Can a Wyoming resident hunt area 24 on a general deer license without drawing?

Yes. Wyoming residents buy a general deer license over the counter with no draw and no preference points required for deer. A resident may hold only one general license per year and can hunt any general-license area in the state, including hunt area 24.

What species can a hunter pursue on the archery season here?

The September archery season permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Both species are legal during this period, though white-tailed deer are far more abundant on private land while mule deer inhabit accessible public ground.

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

About 12% of the area—roughly 57 square miles—is reliably open public ground, including State Trust Land, State Wildlife Areas, BLM, and National Forest. The remaining 88% is private land where access is generally very limited unless arranged in advance with a landowner.

Does a nonresident need preference points to draw a license for hunt area 24?

A nonresident must draw a Region general license for region Y. The nonresident draw awards three quarters of licenses to those with the highest preference points, and one quarter randomly; points matter significantly. Residents, by contrast, buy a general license with no draw at all.

What kind of terrain and cover does this hunt area have?

The area blends prairie, rolling hills, and mountain foothills across grassland, sagebrush, mixed shrubs, and conifer. Most ground is gentle—80% slopes under moderate angle—and the country transitions from agricultural and residential lands at lower elevations to wilder foothills above.

Wyoming Hunt Area 24 (Sheridan) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

12%

Elevation

3,600–8,600 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 24 spans 491 square miles across the Sheridan region, ranging from 3,600 feet in the lower prairie to 8,600 feet in the Bighorn Mountain foothills. The country is a mix of grassland, sagebrush, and rolling hills with scattered conifer stands, moving upslope from agricultural lands and rural development in the lower valleys. Slope here averages 6.4 degrees—80% of the ground is gentle, with most hunting likely across the more open, accessible country rather than the steeper terrain above. Mule deer and white-tailed deer both inhabit the area, though they use very different ground: mule deer are found on public lands and the foothills, while white-tailed deer occur almost exclusively on private ranches, concentrated in the lower country south of Sheridan and beyond the reach of most public-land hunters.

About 57 square miles of the area is reliably open public ground—roughly 12% of the hunt area—split among State Trust Land parcels, State Wildlife Areas, BLM, and National Forest. Private land makes up 88% of the area, much of it now rural residential or working ranch. Six walk-in areas and one Hunter Management Area offer the primary public-land opportunity. The walk-in areas need no permission to access during posted periods, but enrollment is renegotiated annually and may not be guaranteed in any given year. The Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip before hunting. Huntable public land tends to see heavy pressure, especially early in the season when more hunters are afield. Access to private ground is genuinely limited; a hunter seeking a credible white-tailed deer hunt should arrange access with a landowner well before the season opens, as the species is rarely available on public land.

Seasons here span September through November for different hunts, and the early months are warm and clear while weather tightens steadily through fall. September highs run around 73 degrees with little snow; October brings cooling and the first real storm potential, with an average of about 2 inches of snowfall monthly; by November, highs drop to 45 degrees and snowfall averages 3 inches. The rut progresses through these months, starting with early September's velvet-shedding period and moving into the primary rut through mid-November, so hunting conditions and deer behavior shift significantly across the available seasons.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 24 (Sheridan) 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 Y, 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 31
Type Gen — general licence · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer valid on private land
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular October 15 – October 31
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer valid in the entire area
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 7 · Doe or fawn valid on private land
Regular September 1 – December 15
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular September 1 – 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)

Archery and rifle hunting for antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer runs from September 1 through October 31, split between an early archery-only period and a regular season overlapping October. Early September archery coincides with velvet shedding when bucks are still in bachelor groups and moving slowly; temperatures hover around 73 degrees with minimal snow, making foot hunting and glassing productive but physically warm. Late September transitions into early fall migration as deer begin moving between summer and winter grounds, and by October the nocturnal buck phase is underway. October brings cooling weather with highs dropping to 58 degrees and increasing storm potential; snow averages about 2 inches for the month. Most public-land opportunity here targets mule deer, and early-season hunters should expect high pressure on accessible public ground.

Type Gen — Any white-tailed deer · whitetail only (November)

The November rifle-only season permits any white-tailed deer. This period spans both the pre-rut staging phase in early November and the primary rut through mid-November, when white-tailed bucks are most active and vulnerable. Temperatures are cool—highs around 45 degrees—and snowfall averages about 3 inches, which can be an advantage for trailing and glassing. However, white-tailed deer remain concentrated on private land throughout this area, so hunters without secured private access will find limited opportunity despite favorable conditions.

Type 3 — Any white-tailed deer valid on… · whitetail only (October)

The October rifle season for any white-tailed deer on private land only runs from October 15 to October 31, during the early fall migration and pre-rut staging phases when bucks are moving and beginning to respond to does. October weather cools through the month with highs near 58 degrees and increasing snowfall. This hunt is restricted to private land, so hunters must secure landowner permission before hunting; the restriction cuts off public-land opportunity entirely, making it essential to arrange access well in advance.

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

This hunt permits any white-tailed deer across the entire hunt area during archery in September and rifle from November 1 through November 30. The September archery period spans velvet shedding when bucks are relatively relaxed; September temperatures average 73 degrees with no significant snow. The November rifle season overlaps the pre-rut and primary rut, when white-tailed bucks are most active—November highs drop to 45 degrees and snowfall averages 3 inches. Because white-tailed deer are primarily private-land animals here, even an area-wide hunt offers little public-land opportunity unless a hunter has arranged private access, though the broader legal zone provides flexibility for those with landowner permission.

Type 7 — Doe or fawn valid on private land (September–December)

A doe or fawn hunt valid on private land runs from September 1 through December 15, spanning the entire fall season from velvet shedding through the late rut and winter concentration. September is warm and clear with highs around 73 degrees; October cools and brings storm potential with an average of 2 inches of snow; November temperatures drop to 45 degrees with heavier snow averaging 3 inches; December is coldest with highs around 36 degrees and an average of 6.5 inches of snow. This hunt is restricted to private land, so access must be arranged beforehand. Some landowners offer doe hunting at no charge, making it worth approaching ranchers early in the year to discuss opportunities.

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

The doe or fawn white-tailed deer hunt on private land runs from September 1 through December 15. This extended season covers the full progression from early September's velvet shedding through December's winter consolidation, with September temperatures mild at 73 degrees and weather cooling steadily—November averages 45 degrees with 3 inches of snow and December drops to 36 degrees with 6.5 inches monthly. The hunt is restricted to private land, requiring permission before hunting. Because white-tailed deer are concentrated on ranch ground, securing access directly with a landowner offers the most realistic pathway to a doe hunt here.

Land and access

private land88%

Private

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 12% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — State Trust Land, State Wildlife Areas, BLM and National Forest, roughly 57 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.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 5% 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 has 6 enrolled walk-in areas. It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. Both are private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before hunting it. 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 Range94%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range62%

used in winter

Summer Range4%

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

Across the unit

Sagebrush33%

Grass and meadow32%

Other cover15%

Conifer10%

Riparian8%

Aspen3%

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	36°F	13°F	6.4 in
February	38°F	14°F	6 in
March	47°F	22°F	3.8 in
April	54°F	29°F	1.9 in
May	64°F	38°F	0 in
June	74°F	46°F	0 in
July	85°F	52°F	0 in
August	83°F	50°F	0 in
September	73°F	42°F	0 in
October	58°F	31°F	1.9 in
November	45°F	21°F	2.9 in
December	36°F	13°F	6.5 in

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

Common questions

Can a Wyoming resident hunt area 24 on a general deer license without drawing?: Yes. Wyoming residents buy a general deer license over the counter with no draw and no preference points required for deer. A resident may hold only one general license per year and can hunt any general-license area in the state, including hunt area 24.
What species can a hunter pursue on the archery season here?: The September archery season permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Both species are legal during this period, though white-tailed deer are far more abundant on private land while mule deer inhabit accessible public ground.
How much public land can a hunter actually access in this hunt area?: About 12% of the area—roughly 57 square miles—is reliably open public ground, including State Trust Land, State Wildlife Areas, BLM, and National Forest. The remaining 88% is private land where access is generally very limited unless arranged in advance with a landowner.
Does a nonresident need preference points to draw a license for hunt area 24?: A nonresident must draw a Region general license for region Y. The nonresident draw awards three quarters of licenses to those with the highest preference points, and one quarter randomly; points matter significantly. Residents, by contrast, buy a general license with no draw at all.
What kind of terrain and cover does this hunt area have?: The area blends prairie, rolling hills, and mountain foothills across grassland, sagebrush, mixed shrubs, and conifer. Most ground is gentle—80% slopes under moderate angle—and the country transitions from agricultural and residential lands at lower elevations to wilder foothills above.

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