Wyoming Hunt Area 90 (Square Top) pronghorn hunting
Hunt area 90 sits high in the sagebrush country west of the Continental Divide, ranging from the Wind River Range down to foothill valleys. The terrain is gentle overall, with 79% of it rolling at slopes under 9 degrees and elevations running from 6,800 feet to over 12,000 feet. Pronghorn inhabit only the western half of the area, on the sagebrush flats and in the private agricultural grasslands draining to the East Fork River and its smaller tributaries, as well as the drier sagebrush draws along the Big Sandy River. The higher elevations are rock and tundra giving way downslope to conifer forest, aspen, and rolling sage country; lower valleys hold mostly private land in agricultural use. Access to public land—about 82% of the hunt area—comes from paved roads including Boulder Highway, Highway 191, and the Muddy Speedway, with the western and southern portions along Highway 191 holding both accessible BLM land and reliable pronghorn presence.
Hunt area 90 contains designated wilderness, which means a nonresident hunter must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide if hunting in those areas. About 82% of the ground is dependably open public land—BLM, National Forest, and State Trust Land—with the rest private. The pronghorn range here intersects multiple elevations and cover types; the sagebrush lowlands below 8,000 feet hold the bulk of the animals, though pronghorn can be found distributed across much of the area during most of the season. Pressure during fall migration can push animals southward toward winter range, and in dry years they concentrate on irrigated private land and near permanent water; access to private ground varies by year and landowner agreement. The area also supports deer, elk, and moose in the forested eastern portions, grouse in both coniferous and sagebrush habitats, and mountain lions, wolves, and black bear in limited zones.
Licence and how this hunt area is drawn
Hunt Area 90 (Square Top) 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 antelopeArchery August 15 – September 9Regular September 10 – October 31
- Type 7 · Doe or fawn valid on private landRegular August 15 – 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 for any antelope opens August 15 in the pre-rut period and runs through September 9 into the primary rut, as bulls establish territories and mating activity begins in earnest. August temperatures average highs near 78 degrees with cool nights around 42 degrees, slowing to highs in the upper 60s by early September with overnight lows near freezing; snow is minimal. The terrain is gentle enough for cross-country movement, though pronghorn can be scattered across the sagebrush and private agricultural lands of the western half. Regular (rifle) season for any antelope begins September 10 as the rut peaks and extends through October 31, carrying the hunt through the late rut and early fall grouping phases as animals begin moving toward winter range. September stays cool with highs around 68 degrees, dropping rapidly through October as highs fall to the mid-50s and lows dip below freezing; October snowfall averages under an inch. Access to BLM holdings and National Forest public land continues from the highway corridors, though animals may concentrate on private irrigated lands as the season advances toward migration. This hunt is open area-wide and allows any antelope of either sex.
Type 7 — Doe or fawn valid on private land (August–October)
The regular season for does or fawns runs August 15 through October 31 entirely on private land, spanning the pre-rut, primary rut, late rut, and fall grouping phases. August and September weather stays relatively mild, with August highs averaging 78 degrees and September highs dropping to the upper 60s, then October cools rapidly with highs falling to the mid-50s and occasional early-October snow. Access is limited to private land only and depends on landowner permission, which varies by parcel and year; the western and southern reaches of the hunt area near Highway 191 and the East Fork River drainage typically hold more accessible private ground. This hunt is restricted to does and fawns only—no bucks—making it a targeted opportunity on private land where pronghorn concentrate during seasonal movements and around permanent water and irrigation.
Land and access
About 82% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 468 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 75% 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 includes designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness.
Where pronghorn are mapped
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
Mid elevations
Higher elevations
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 | 2°F | 7 in |
| February | 31°F | 3°F | 8.1 in |
| March | 41°F | 13°F | 5.2 in |
| April | 50°F | 22°F | 3.2 in |
| May | 60°F | 30°F | 0.3 in |
| June | 71°F | 38°F | 0 in |
| July | 79°F | 44°F | 0 in |
| August | 78°F | 42°F | 0 in |
| September | 68°F | 34°F | 0.1 in |
| October | 54°F | 24°F | 0.9 in |
| November | 39°F | 12°F | 5.3 in |
| December | 29°F | 3°F | 8.2 in |
Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.
Common questions
- Can a hunter draw this hunt area as a Wyoming resident?
- Yes. Wyoming residents enter a random draw for hunt area 90 and do not compete on preference points for pronghorn. Every resident applicant has an equal chance regardless of prior applications, and there is no regional licence fallback—a hunter must draw this specific area to hunt pronghorn here.
- Does a nonresident hunter need preference points for this hunt area?
- Preference points matter significantly for nonresidents. The nonresident draw splits into two pools: three quarters of the available licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded to the highest-point applicants first, and a quarter go to a random draw. Nonresidents with no points can enter the random pool, but points improve the odds substantially.
- Can a nonresident hunt the designated wilderness in this hunt area without a guide?
- No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide when hunting in designated wilderness. Nonresidents planning to hunt wilderness portions of hunt area 90 must arrange a guide in advance.
- How much of hunt area 90 can a hunter actually get onto?
- About 82% of the area is dependably open public land—BLM, National Forest, and State Trust Land—roughly 468 square miles. The remaining 17% is private, where access depends on landowner permission and varies year to year. Roads including Highway 191, Boulder Highway, and the Muddy Speedway provide entry to public parcels across the area.
- When does the archery season run and when does regular season open?
- The archery season for any antelope runs August 15 through September 9. The regular season for any antelope begins September 10 and runs through October 31. There is also a separate regular season (August 15–October 31) where only does or fawns are valid, and that hunt is restricted to private land only.
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.