniment.
What time of year do deer move lower in hunt area 149?: As snowfall increases in late fall and winter, deer migrate downslope and some leave the area entirely for lower country in Idaho. The highest elevations see the most movement as snow accumulates through November, which receives much higher precipitation than September or October.

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