Can a hunter on a general deer licence hunt area 76?

Yes—a Wyoming resident can buy a general deer licence over the counter and hunt any general-licence hunt area in the state, including area 76. A nonresident must draw a Region D general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in region D and nowhere else.

Which deer species can a hunter legally take in area 76's October regular hunt?

The October regular hunt permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Mule deer must have antlers, but white-tailed deer of either sex and any age are legal.

Does a Wyoming resident need preference points to draw a general deer licence?

No. Wyoming residents do not use preference points for deer hunts at all. The resident general deer licence is bought over the counter with no draw, and any resident deer draw that does occur is purely random. Preference points for deer are a nonresident tool only, used when a nonresident draws a limited-quota or region licence.

How much of area 76 is public land a hunter can count on accessing?

About 62% of the hunt area—roughly 255 square miles—is public land where a hunter can generally count on being able to walk or ride. The rest is private land or ground with seasonal closures and access limits. Roads, trailheads and private inholdings still affect where a hunter can actually reach, and the U.S. Forest Service closes the winter-range foothills to motor vehicles starting October 1.

Can a hunter walk into Albany County Walk In Area 1 without permission?

Yes. Walk-in areas require no permit or permission slip—a hunter may walk in during the posted open season, subject to the area's rules. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so a hunter should confirm it is open before the season begins.

Wyoming Hunt Area 76 (Sheep Mountain) deer hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

62%

Elevation

7,100–10,700 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 76 spans 7,100 to 10,700 feet across the foothills and plateaus east of the main range. The country is mostly gentle—82% of it slopes under moderate grade—and sits roughly half in open prairie and sagebrush, half in coniferous forest and aspen. Stands of dead timber from the 2020 Mullen Creek fire remain common on the National Forest; higher elevations transition to alpine meadows and krummholz. The area is roadless in its heart, with access concentrated at the northern and southern trailheads and through the Forbes Wildlife Habitat Management Area on the southwest side.

Public land covers about 255 square miles of the 409-square-mile hunt area—roughly 62% dependably open to foot travel and horseback. Most of the accessible public ground lies on the Medicine Bow National Forest, though roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still affect where a hunter can actually reach. The U.S. Forest Service closes the winter-range foothills to motor vehicles beginning October 1, opening them to travel by foot, horse and bicycle. Nonresidents wanting general-area hunts must draw a Region D general licence, valid across all general-licence hunt areas in the region; Wyoming residents simply buy a general deer licence over the counter with no draw involved and no preference-point system for deer. Private land makes up 36% of the hunt area, and hunters planning to use it should arrange access before the season.

Seasons here differ sharply in timing and legal game. The September archery and October-through-November regular hunts for any white-tailed deer span months of migration and the primary rut; the December archery and regular hunts close the white-tailed season at winter concentration, when the animals are lower and more predictable in movement. A general licence hunt for antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer runs only through mid-October, catching both species in their early-fall movements but missing the November rut altogether.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 76 (Sheep Mountain) 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 D, 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 3 · Any white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – November 30
Type 3 · Antlerless white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular December 1 – December 31
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 31
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

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 76 in 2026, on every licence type. A sample can be left at a game check station or the Laramie 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: “Hunters in Hunt Areas 15, 61, 74, 75, 76, and 77 must be aware that these areas are under mandatory CWD sampling.” The areas under mandatory sampling change every year, so confirm the current list before hunting — 2026 mandatory CWD sampling areas.

Hunting each season

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

September and October-through-November archery and regular hunts for any white-tailed deer span the velvet shed and early fall transition into migration, the pre-rut staging phase, and the primary and late rut. September runs cool and dry with light snow; October temperatures drop sharply and bring meaningful snow, while November stays cold and heavy with snow—an environment where white-tailed bucks move actively from summer to winter range and concentrate for the rut. Foot and horse travel across the foothills and mid-elevation sagebrush and conifer mix access the routes the migration uses. This hunt is legal for any white-tailed buck, doe or fawn.

Type 3 — Antlerless white-tailed deer · whitetail only (December)

December regular hunting for antlerless white-tailed deer works the late rut and winter consolidation, when deer have dropped to their lowest elevations and most concentrated numbers. Bitter cold and heavy snow—averaging nearly 16 inches for the month—drive the animals' movements and shape where a hunter can travel. Access remains the same: public land by foot and horse across the foothills and lower country, with the motor-vehicle closure still in effect. This hunt is legal for white-tailed does and fawns only.

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

Archery and regular hunts for doe or fawn white-tailed deer span September through December, from the velvet shed through primary and late rut and into winter consolidation. Weather moves from cool dry conditions in September through October cold and snow, then heavy November and December snowfall. The season follows the same public and private access routes as the any-deer hunts, covering the same migration corridors and rut concentrations. This hunt is legal for white-tailed does and fawns only and permits no antlered white-tailed bucks or mule deer of any kind.

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

The general-licence hunt for antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer runs through mid-October archery and regular seasons, covering the velvet shed and early fall transition into the beginning of migration and nocturnal buck behavior. September stays cool and dry; October temperatures drop fast and bring snow averaging 4 to 5 inches for the month. The hunt accesses the same public and private country as other area 76 hunts, reaching the foothills and mid-elevation routes the early migration uses. Antlered mule deer must have antlers, but any white-tailed deer—buck, doe or fawn—is legal.

Land and access

National Forest50%

Generally open to public hunting

private land36%

Private

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

BLM4%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership2%

Ownership unclassified

About 62% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 255 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 57% 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 1 enrolled walk-in area. 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

Summer Range50%

used in summer

Yearlong Range35%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range29%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range15%

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

Grass and meadow43%

Sagebrush38%

Other cover10%

Riparian9%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush40%

Grass and meadow32%

Conifer12%

Riparian11%

Other cover3%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer54%

Grass and meadow33%

Sagebrush8%

Aspen3%

Riparian2%

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	31°F	10°F	14.7 in
February	33°F	11°F	14.5 in
March	41°F	17°F	13.9 in
April	48°F	23°F	9.2 in
May	58°F	31°F	0.7 in
June	69°F	39°F	0 in
July	76°F	45°F	0 in
August	74°F	43°F	0 in
September	66°F	36°F	0.3 in
October	52°F	27°F	4.5 in
November	39°F	18°F	11.6 in
December	31°F	10°F	15.8 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter on a general deer licence hunt area 76?: Yes—a Wyoming resident can buy a general deer licence over the counter and hunt any general-licence hunt area in the state, including area 76. A nonresident must draw a Region D general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in region D and nowhere else.
Which deer species can a hunter legally take in area 76's October regular hunt?: The October regular hunt permits antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer. Mule deer must have antlers, but white-tailed deer of either sex and any age are legal.
Does a Wyoming resident need preference points to draw a general deer licence?: No. Wyoming residents do not use preference points for deer hunts at all. The resident general deer licence is bought over the counter with no draw, and any resident deer draw that does occur is purely random. Preference points for deer are a nonresident tool only, used when a nonresident draws a limited-quota or region licence.
How much of area 76 is public land a hunter can count on accessing?: About 62% of the hunt area—roughly 255 square miles—is public land where a hunter can generally count on being able to walk or ride. The rest is private land or ground with seasonal closures and access limits. Roads, trailheads and private inholdings still affect where a hunter can actually reach, and the U.S. Forest Service closes the winter-range foothills to motor vehicles starting October 1.
Can a hunter walk into Albany County Walk In Area 1 without permission?: Yes. Walk-in areas require no permit or permission slip—a hunter may walk in during the posted open season, subject to the area's rules. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so a hunter should confirm it is open before the season begins.

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