Can a hunter use a general deer licence in hunt area 41?

Yes. A Wyoming resident may hunt hunt area 41 on a general deer licence purchased over the counter with no draw and no preference points. A nonresident must draw a Region R general licence to hunt here, competing in a pool where three quarters of permits go to the preference-point draw and a quarter to random selection.

Which deer species does hunt area 41 permit?

Hunt area 41 offers both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but the legal animal depends on the hunt type. The general-licence hunts (September–October) allow antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 and Type 8 hunts restrict harvest to white-tailed deer only; a mule deer is not legal on those hunts regardless of antlers.

How much public land can a hunter access in hunt area 41?

About 75% of hunt area 41—roughly 387 square miles—is dependably open public land (BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas). The area also has 12 walk-in areas and one Hunter Management Area (Lower Nowood), though roads become difficult when wet and muddy, limiting foot access in some periods.

Can a hunter hunt white-tailed deer in hunt area 41 on a general licence through December?

No. The general-licence hunts on hunt area 41 close October 24. A drawn Type 3 white-tailed-only hunt extends from October 15 through December 15, but that requires entering the draw; a general licence does not reach it.

What access does the Lower Nowood Hunter Management Area require?

The Lower Nowood Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip before hunting. Walk-in areas, by contrast, need no permission and can be entered freely during their open periods. Enrollment of both walk-in areas and HMAs is renegotiated annually.

Wyoming Hunt Area 41 (Lower Nowood) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

75%

Elevation

3,900–8,800 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 41 spans rolling plains and hills across most of its country, with higher foothills rising toward the Bighorn Mountains to the east. Elevations range from 3,900 to 8,800 feet, with most accessible ground around 4,500 feet. The terrain is predominantly gentle—81% of the area grades gentle, 17% moderate, and 2% steep. Sagebrush dominates across mid and higher elevations, particularly at 56% to 60% of cover in those zones, while lower elevations mix sagebrush at 26% with other cover at 45% and grassland and meadow at 21%. Mule deer occupy sagebrush draws, hill complexes, riparian areas, and rocky canyon country throughout the area, while white-tailed deer concentrate heavily along creek bottoms and irrigated lands, particularly the Nowood and Bighorn Rivers, which are predominantly private. Deer from these private river corridors regularly move onto nearby public ground.

About 75% of hunt area 41 is dependably open public land—roughly 387 square miles of BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas—though public ownership remains subject to roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings. The area holds 12 enrolled walk-in areas across Washakie and Big Horn Counties, and one Hunter Management Area (Lower Nowood) that requires a printed permission slip. Most roads become difficult or impassable when wet and muddy, which is worth planning around in spring and fall.

Seasons on hunt area 41 split between two species and multiple harvest types. The general-licence hunts run early (archery September 1–30, regular October 15–24) on both species statewide, then shift to a restricted season (October 25–31) valid only within one-half mile of irrigated land. A white-tailed-only drawn hunt and a doe-or-fawn hunt with its own area restriction offer alternatives to general-licence hunters, extending seasons deeper into the rut.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 41 (Lower Nowood) 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 R, 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 24
Type Gen — general licence · Any deer valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Regular October 25 – October 31
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – December 15
Type 7 · Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – November 15
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 46
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular September 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.

Hunting each season

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

Archery and regular general-licence hunts for antlered mule deer and any white-tailed deer span September 1–30 (archery) and October 15–24 (regular), running through the velvet-shed period and early fall transition when mule deer are shedding antler velvet and beginning to shift movement patterns, and into the early nocturnal phase when bucks become more cautious and active in low light. September archery offers warm days (highs around 76 degrees) and cool mornings and evenings along sagebrush draws and riparian country where white-tailed deer hold most densely, with little precipitation. October regular hunting brings cooling temperatures (highs falling to around 60 degrees) and about 0.4 inches of monthly snowfall, pushing deer into migration corridors as they begin moving between summer and winter range. Public land throughout the hunt area is accessible during both windows, and the general licence is valid statewide within hunt area 41.

Type Gen — Any deer valid on or within… (October)

A special general-licence hunt (October 25–31) permits any deer but restricts it to ground within one-half mile of irrigated land, running into the early pre-rut staging phase when bucks concentrate in migration corridors. This narrow window sits at the tail of a cooling trend—highs around 60 degrees early October drop toward 45 degrees by November—and captures deer moving toward wintering grounds. Irrigated lands and their margins remain predominantly private, but adjacent public land within the restricted zone gives hunters an avenue onto private-adjacent ground. This hunt offers an extension beyond the general-licence close on October 24 and reaches country the broader general licence does not.

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

The Type 3 white-tailed-only hunt (archery September 1–30, regular October 15–December 15) is drawn and runs longer than the general-licence seasons, extending from velvet shed in early September through the late rut and into early winter consolidation by December. Archery season mirrors the early general hunt with warm days and cool nights; regular season begins in early fall when temperatures are cooling (highs around 60 degrees in mid-October) and continues through November and December as temperatures plunge (highs falling to 45 degrees in November and 33 degrees in December) and snowfall builds (0.4 inches in October, 1.7 inches in November, 2.6 inches in December). White-tailed deer concentrate on creek bottoms and irrigated lands, primarily private country, but the type 3 draw allows hunting the broader area beyond the irrigated-land restriction of the general licence, giving access to sagebrush and foothill country where mule deer and white-tails share the landscape.

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

The Type 7 doe-or-fawn hunt (archery September 1–30, regular October 15–November 15) is drawn for antlerless harvest valid within one-half mile of irrigated land, running from velvet shed through the early nocturnal phase and into early pre-rut staging. September archery sees warm days (highs around 76 degrees) and minimal precipitation, while October and November cool steadily (highs from 60 down to 45 degrees) with snowfall climbing to 1.7 inches by month's end. The restriction to irrigated-land margins limits this harvest to where white-tailed deer congregate most heavily, concentrating the hunt on private-adjacent public ground. This option offers hunters a way to take doe or fawn across both archery and rifle seasons without drawing the broader white-tailed hunt.

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

The Type 8 doe-or-fawn white-tailed-only hunt (September 1–December 31) is drawn and extends across the full season span from velvet shed through late rut and winter consolidation, also valid in adjacent hunt area 46. This is the only season that permits full-year hunting of antlerless white-tailed deer, running through four months of cooling (September highs around 76 degrees, December highs around 33 degrees) and increasing snowfall (0 inches in September, building to 2.6 inches by December). White-tailed deer hold tightest along the Nowood and Bighorn Rivers—predominantly private—but deer from those corridors spend time on nearby public land. The extended calendar and deep winter reach give hunters the longest window for antlerless harvest in the area, though the white-tailed-only restriction means mule deer are not legal regardless of antlers.

Land and access

BLM65%

Generally open to public hunting

private land24%

Private

State Trust Land5%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas5%

Generally open to public hunting

About 75% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, State Trust Land and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 387 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 67% 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 12 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 Range64%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range58%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range36%

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

Other cover45%

Sagebrush26%

Grass and meadow21%

Riparian8%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush56%

Grass and meadow37%

Other cover7%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush60%

Grass and meadow26%

Conifer12%

Other cover1%

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	32°F	7°F	2.6 in
February	37°F	12°F	2.6 in
March	51°F	23°F	1.1 in
April	59°F	31°F	0.4 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	53°F	0 in
September	76°F	44°F	0 in
October	60°F	32°F	0.4 in
November	45°F	19°F	1.7 in
December	33°F	9°F	2.6 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 41?: Yes. A Wyoming resident may hunt hunt area 41 on a general deer licence purchased over the counter with no draw and no preference points. A nonresident must draw a Region R general licence to hunt here, competing in a pool where three quarters of permits go to the preference-point draw and a quarter to random selection.
Which deer species does hunt area 41 permit?: Hunt area 41 offers both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but the legal animal depends on the hunt type. The general-licence hunts (September–October) allow antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Type 3 and Type 8 hunts restrict harvest to white-tailed deer only; a mule deer is not legal on those hunts regardless of antlers.
How much public land can a hunter access in hunt area 41?: About 75% of hunt area 41—roughly 387 square miles—is dependably open public land (BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas). The area also has 12 walk-in areas and one Hunter Management Area (Lower Nowood), though roads become difficult when wet and muddy, limiting foot access in some periods.
Can a hunter hunt white-tailed deer in hunt area 41 on a general licence through December?: No. The general-licence hunts on hunt area 41 close October 24. A drawn Type 3 white-tailed-only hunt extends from October 15 through December 15, but that requires entering the draw; a general licence does not reach it.
What access does the Lower Nowood Hunter Management Area require?: The Lower Nowood Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip before hunting. Walk-in areas, by contrast, need no permission and can be entered freely during their open periods. Enrollment of both walk-in areas and HMAs is renegotiated annually.

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