Can a Wyoming resident hunt hunt area 164 on a general deer licence without drawing?

Yes. Wyoming residents buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. Each resident may hold only one general licence per year, and it is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in the state, including hunt area 164. Nonresidents cannot buy a general licence; they must draw a Region M general licence in the nonresident draw pool to hunt here.

What deer species can a hunter take on the Type Gen general licence in hunt area 164?

Type Gen permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. A white-tailed doe or fawn is legal; a mule deer without antlers is not. The hunt runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–14.

Which hunts on hunt area 164 are white-tailed deer only?

Type 3 and Type 8 are white-tailed deer only. On these hunts a mule deer is not legal whatever its antlers. Type 3 runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 15; Type 8 runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 31.

What does the irrigated-land restriction on Type 1 and Type 7 mean for where a hunter can take deer?

Type 1 and Type 7 are valid on or within one mile of irrigated land. A hunter must check the map to confirm private irrigated fields and know the one-mile boundary. Much of hunt area 164's irrigated ground is private, with no walk-in access, so a hunter without private permission will have limited ground for these hunts.

How much of hunt area 164 is public land a hunter can generally count on?

About 88% of the hunt area is BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 449 square miles, with no application or permission needed to hunt it. Private land makes up 10%. Roads and trailheads reach into the area, but seasonal closures and private inholdings can limit access even on public ground.

Wyoming Hunt Area 164 (Nowater) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

88%

Elevation

4,000–5,500 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 164 is rolling sagebrush and grassland hills broken by deeper draws and canyons, with sagebrush covering 76% of the terrain and grass and meadow another 17%. Much of it is cheatgrass from past wildfires. The ground is gentle overall—86% slopes under 9 degrees—and elevation runs from 4,000 to 5,500 feet, typical around 4,600. This country hunts as a mix of foot country and ridge walking, but deer concentrate around water sources and the private irrigated hay fields that border much of it. Mule deer densities on public land are low owing to the arid environment; white-tailed deer are present across the area. Hunters without access to private ground will find mule deer scattered but sparse, and antlered mule deer worth the effort are uncommon.

Public land—BLM and State Trust Land—makes up 88% of the hunt area, around 449 square miles, and is huntable with no special application or permission. Two walk-in areas, Washakie County Walk In Area 26 and Washakie County Walk In Area 5, provide additional hunting ground during their posted open periods. The drawback is that irrigated private land stretches along much of the western boundary and supports concentrated deer and elk herds; without access there, hunters are working thinner public ground. Roads reach into the area and trailheads exist, but seasonal closures and private inholdings can still limit where a hunter can actually get.

The six seasons here break into two broad patterns. Type Gen, Type 6, Type 1, and Type 7 are the early and mid-season hunts, running through November, while Type 3 and Type 8 extend into December for white-tailed deer only. All archery windows open the same date and hunt the early rut transition when bucks are still in bachelor patterns and moving between summer and fall range. Regular seasons split between October (when deer are moving and mostly nocturnal) and November into December (the primary rut and winter concentration). The Type 1, Type 7, and Type 8 regular seasons run into the rut itself, when bucks are less predictable and weather cools steadily into snowfall.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 164 (Nowater) 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 M, 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 1 – October 14
Type 1 · Any Deer valid on or within one (1) mile of irrigated land
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 15 – November 30
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 15
Type 6 · Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 14
Type 7 · Doe or fawn valid on or within one (1) mile of irrigated land
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 15 – November 30
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 31

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.

Mandatory CWD sampling in 2026

A CWD sample is required from every deer harvested in hunt area 164 in 2026, on licence types General, 1, 3, 6, 7. A sample can be left at a game check station or the Cody regional office of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, or collected by the hunter and sent to the Wildlife Health Laboratory.

In the words of the Wyoming Game & Fish Department: “the Cody region has mandatory CWD sampling in effect in Hunt Area 164 for License Types: General, 1, 3, 6, and 7” The areas under mandatory sampling change every year, so confirm the current list before hunting — 2026 mandatory CWD sampling areas.

Hunting each season

Type Gen — Antlered mule deer or any… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)

The Type Gen hunt—archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–14—opens during the early rut transition when mule deer are shedding velvet and bucks are still in loose bachelor groups moving toward fall range. Archery hunters face warm early-September weather (highs around 76F) as deer shift slowly; regular-season hunters in early October encounter cooler days (highs ~60F) when bucks are becoming nocturnal and moving more actively. Public land is open throughout, though mule deer densities are low on the arid public ground; white-tailed deer and younger mule deer bucks are more common than trophy animals. This season permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer.

Type 1 — Any Deer valid on or within one (1)… (September–November)

Type 1 (any deer valid on or within one mile of irrigated land) runs archery September 1–30 and regular November 15–30, and the restricted zone makes it fundamentally different from Type Gen. Early-season archery overlaps the velvet-shed period when deer are still dispersed; regular season spans the primary rut and into winter consolidation when bucks are focused and unpredictable. By November the weather is cold (highs ~45F in mid-month, dropping to ~34F by month's end) with mounting snowfall (1.5 inches typical for November). The irrigated-land restriction limits hunters to a corridor around private hay fields; without private access, huntable ground is scarce. Either mule deer or white-tailed deer is legal on this hunt.

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

Type 3 (any white-tailed deer) spans archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 15, making it the longest white-tailed deer hunt on the area and the only one permitting any white-tailed animal without restriction. Early archery hunts warm September ground when white-tails are scattered; regular season opens in the early nocturnal phase and carries through the entire primary rut into late consolidation as weather deteriorates from 60F highs in October to 34F by December, with December snowfall averaging 2.8 inches. White-tailed deer associate with water corridors and private fields across the hunt area; public land holds them but in lower numbers than the private ground. Mule deer are not legal on this hunt.

Type 6 — Doe or fawn valid on or within… (September–October)

Type 6 (doe or fawn valid on or within one-half mile of irrigated land) opens archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–14, a short window restricted to irrigated-land corridors. Both seasons fall during the early rut transition when does are moving with fawns still in tow toward fall range. September archery starts warm (highs ~76F); October regular season cools to around 60F. The half-mile restriction to irrigated land narrows huntable ground significantly, and much of that land is private without walk-in access. The hunt permits doe or fawn of either mule deer or white-tailed deer.

Type 7 — Doe or fawn valid on or within one… (September–November)

Type 7 (doe or fawn valid on or within one mile of irrigated land) runs archery September 1–30 and regular November 15–30, and its November regular season targets does and fawns during the primary rut when bucks are active but females are less visible. Early archery hunts September's warm open country (highs ~76F); regular season in November is cold (highs ~45F) with approaching winter weather and 1.5 inches of typical snowfall. The one-mile irrigated-land restriction reaches beyond the half-mile zone but still depends on private ground for access; without private permission, huntable ground is limited. Either species' doe or fawn is legal.

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

Type 8 (doe or fawn white-tailed deer) spans archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 31, the longest antlerless hunt and white-tailed deer only. Archery opens in the early rut transition (September, highs ~76F); regular season runs from the nocturnal buck phase through the entire rut and into winter consolidation, cooling from 60F in October to 34F in December with cumulative snowfall of 2.8 inches by month's end. White-tailed does and fawns associate strongly with water corridors and private irrigated fields; public land holds them in lower densities. Mule deer are not legal on this hunt.

Land and access

BLM82%

Generally open to public hunting

private land10%

Private

State Trust Land6%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership2%

Ownership unclassified

About 88% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 449 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 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

Yearlong Range62%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range38%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range38%

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

Sagebrush76%

Grass and meadow17%

Other cover8%

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	9°F	2.8 in
February	38°F	13°F	2.4 in
March	51°F	23°F	1.1 in
April	59°F	31°F	0.5 in
May	69°F	41°F	0 in
June	80°F	50°F	0 in
July	89°F	56°F	0 in
August	87°F	54°F	0 in
September	76°F	44°F	0 in
October	60°F	32°F	0.4 in
November	45°F	20°F	1.5 in
December	34°F	10°F	2.8 in

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

Common questions

Can a Wyoming resident hunt hunt area 164 on a general deer licence without drawing?: Yes. Wyoming residents buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. Each resident may hold only one general licence per year, and it is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in the state, including hunt area 164. Nonresidents cannot buy a general licence; they must draw a Region M general licence in the nonresident draw pool to hunt here.
What deer species can a hunter take on the Type Gen general licence in hunt area 164?: Type Gen permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. A white-tailed doe or fawn is legal; a mule deer without antlers is not. The hunt runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–14.
Which hunts on hunt area 164 are white-tailed deer only?: Type 3 and Type 8 are white-tailed deer only. On these hunts a mule deer is not legal whatever its antlers. Type 3 runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 15; Type 8 runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 31.
What does the irrigated-land restriction on Type 1 and Type 7 mean for where a hunter can take deer?: Type 1 and Type 7 are valid on or within one mile of irrigated land. A hunter must check the map to confirm private irrigated fields and know the one-mile boundary. Much of hunt area 164's irrigated ground is private, with no walk-in access, so a hunter without private permission will have limited ground for these hunts.
How much of hunt area 164 is public land a hunter can generally count on?: About 88% of the hunt area is BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 449 square miles, with no application or permission needed to hunt it. Private land makes up 10%. Roads and trailheads reach into the area, but seasonal closures and private inholdings can limit access even on public ground.

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