Wyoming Hunt Area 29 (Johnson) deer hunting
Hunt area 29 is rolling sagebrush-grassland country in the Powder River basin, with gentle terrain covering the vast majority and only the northeast corner rising into breaks. Mean slope averages 3.9 degrees across 94% gentle ground, making this accessible foot country even in rough stretches. Sagebrush dominates at 58% of the plant cover, with grassland and meadow making up 37%, so the open character supports visibility across considerable distance. Elevation runs 3,900 to 5,400 feet, with typical ground around 4,600 feet, and the open profile means weather moves quickly through the season and across a day.
About 202 square miles of the area is dependably open to public hunting on BLM and Wyoming State Trust Land, roughly 20% of the total. The remaining 80% is private, where access is inconsistent and often depends on outfitters or fee arrangements. Public parcels are scattered and some are landlocked, so a hunter working public ground must plan carefully around which trailheads and road access actually reach huntable terrain. Expect high pressure on the accessible public land early in the season and on weekends. Dispersed camping on BLM land is common practice. Both mule deer and white-tailed deer live here, but their distributions differ sharply: mule deer range throughout the area at varying densities, while white-tailed deer concentrate in creek bottoms and adjacent irrigated cropland, almost entirely on private land. That pattern shapes which seasons and licence types actually produce hunting where a hunter can realistically get access.
Type Gen seasons on mule deer and the early white-tailed seasons run while temperatures are still mild and visibility high. The November and December white-tailed seasons stretch into the rut and its aftermath, when cooler weather and snow begin to move deer and stack hunters onto the ground. Archery opportunity in September offers a separate window before the regular gun seasons open.
Licence and how this hunt area is drawn
Hunt Area 29 (Johnson) 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 C, 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 three (3) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deerLegal: mule deer and white-tailed deer, under different rulesArchery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 14
- Type Gen — general licence · Any white-tailed deerLegal: white-tailed deer onlyRegular November 1 – November 30
- Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless white-tailed deerLegal: white-tailed deer onlyRegular December 1 – December 31
- Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private landLegal: white-tailed deer onlyRegular September 1 – September 30
- Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid in the entire areaLegal: white-tailed deer onlyArchery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 31
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 three (3) points… · mule deer & whitetail (September–October)
Archery for antlered mule deer with three points or more on either antler, or any white-tailed deer, runs through September and into early October. September hunting finds deer still in summer pattern and active in sagebrush and grassland; temperatures run high, with daytime highs near 75°F and minimal snow. October archery follows into early-fall transition, with daytime highs dropping to the low 60s and occasional light snow beginning to fall. Public land pressure peaks early in the season and on weekends, and white-tailed deer hunting is concentrated on private ground where access is difficult to secure. Mule deer remain legal throughout this period, and any white-tailed deer—buck, doe or fawn—is legal regardless of antlers.
Type Gen — Any white-tailed deer · whitetail only (November)
November hunting for any white-tailed deer overlaps the primary rut and early winter consolidation, when bucks move actively and daylight grows short. Daytime highs drop to the mid-40s and overnight lows near freezing, with monthly snowfall averaging 1.6 inches. This season permits any white-tailed deer without antler restriction, and bucks are actively moving and responsive. White-tailed deer concentrate on private land near irrigated cropland and creek bottoms, where access typically requires outfitting or a fee arrangement.
Type Gen — Antlerless white-tailed deer · whitetail only (December)
December hunting for antlerless white-tailed deer continues into late-rut and winter-consolidation phases, after the peak of breeding. Daytime highs fall to the upper 30s and overnight temperatures can drop to the teens, with monthly snowfall averaging 2.9 inches. This season is restricted to female deer and fawns, so antlered bucks are not legal. Snow and cold concentrate deer, and white-tailed deer remain tied to creek bottoms and irrigated lands on private ground.
Type 8 — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid… · whitetail only (September)
The September archery season for doe or fawn white-tailed deer is valid on private land only and runs through September during the early-fall transition. Daytime highs are near 75°F and temperatures mild, with minimal snow. This Type 8 season allows hunting of female white-tailed deer and fawns, providing opportunity on private ground where white-tailed deer concentrate.
Type 8 — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid… · whitetail only (September–December)
The September through December season for doe or fawn white-tailed deer is valid across the entire area, running archery in September and regular rifle from October through the end of December. September temperatures run warm, with daytime highs near 75°F, then cool progressively through fall and early winter as daytime highs drop from the low 60s in October to the upper 30s by December. Snowfall increases from negligible amounts in September and early October to 1.6 inches in November and 2.9 inches in December. This Type 8 season allows hunting of female white-tailed deer and fawns throughout, covering early-fall transition through the late rut and winter consolidation. The long season span covers archery and rifle periods and permits hunting on both public and private ground.
Land and access
About 20% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 202 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 15% 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.
Where deer are mapped
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
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 | 37°F | 13°F | 2.3 in |
| February | 38°F | 15°F | 2.6 in |
| March | 49°F | 23°F | 1.5 in |
| April | 56°F | 30°F | 0.8 in |
| May | 66°F | 39°F | 0 in |
| June | 77°F | 48°F | 0 in |
| July | 87°F | 55°F | 0 in |
| August | 86°F | 53°F | 0 in |
| September | 75°F | 44°F | 0 in |
| October | 59°F | 32°F | 0.7 in |
| November | 46°F | 21°F | 1.6 in |
| December | 37°F | 13°F | 2.9 in |
Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.
Common questions
- Can a hunter take white-tailed deer on the general licence Type Gen hunts in area 29?
- Yes. The early September–October archery and rifle season allows antlered mule deer with three points or more on either antler, or any white-tailed deer. The November season allows any white-tailed deer. The December season allows antlerless white-tailed deer only. On each hunt, white-tailed deer are legal without antler restrictions.
- What licence does a Wyoming resident need to hunt area 29?
- A Wyoming resident buys a general deer licence over the counter with no draw and no application. A resident may hold only one general licence per year. Residents have no deer preference points, and the general licence is unlimited statewide and available to any resident.
- Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a licence for area 29?
- Nonresidents draw a Region C general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in that region. Three quarters of Region C general licences are awarded by preference points, top-down to those with the most points, and a quarter are awarded randomly to all applicants in the draw pool. Points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents.
- How much of area 29 is public land a hunter can count on accessing?
- About 20% of the area, roughly 202 square miles, is dependably open ground on BLM and State Trust Land. Some public parcels are landlocked and inaccessible, and roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still apply. Private land makes up 80% of the area and access there is difficult, usually requiring outfitting or fee arrangements.
- Where does a hunter find white-tailed deer in area 29?
- White-tailed deer are concentrated in creek bottoms and associated irrigated cropland, which is almost entirely private land. Mule deer range throughout the area at varying densities depending on habitat quality. A hunter pursuing white-tailed deer should expect to work private ground and plan for access arrangements accordingly.
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.