Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 154?

Yes. Hunt area 154 is a general-licence area, so a Wyoming resident can buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points required. A nonresident must draw a Region H general licence, which is valid in all general-licence hunt areas within that region, to hunt here on a general licence.

Which deer species does hunt area 154 permit?

This area's hunt permits both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but under different rules. Mule deer must be antlered with at least four points on either antler; any white-tailed deer is legal regardless of antlers or sex.

When do the seasons run in hunt area 154?

The general hunt runs in two windows: archery from September 1 through September 14, and regular firearms from September 15 through October 2. No other seasons are published for this area.

Does a nonresident need preference points to hunt hunt area 154?

A nonresident applying for a Region H general licence competes in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by preference points, and the remaining quarter to a random drawing. Points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents. Wyoming residents, by contrast, face no points system for any deer hunt—their draw is random.

How much public land can a hunter actually access in hunt area 154?

Approximately 86% of the hunt area—about 151 square miles—sits on National Forest and BLM ground where hunters can generally count on access. The major entry roads are Dell Creek Road, Fisherman Creek Road, Highway 189/191, and Upper Hoback River Road. A nonresident hunting in the Gros Ventre Wilderness must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide.

Wyoming Hunt Area 154 (Raspberry Ridge) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

86%

Elevation

6,500–11,700 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Deer region

Hunt area 154 is mixed conifer, aspen and sagebrush foothills in the upper Hoback River drainage, ranging from 6,500 feet at its lowest elevations to 11,700 feet at its highest. At typical ground around 7,400 feet, the terrain is mostly moderate to gentle—58% of it slopes gently, 38% moderately, and only 3% steeply. Lower elevations host sagebrush and riparian ground mixed with grass and meadow, with significant conifer; as elevation rises, conifer becomes dominant and sagebrush persists. The country opens readily enough to foot travel on the moderate grades of the foothills, but broken terrain and dense forest at higher elevations demand time and effort. Mule deer occur throughout the hunt area, and white-tailed deer are hunted here as well, both at good densities across all elevations and habitat types.

The hunt area sits primarily on National Forest and BLM land—about 86% of the ground is dependably open to hunting. Private land lies mainly along Highway 189/191 near Bondurant on the western side and in the Hoback Ranches area to the south. Access routes follow established Forest Service roads: Dell Creek Road, Fisherman Creek Road, Highway 189/191 itself, and Upper Hoback River Road provide the major entry points to public ground. The northern portion of the area includes the Gros Ventre Wilderness and the Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area; nonresidents hunting in the Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area do not require an outfitter or guide, but Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide if hunting in the Gros Ventre Wilderness.

Seasons run only in September and October, spanning the transition from summer range into early fall movement. Weather cools noticeably through the season—September highs average near 65 degrees with virtually no snow, while October highs drop to around 51 degrees and bring an average of 1.4 inches of snow monthly.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 154 (Raspberry Ridge) 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

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)

The general season spans archery in early September and regular hunting into October, crossing the transition when velvet drops from bucks and early fall movement begins. In the archery window (September 1–14), highs near 65 degrees keep hunting relatively cool at lower elevations, but mountain air above the foothills will run considerably colder; snowfall is minimal, leaving ground open and footing straightforward. Archery hunters pursuing mule deer must find antlered animals with at least four points on either side, while any white-tailed deer—buck, doe or fawn—is legal. The regular hunt (September 15–October 2) runs as bucks shift into nocturnal patterns and early migration begins, with temperatures dropping from near 51 degrees by late September into October's colder days. October snowfall averages 1.4 inches monthly and can interrupt access at higher elevations and on rougher country, though it may also concentrate deer. The same mule deer antler requirement holds, but any white-tailed deer remains legal. Hunters work public National Forest and BLM ground via the established Forest Service roads, with the Gros Ventre Wilderness in the north requiring nonresidents to hire a licensed guide or hunt with a resident guide; the Shoal Creek Wilderness Study Area is open to nonresidents without an outfitter.

Land and access

National Forest85%

Generally open to public hunting

private land14%

Private

BLM2%

Generally open to public hunting

About 86% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest and BLM, roughly 151 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 75% 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 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 Range100%

used in summer

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

Sagebrush48%

Conifer19%

Grass and meadow16%

Riparian14%

Other cover3%

Mid elevations

Conifer33%

Sagebrush31%

Grass and meadow31%

Riparian2%

Aspen2%

Higher elevations

Conifer50%

Sagebrush28%

Grass and meadow18%

Other cover3%

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	6°F	21.3 in
February	31°F	7°F	17.4 in
March	40°F	14°F	11.9 in
April	48°F	22°F	4.4 in
May	57°F	31°F	0.3 in
June	67°F	36°F	0 in
July	76°F	42°F	0 in
August	75°F	41°F	0 in
September	65°F	34°F	0 in
October	51°F	25°F	1.4 in
November	37°F	15°F	13.6 in
December	27°F	6°F	23.6 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 154?: Yes. Hunt area 154 is a general-licence area, so a Wyoming resident can buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points required. A nonresident must draw a Region H general licence, which is valid in all general-licence hunt areas within that region, to hunt here on a general licence.
Which deer species does hunt area 154 permit?: This area's hunt permits both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but under different rules. Mule deer must be antlered with at least four points on either antler; any white-tailed deer is legal regardless of antlers or sex.
When do the seasons run in hunt area 154?: The general hunt runs in two windows: archery from September 1 through September 14, and regular firearms from September 15 through October 2. No other seasons are published for this area.
Does a nonresident need preference points to hunt hunt area 154?: A nonresident applying for a Region H general licence competes in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by preference points, and the remaining quarter to a random drawing. Points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents. Wyoming residents, by contrast, face no points system for any deer hunt—their draw is random.
How much public land can a hunter actually access in hunt area 154?: Approximately 86% of the hunt area—about 151 square miles—sits on National Forest and BLM ground where hunters can generally count on access. The major entry roads are Dell Creek Road, Fisherman Creek Road, Highway 189/191, and Upper Hoback River Road. A nonresident hunting in the Gros Ventre Wilderness must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide.

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