Can a hunter draw a pronghorn license for hunt area 88 without preference points?

Yes. Wyoming residents do not use preference points for pronghorn—the resident draw is entirely random. Nonresidents who are drawn must have accumulated preference points, as three-quarters of nonresident licenses are awarded to the preference-point draw; however, a quarter of nonresident licenses go to a random draw open to all nonresidents regardless of points.

Where are pronghorn most likely to be found in hunt area 88 during the hunting season?

Pronghorn occupy sagebrush flats in the north, the foothills of the Wyoming Range on the west, private grasslands along Horse and Cottonwood Creeks in the center and south, and rolling sagebrush hills in the Ryegrass to the southeast. As the season advances into October, pronghorn migrate southeast toward winter range outside the hunt area; early snow or cold can accelerate that shift, concentrating animals on BLM lands in the Ryegrass and Web Draw in September and early October before they move out.

What happens to pronghorn distribution as hunting pressure increases during the season?

Hunting pressure tends to move pronghorn from public lands onto private land, especially in the valleys and drainage bottoms where private grasslands dominate. As the season progresses, finding unpressured animals often requires permission to hunt private ground rather than relying on public-land access alone.

What is the weather like for pronghorn hunting in hunt area 88 from August through October?

August highs average about 74 degrees with lows around 41 degrees and almost no snow. September stays mild with highs near 64 degrees and lows around 34 degrees, with no significant snowfall. October cools rapidly, with highs around 50 degrees, lows near 25 degrees, and about 1.9 inches of snow possible during the month.

Wyoming Hunt Area 88 (Beaver) pronghorn hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

53%

Elevation

6,800–11,100 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 88 covers rolling sagebrush foothills and flats along the eastern base of the Wyoming Range, from private agricultural valleys near drainage bottoms up through aspen and conifer forests to alpine rock and tundra above 11,000 feet. The terrain is predominantly gentle ground; mean slope runs 4.7 degrees with the bulk of the area under 9 degrees. Pronghorn occupy the full range of the hunt area—sagebrush flats in the northern section, the western foothills along the Range itself, private grasslands and croplands around Horse and Cottonwood Creeks in the central and southern valleys, and rolling sagebrush hills in the southeastern Ryegrass country. Lower elevations carry sagebrush and riparian cover with some other habitat types; mid elevations mix sagebrush, conifers, riparian zones and meadows; the highest country is mostly conifer forest with patches of sagebrush, aspen and alpine meadow.

Public land—National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land—makes up about 53% of the hunt area's 598 square miles, or roughly 315 square miles where a hunter can generally count on access. The west side of the area holds substantial U.S. Forest Service ground where pronghorn can be found; the Beaver Ridge and Ryegrass/Soap Hole Basin areas contain significant BLM and State parcels. However, access to public land is not always straightforward; roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still apply, and private inholdings fragment the public estate. The remaining 47% is private land, much of it agricultural pasture and grassland in the valleys. Hunting pressure tends to displace pronghorn from public ground onto private land as the season progresses, where permission to hunt becomes the primary constraint.

Pronghorn in this hunt area generally shift from northwest to southeast as autumn advances toward winter range that lies south and east of the hunt area boundary. October weather and snowfall can accelerate that movement; significant cold or snow sometimes triggers early migration that reduces pronghorn availability within the hunt area. During September and early October, pronghorn concentrate on BLM lands in the Ryegrass and Web Draw areas where they remain accessible to foot hunters.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 88 (Beaver) 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 9Regular September 10 – October 31

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)

Hunting any pronghorn in this archery and regular season spans two distinct phases of the rut and covers August 15 through October 31, with two separate openings. From August 15 to September 9, the archery season coincides with pre-rut behavior and the start of the primary rut, when pronghorn become increasingly active and territorial; temperatures remain mild, with August highs near 74 degrees and September highs around 64 degrees, and early-season weather seldom presents obstacles to foot hunting. As the archery season closes and the regular season opens September 10, the primary rut gives way to late-rut and post-rut recovery phases continuing into early October, and then to fall grouping as pronghorn begin moving toward winter range; October weather turns cold and potentially snowy, with highs near 50 degrees and monthly snowfall averaging 1.9 inches, and significant early snow or cold can accelerate migration southeast out of the hunt area. Throughout both seasons, pronghorn are scattered across sagebrush flats in the north, the Wyoming Range foothills on the west, and private grasslands in the central and southern valleys; BLM lands in the Ryegrass and Web Draw offer the most reliable public-land opportunity, especially in September and early October before the seasonal migration intensifies. Access to pronghorn on public land—National Forest, BLM and State parcels—is constrained by roads, trailheads and seasonal restrictions, and much of the accessible public ground lies intermingled with private land; as hunting pressure accumulates, animals retreat to private grasslands and agricultural areas in the valleys where permission becomes necessary to pursue them. Any antelope means a hunter may take either sex and any age class.

Land and access

private land47%

Private

National Forest29%

Generally open to public hunting

BLM20%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land4%

Generally open to public hunting

About 53% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 315 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 60% 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 pronghorn are mapped

Summer Range61%

used in summer

Winter Range10%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range10%

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 pronghorn are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.

Habitat and cover

Lower elevations

Sagebrush57%

Riparian22%

Other cover21%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush63%

Riparian17%

Other cover10%

Conifer6%

Grass and meadow4%

Higher elevations

Conifer45%

Sagebrush38%

Grass and meadow14%

Riparian2%

Aspen1%

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	28°F	6°F	19.1 in
February	31°F	6°F	16.5 in
March	39°F	14°F	11.3 in
April	47°F	22°F	4.9 in
May	57°F	30°F	0.5 in
June	66°F	36°F	0 in
July	75°F	42°F	0 in
August	74°F	41°F	0 in
September	64°F	34°F	0 in
October	50°F	25°F	1.9 in
November	36°F	14°F	12.6 in
December	27°F	6°F	20.1 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw a pronghorn license for hunt area 88 without preference points?: Yes. Wyoming residents do not use preference points for pronghorn—the resident draw is entirely random. Nonresidents who are drawn must have accumulated preference points, as three-quarters of nonresident licenses are awarded to the preference-point draw; however, a quarter of nonresident licenses go to a random draw open to all nonresidents regardless of points.
How much of hunt area 88 is public land a hunter can actually access?: About 53% of the hunt area is public land—National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land—roughly 315 square miles. However, public access is not guaranteed; roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all apply, and much of the publicly-owned ground is interspersed with private land. Consult the interactive hunt map to verify access before the season.
Where are pronghorn most likely to be found in hunt area 88 during the hunting season?: Pronghorn occupy sagebrush flats in the north, the foothills of the Wyoming Range on the west, private grasslands along Horse and Cottonwood Creeks in the center and south, and rolling sagebrush hills in the Ryegrass to the southeast. As the season advances into October, pronghorn migrate southeast toward winter range outside the hunt area; early snow or cold can accelerate that shift, concentrating animals on BLM lands in the Ryegrass and Web Draw in September and early October before they move out.
What happens to pronghorn distribution as hunting pressure increases during the season?: Hunting pressure tends to move pronghorn from public lands onto private land, especially in the valleys and drainage bottoms where private grasslands dominate. As the season progresses, finding unpressured animals often requires permission to hunt private ground rather than relying on public-land access alone.
What is the weather like for pronghorn hunting in hunt area 88 from August through October?: August highs average about 74 degrees with lows around 41 degrees and almost no snow. September stays mild with highs near 64 degrees and lows around 34 degrees, with no significant snowfall. October cools rapidly, with highs around 50 degrees, lows near 25 degrees, and about 1.9 inches of snow possible during the month.

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