Can a hunter obtain a licence for hunt area 52 without applying for a draw?

No. Hunt area 52 is limited quota and drawn for this area specifically. Wyoming has no general or regional pronghorn licence sold over the counter; every antelope hunt area is drawn individually, and if the draw does not come through there is no alternative licence.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 52?

No. Wyoming residents' pronghorn draw is random with no preference points at all—no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. Nonresidents, by contrast, compete in a preference-point draw for three quarters of the available licences, with the remaining quarter going to a random drawing.

How much of hunt area 52 is public land a hunter can actually access?

About 64% of the area is public land, roughly 395 square miles. However, much of the National Forest portion is too densely timbered for pronghorn to occupy. Of the ground that actually holds antelope, roughly half is public and half is private, with public land in larger blocks in the north and private land dominating the south, where access is more difficult.

What seasons are open on hunt area 52?

Two hunt types are drawn separately for this area: Type 1 (Any antelope, August 15–October 31) and Type 2 (Any antelope valid south of North Spring Creek, August 15–November 14). Each includes both an archery window (August 15–September 15) and a regular rifle season.

Can a hunter plan to use irrigated croplands for hunting in dry years?

Pronghorn do concentrate on irrigated hay fields and riparian meadows during dry periods, and these areas can be productive. However, most irrigated land is private, so a hunter must secure permission before hunting. Public-land access and large private ranches are the primary options for most hunters.

Wyoming Hunt Area 52 (Spring Creek) pronghorn hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

64%

Elevation

6,600–11,000 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 52 spans the western upper Platte Valley, rising from irrigated hay bottoms and riparian meadows in the lower reaches to sagebrush steppe across the middle elevations, then mountain shrub and conifer forest toward the Sierra Madre and Continental Divide in the south and west. The northern extreme flattens into desert saltbush and alkaline ground. Slope averages 5.0 degrees, with 86% gentle ground and the rest moderate terrain; steep slopes are uncommon. Where pronghorn hunt here, it is primarily the open sagebrush, grassland and meadow country at lower and middle elevations, though during dry years they concentrate on irrigated croplands and edges where sagebrush meets forest. The forested lands of the higher elevations and the densely timbered Sierra Madre rim hold few or no pronghorn.

About 64% of the area is public land—BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land—but much of the National Forest acreage is too heavily timbered for antelope to use. Of the ground that actually holds pronghorn, roughly half is public and half is private. Public land tends to occur in large blocks in the northern portion; private land dominates the south, where ranches are large and much acreage is either unavailable to hunters or open only to outfitted clients or through fee arrangements. A northern section has been developed for wind generation, which brings a network of roads but requires extra care while hunting. Roads here are highly variable: many become muddy and nearly impassable when wet, while sandy stretches often remain drivable. Access to public land is generally workable in the north but becomes more difficult in the southern portions of the area.

Pronghorn rut timing here typically peaks in late September through early October. This means the early-season archery hunt spans the pre-rut period and the opening of the primary rut, when males are moving and establishing territories. The regular rifle season, which extends into late fall, covers the rut's peak and decline, then the shift toward winter grouping. Weather swings dramatically across the season: August brings warm days in the mid-70s, September cools to the mid-60s, and by October highs drop to the mid-50s, with significant snow possible as early as mid-September. November turns cold, with highs in the low 40s and substantial snowfall becoming the norm. Early hunts may encounter dry, windy conditions or sudden cold snaps; late-season hunters should prepare for snow and freezing temperatures.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 52 (Spring Creek) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. Wyoming issues no general pronghorn licence and no region pronghorn licence, so there is no over-the-counter option and no regional fallback: every pronghorn hunt area in the state is drawn on its own.

Wyoming residents have no preference points for pronghorn — the resident pronghorn 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 1 · Any antelope
Archery August 15 – September 15Regular September 16 – October 31
Type 2 · Any antelope valid south of North Spring Creek
Archery August 15 – September 15Regular September 16 – November 14

The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “cow or calf” hunt is not a pronghorn 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 1 — Any antelope (August–October)

Archery hunting in August and early September coincides with pronghorn beginning to establish pre-rut territories, though the primary rut does not begin until early September. Temperatures start warm, in the upper 70s, and cool only gradually through September into the mid-60s, with virtually no snow at this time of year. Access to public land is generally good in the northern portions of the area. This hunt is valid for any antelope throughout the area. The regular rifle season from mid-September through October covers the period when rut activity peaks and then declines into fall grouping. October brings a sharp temperature drop to the mid-50s and the first significant snowfall of the season—as much as 2.2 inches in a month—so conditions can shift rapidly from dry to wet. Access remains workable in the north but is more challenging in the south. Again, a hunter may take any antelope.

Type 2 — Any antelope valid south of North… (August–November)

This hunt parallels Type 1 in timing and rut progression, spanning the pre-rut establishment through late fall grouping as temperatures plunge from the upper 70s in August toward freezing by November. The critical difference is that it is valid only south of North Spring Creek, restricting hunting to the southern portion of the area where private land is prevalent and access more difficult. The extended November season adds substantial cold and snowfall, with monthly snow averaging nearly 10 inches, making late-season hunting a winter proposition. This hunt is valid for any antelope within its restricted area.

Land and access

private land36%

Private

BLM33%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest25%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land6%

Generally open to public hunting

About 64% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 395 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.

Where pronghorn are mapped

Winter Range49%

used in winter

Yearlong Range49%

the only layer that means year-round use

Summer Range21%

used in summer

Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where pronghorn are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.

Habitat and cover

Lower elevations

Sagebrush75%

Other cover17%

Riparian7%

Grass and meadow1%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush88%

Riparian4%

Other cover3%

Conifer2%

Grass and meadow2%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer65%

Sagebrush25%

Grass and meadow4%

Aspen4%

Other cover2%

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	14°F	13.5 in
February	34°F	14°F	11.3 in
March	43°F	21°F	10 in
April	51°F	27°F	6.5 in
May	61°F	35°F	0.5 in
June	72°F	43°F	0 in
July	80°F	50°F	0 in
August	78°F	48°F	0 in
September	68°F	41°F	0.1 in
October	54°F	31°F	2.2 in
November	40°F	21°F	9.9 in
December	31°F	13°F	14.7 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter obtain a licence for hunt area 52 without applying for a draw?: No. Hunt area 52 is limited quota and drawn for this area specifically. Wyoming has no general or regional pronghorn licence sold over the counter; every antelope hunt area is drawn individually, and if the draw does not come through there is no alternative licence.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 52?: No. Wyoming residents' pronghorn draw is random with no preference points at all—no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. Nonresidents, by contrast, compete in a preference-point draw for three quarters of the available licences, with the remaining quarter going to a random drawing.
How much of hunt area 52 is public land a hunter can actually access?: About 64% of the area is public land, roughly 395 square miles. However, much of the National Forest portion is too densely timbered for pronghorn to occupy. Of the ground that actually holds antelope, roughly half is public and half is private, with public land in larger blocks in the north and private land dominating the south, where access is more difficult.
What seasons are open on hunt area 52?: Two hunt types are drawn separately for this area: Type 1 (Any antelope, August 15–October 31) and Type 2 (Any antelope valid south of North Spring Creek, August 15–November 14). Each includes both an archery window (August 15–September 15) and a regular rifle season.
Can a hunter plan to use irrigated croplands for hunting in dry years?: Pronghorn do concentrate on irrigated hay fields and riparian meadows during dry periods, and these areas can be productive. However, most irrigated land is private, so a hunter must secure permission before hunting. Public-land access and large private ranches are the primary options for most hunters.

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 pronghorn hunt areas