Can a hunter draw a region licence or buy a general pronghorn licence to hunt area 89?

No. Every pronghorn hunt area in Wyoming, including hunt area 89, is limited quota and must be drawn for that specific area alone. Residents draw randomly; nonresidents compete in a preference-point draw for three-quarters of the available licences, with the remaining quarter going to a random draw. There is no regional or general pronghorn licence sold in Wyoming, and no alternative licence exists if the draw does not come through.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for pronghorn in this hunt area?

No. Residents have no pronghorn preference-point system in Wyoming. The resident draw for hunt area 89 is random, with no point cutoff for any antelope hunt area in the state. Only nonresidents use preference points for pronghorn, competing for three-quarters of the licences on a top-down points ranking and a quarter through random selection.

How much of hunt area 89 is public ground a hunter can actually access?

About 75 percent of the area—roughly 736 square miles—is BLM, National Forest, or State Trust Land. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy entry: roads, trailheads, private inholdings, and seasonal closures still constrain where a hunter can actually get onto the ground. The BLM sagebrush holdings in the north, central, and south sections and the National Forest land in the western portion offer the most practical public access.

When do the archery and regular seasons run in hunt area 89?

Type 1 runs archery August 15 through September 9, then regular September 10 through October 31. Type 2 runs archery August 15 through September 9, then regular October 10 through October 31. Both seasons are for any pronghorn, so a hunter must draw for the specific season type desired.

Where are pronghorn most likely to be found during the September and October hunt?

In September and early October, pronghorn are well distributed across the public BLM land in the north, central Deer Hills, and southern Dry Basin sections, as well as the National Forest holdings on the western slopes. By mid-October, a substantial pulse of animals arrives from the north and west as weather drives migration, shifting distribution toward the southeastern parts of the hunt area as animals move toward winter ranges beyond it.

Wyoming Hunt Area 89 (Piney) pronghorn hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

75%

Elevation

6,500–11,400 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 89 spreads across 977 square miles of broken country between the Wyoming Range crest on the west and private agricultural valleys to the east. Elevations run from 6,500 feet in the lowlands to 11,400 feet at the highest ridges, with most ground around 7,600 feet. The terrain is predominantly gentle—76% of it slopes under 9 degrees—graded by high country rock and alpine terrain giving way to coniferous forest, then aspen, then rolling sagebrush foothills and private grasslands in the major drainages. Sagebrush dominates throughout the lower and mid elevations, though conifers occupy enough of the higher slopes to make a real presence. Pronghorn scatter through the whole area: rolling sagebrush hills in the north, sagebrush foothills along the western face, private agricultural ground along the central creek bottoms, and xeric salt-desert shrub country in the Dry Basin to the south.

Getting onto public ground is straightforward in patches but requires knowing where to go. About three-quarters of the area is public land—roughly 736 square miles of BLM, National Forest, and State Trust Land—but roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still complicate entry. BLM sagebrush country exists in the northern sections, the central Deer Hills, and the southern Dry Basin, offering relatively large stretches of lowland habitat. National Forest land on the western slopes holds pronghorn in places like Snider Basin and Deadline Ridge. Through September and early October, pronghorn remain distributed across these public holdings and the surrounding private ground. By mid-October, a substantial movement arrives from the Hoback Basin and hunt area 88 as weather pushes animals toward southeast-trending winter ranges, and pronghorn shift from north to south through the hunt area as fall migration advances. Pronghorn can be found throughout the area year-round, but the seasonal pulse through fall changes where concentration is highest.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 89 (Piney) 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
Type 2 · Any antelope
Archery August 15 – September 9Regular October 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)

Archery hunting through mid-September opens during the pre-rut territorial phase when bucks are aggressive and visible, then transitions into the primary rut as September advances and does become more active; this high-visibility window favors stalkers willing to cover ground on foot. Weather cools from August highs near 76 degrees to September highs around 66 degrees with virtually no snow, keeping conditions mild and passable. The regular season from mid-September through October spans the tail end of the primary rut into post-rut recovery and early fall grouping, with September maintaining mild conditions before October cold—highs drop to 52 degrees and snow accumulation rises to 2.3 inches monthly—making the later weeks more challenging. Public lands in the BLM sagebrush areas and National Forest slopes hold huntable pronghorn, though private ground in the central creek valleys also carries animals and requires permission. This hunt is for any pronghorn, which means either sex is legal.

Type 2 — Any antelope (August–October)

The archery phase from mid-August through early September follows pre-rut and primary-rut timing when territorial behavior makes bucks responsive to aggressive approach, mirroring the early opportunity Type 1 offers but open to a different hunter draw. Mild August and September weather with little snow supports foot hunting and glassing across the sagebrush ridges and foothills. The regular season from early October through the end of the month hunts the late-rut recovery and fall-grouping phases as temperatures slide from 52-degree highs to near freezing and snow climbs to 2.3 inches monthly, pushing animals into movement and making the final weeks progressively harder underfoot. Access follows the same pattern as Type 1: public BLM holdings in three main sagebrush blocks, National Forest slopes in the west, and scattered private ground in the central drainages. This hunt is for any pronghorn, allowing either sex to be taken.

Land and access

BLM50%

Generally open to public hunting

private land25%

Private

National Forest22%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land4%

Generally open to public hunting

About 75% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 736 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

Summer Range49%

used in summer

Winter Range28%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range26%

the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it

Parturition Areas4%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range2%

the only layer that means year-round use

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

Sagebrush73%

Other cover15%

Riparian10%

Grass and meadow2%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush85%

Riparian8%

Grass and meadow3%

Conifer2%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush46%

Conifer37%

Grass and meadow14%

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	28°F	5°F	17.4 in
February	31°F	6°F	15.5 in
March	40°F	15°F	9.9 in
April	49°F	22°F	4.9 in
May	58°F	31°F	0.9 in
June	68°F	38°F	0 in
July	77°F	44°F	0 in
August	76°F	42°F	0 in
September	66°F	35°F	0.2 in
October	52°F	25°F	2.3 in
November	38°F	14°F	10.8 in
December	28°F	5°F	18 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw a region licence or buy a general pronghorn licence to hunt area 89?: No. Every pronghorn hunt area in Wyoming, including hunt area 89, is limited quota and must be drawn for that specific area alone. Residents draw randomly; nonresidents compete in a preference-point draw for three-quarters of the available licences, with the remaining quarter going to a random draw. There is no regional or general pronghorn licence sold in Wyoming, and no alternative licence exists if the draw does not come through.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for pronghorn in this hunt area?: No. Residents have no pronghorn preference-point system in Wyoming. The resident draw for hunt area 89 is random, with no point cutoff for any antelope hunt area in the state. Only nonresidents use preference points for pronghorn, competing for three-quarters of the licences on a top-down points ranking and a quarter through random selection.
How much of hunt area 89 is public ground a hunter can actually access?: About 75 percent of the area—roughly 736 square miles—is BLM, National Forest, or State Trust Land. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy entry: roads, trailheads, private inholdings, and seasonal closures still constrain where a hunter can actually get onto the ground. The BLM sagebrush holdings in the north, central, and south sections and the National Forest land in the western portion offer the most practical public access.
When do the archery and regular seasons run in hunt area 89?: Type 1 runs archery August 15 through September 9, then regular September 10 through October 31. Type 2 runs archery August 15 through September 9, then regular October 10 through October 31. Both seasons are for any pronghorn, so a hunter must draw for the specific season type desired.
Where are pronghorn most likely to be found during the September and October hunt?: In September and early October, pronghorn are well distributed across the public BLM land in the north, central Deer Hills, and southern Dry Basin sections, as well as the National Forest holdings on the western slopes. By mid-October, a substantial pulse of animals arrives from the north and west as weather drives migration, shifting distribution toward the southeastern parts of the hunt area as animals move toward winter ranges beyond it.

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