Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt this area?

No. Hunt area 89 is a limited-quota area drawn specifically for this hunt area, and a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region. A hunter must draw a licence for this area to hunt it.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for a deer hunt here?

No. Wyoming residents do not have preference points for deer at all. The resident draw for this area is random, with no points at any cutoff. Nonresidents, however, do use preference points: three quarters of the nonresident licences go by points, and a quarter are random.

Which deer species can a hunter legally take in this area?

This area has hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but not all hunts permit both. Most hunts here are white-tailed deer only, and a mule deer is not legal on those hunts. The antlered hunt allows either species. A hunter should check the specific season and its legal animal before applying.

How much of this hunt area is public ground a hunter can actually get onto?

About 53% of the hunt area—roughly 566 square miles—is BLM and State Trust Land that is generally open. Private land makes up 46%. Five walk-in areas are enrolled, though enrollment is renegotiated each year. Hunters should map public access carefully and be skilled with GPS to stay legal.

When do the seasons run here?

The archery season for white-tailed deer runs September 1–30. Regular seasons vary: white-tailed any-deer runs October 15–November 30, a white-tailed doe-or-fawn hunt runs October 15–November 30, and an antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer hunt runs October 15–31. One white-tailed doe-or-fawn hunt is restricted to a different hunt area and runs August 15–October 14.

Wyoming Hunt Area 89 (Rattlesnake) deer hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

53%

Elevation

5,400–8,200 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Deer region

Hunt area 89 is a high sagebrush country running from 5,400 to 8,200 feet, with typical ground around 6,100 feet. Most of the terrain is gentle—92% of it is gentle ground, sloping on average 4.0 degrees—and the cover is dominated by sagebrush and grass, with scattered limber pine and juniper at transitions between habitat types. Mule deer occupy all the habitat here but concentrate where cover types meet and near seeps, springs and drainages, especially as late summer and early fall dry out the open country. The area sits 30 to 60 minutes from Casper, with very limited services in nearby Alcova.

Access is a mix of public and private land throughout the hunt area. About 53% of the ground is dependably open to hunting—roughly 566 square miles of BLM and State Trust Land—but roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings still apply. Five walk-in areas are enrolled here, though enrollment is renegotiated annually and a hunter should not count on any one being open in a coming season. Hunters need to be adept with maps and GPS to avoid trespassing, and road conditions can deteriorate rapidly in wet or snowy weather. Primitive camping is allowed on BLM lands, and groomed campsites are available at nearby reservoirs.

This is a limited-quota hunt area drawn specifically by resident and nonresident alike; a region licence does not reach here. Residents enter a random draw with no preference points. Nonresidents may use preference points: three quarters of the nonresident licences are awarded by preference points, ranked highest to lowest, and a quarter go to a random draw that all nonresident applicants enter. The hunt area produces mature bucks—the average harvested buck is about 5.5 years old—but most do not grow large antlers, and hunters should manage expectations for trophy quality even though the draw is highly competitive. Hunting pressure is kept low, and those willing to leave roads and work into good habitat on foot can expect a better chance of finding mature bucks.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 89 (Rattlesnake) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. A region licence does not reach it — a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, so there is no fallback for this hunt.

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 15 – November 30
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer only valid in Area 88
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Regular August 15 – October 14
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
Legal: white-tailed deer only
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – November 30
Type 1 · Antlered deer
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – October 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 3 — Any white-tailed deer · whitetail only (September–November)

Hunting any white-tailed deer here from mid-October through November spans the transition from early fall into the primary rut and beyond. Early in the regular season, bucks move more actively at night and respond to hunting pressure by shifting away from roads toward interior country; as the rut advances through November, bucks abandon normal feeding patterns and become far more mobile and visible, though weather also plays a major role in their movement and vulnerability. October brings cooling temperatures, with highs dropping from the high 50s to the low 40s, while November sees deeper cold, with highs falling to the low 40s and lows dipping into the 20s; November also brings accumulating snow, averaging 2.8 inches. Public access remains mixed throughout the season, with a mosaic of public and private land requiring careful navigation. Any white-tailed deer is legal; mule deer are not.

Type 8 — Doe or fawn white-tailed deer only… · whitetail only (August–October)

Hunting doe or fawn white-tailed deer from August through mid-October is restricted to hunt area 88 and is not valid here. Hunters should verify their specific hunt area before the season begins.

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

Hunting doe or fawn white-tailed deer here from September through November spans a period when bucks are shedding velvet and beginning to shift movement patterns. In September, temperatures are mild, with highs around 73 degrees and minimal snow, making daytime hunting challenging; by October and November, cooling weather—highs dropping from the high 50s to the low 40s—increases deer movement, and accumulating snow, averaging 1 inch in October and 2.8 inches in November, can concentrate animals near lower elevations and drainages. Access is a mix of public and private land throughout the season. Doe or fawn white-tailed deer is the legal animal; mule deer are not legal.

Type 1 — Antlered deer (September–October)

Hunting antlered deer from September through October spans the early fall transition into the period when bucks begin concentrating their movement at night. September offers mild conditions with highs near 73 degrees, while October cooling—with highs dropping into the high 50s and lows nearing freezing—accelerates buck movement as rut pressure builds. Early October brings minimal snow, but accumulation increases as the month progresses, averaging 1 inch total. Public access is a patchwork of BLM, State Trust Land and private holdings, requiring sound navigation. Either mule deer or any white-tailed deer is legal on this hunt.

Land and access

private land46%

Private

BLM44%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land10%

Generally open to public hunting

About 53% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 566 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 5 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 Range42%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range30%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range6%

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

Sagebrush90%

Grass and meadow8%

Conifer1%

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	33°F	14°F	4.1 in
February	36°F	14°F	4.7 in
March	46°F	23°F	3.4 in
April	54°F	29°F	2.5 in
May	64°F	38°F	0 in
June	76°F	46°F	0 in
July	85°F	54°F	0 in
August	84°F	52°F	0 in
September	73°F	43°F	0 in
October	57°F	32°F	1 in
November	43°F	22°F	2.8 in
December	33°F	14°F	5 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt this area?: No. Hunt area 89 is a limited-quota area drawn specifically for this hunt area, and a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region. A hunter must draw a licence for this area to hunt it.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for a deer hunt here?: No. Wyoming residents do not have preference points for deer at all. The resident draw for this area is random, with no points at any cutoff. Nonresidents, however, do use preference points: three quarters of the nonresident licences go by points, and a quarter are random.
Which deer species can a hunter legally take in this area?: This area has hunts for both mule deer and white-tailed deer, but not all hunts permit both. Most hunts here are white-tailed deer only, and a mule deer is not legal on those hunts. The antlered hunt allows either species. A hunter should check the specific season and its legal animal before applying.
How much of this hunt area is public ground a hunter can actually get onto?: About 53% of the hunt area—roughly 566 square miles—is BLM and State Trust Land that is generally open. Private land makes up 46%. Five walk-in areas are enrolled, though enrollment is renegotiated each year. Hunters should map public access carefully and be skilled with GPS to stay legal.
When do the seasons run here?: The archery season for white-tailed deer runs September 1–30. Regular seasons vary: white-tailed any-deer runs October 15–November 30, a white-tailed doe-or-fawn hunt runs October 15–November 30, and an antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer hunt runs October 15–31. One white-tailed doe-or-fawn hunt is restricted to a different hunt area and runs August 15–October 14.

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