Can a hunter draw hunt area 98 with a general or region pronghorn licence?

Hunt area 98 is a limited-quota hunt area drawn for that area specifically — there is no general pronghorn licence or region pronghorn licence available in Wyoming. A hunter must draw a licence for hunt area 98 itself, and if that draw does not come through there is no alternative licence to fall back on.

What preference points do Wyoming residents need for hunt area 98?

Wyoming residents have no pronghorn preference points. The resident pronghorn draw for hunt area 98 is random, with no points system and no point cutoff. Nonresidents do use preference points, with three-quarters of nonresident licences awarded by points and a quarter filled by random draw.

How much of hunt area 98 can a hunter actually access on public ground?

About 73% of the area is public land (BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land) totaling roughly 687 square miles. However, pronghorn concentrate more heavily on private land than that percentage suggests, especially along the Hams Fork River and in the Smiths Fork drainage northeast of Cokeville. Landowner permission is required to cross private parcels.

What months do the pronghorn seasons run in hunt area 98?

Both seasons in hunt area 98 run August 15 through October 31, split between archery (August 15–September 9) and regular seasons (September 10–October 31). Type 1 allows any antelope, while Type 6 is limited to does and fawns.

When do most pronghorn leave hunt area 98?

Most pronghorn migrate out of hunt area 98 to lower-altitude winter ranges as fall progresses, so hunters pushing late into October may find less game than those hunting earlier in the season. The southern flats and low country hold most of the antelope when they are present.

Wyoming Hunt Area 98 (Sage) pronghorn hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

73%

Elevation

6,100–10,500 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Hunt area 98 divides into two distinct countries. The southern three-quarters is sagebrush flats and low broken hills — genuine pronghorn country, open and relatively easy to cover on foot. Moving north the ground climbs into timbered ridges and larger mountains where pronghorn are scarce and the hunt becomes rougher work. Elevations span from 6,100 feet in the lower country up to 10,500 feet, with typical ground around 7,300 feet. Terrain is moderate in grade: 58% is gentle country, 38% moderate, 4% steep. Sagebrush dominates the lower elevations, giving way to sagebrush and conifer mixed at mid-elevation, and conifer taking the lead in the high country. Private irrigated ground lies scattered along the Smiths Fork and Bear Rivers.

Access to this area runs through both National Forest and BLM land, making up about 73% of the 943 square miles, with private land comprising 25%. However, pronghorn in hunt area 98 concentrate more heavily on private ground than that split suggests, particularly along the Hams Fork River on the eastern border and in the Smiths Fork drainage northeast of Cokeville. A hunter needs landowner permission to cross private land even when public ground exists in the area. Most roads here become nearly impassable in wet conditions, which matters for seasonal access from summer into fall.

Pronghorn density in hunt area 98 is kept intentionally lower than most areas in Wyoming to reduce competition with the thousands of mule deer that winter on the sagebrush. Although the south and low flats hold most of the antelope, many migrate to lower-altitude winter ranges as the season advances. Hunters who push into October may find less game than those hunting earlier but can help distribute pressure across the season.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 98 (Sage) 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 6 · Doe or fawn
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)

Archery hunting runs from mid-August into early September during the pre-rut phase as bucks move through territory formation, then shifts into the primary rut in early September before archery closes — this is aggressive, visible hunting with bucks active and vocal. The regular season follows from mid-September through the end of October, spanning the primary rut, the tail of the rut when bucks are still engaged but beginning to recover, and finally the fall grouping as animals shift toward winter movement. August weather starts warm at highs near 75 degrees and cools steadily through October to highs around 51 degrees, with little rain or snow in August and September but October snowfall averaging 1.6 inches per month. Most roads in the area become nearly impassable when wet, which matters more as fall rains and snow arrive. Pronghorn are more common in the low flats and sagebrush country of the south; hunters targeting the ridges and higher timber will find far fewer animals. Type 1 allows any antelope.

Type 6 — Doe or fawn (August–October)

The archery window from mid-August into early September opens during pre-rut and continues into the primary rut, when bucks are most active and does begin responding — this season is valid for does and fawns only and tags those animals during their most visible period. The regular season from mid-September through October extends through the rut recovery and fall grouping phases, when does and fawns have shifted focus from the rut intensity and are increasingly mobile and grouped. Temperatures fall from around 75 degrees in August to near 51 degrees by October, and fall rainfall combined with October snowfall averaging 1.6 inches means roads deteriorate as the season progresses. Pronghorn concentrate in the lower sagebrush country rather than the timbered ridges, and many migrate to lower winter ranges as October advances, so earlier hunting generally offers better opportunity. This hunt is limited to does and fawns.

Land and access

BLM40%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest25%

Generally open to public hunting

private land25%

Private

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

National Park Service1%

Public land closed to hunting

unclassified ownership1%

Ownership unclassified

About 73% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 687 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 Range21%

used in summer

Winter Range12%

used in winter

Yearlong Range10%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range2%

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

Sagebrush70%

Other cover19%

Riparian7%

Grass and meadow3%

Conifer1%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush80%

Conifer13%

Grass and meadow2%

Riparian2%

Aspen1%

Other cover1%

Higher elevations

Conifer49%

Sagebrush46%

Aspen3%

Grass and meadow1%

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	30°F	11°F	20.3 in
February	32°F	11°F	17.4 in
March	41°F	18°F	11.5 in
April	48°F	25°F	4.5 in
May	57°F	33°F	0.5 in
June	66°F	39°F	0 in
July	76°F	46°F	0 in
August	75°F	45°F	0 in
September	65°F	38°F	0.1 in
October	51°F	28°F	1.6 in
November	38°F	18°F	11.1 in
December	29°F	11°F	19.2 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw hunt area 98 with a general or region pronghorn licence?: Hunt area 98 is a limited-quota hunt area drawn for that area specifically — there is no general pronghorn licence or region pronghorn licence available in Wyoming. A hunter must draw a licence for hunt area 98 itself, and if that draw does not come through there is no alternative licence to fall back on.
What preference points do Wyoming residents need for hunt area 98?: Wyoming residents have no pronghorn preference points. The resident pronghorn draw for hunt area 98 is random, with no points system and no point cutoff. Nonresidents do use preference points, with three-quarters of nonresident licences awarded by points and a quarter filled by random draw.
How much of hunt area 98 can a hunter actually access on public ground?: About 73% of the area is public land (BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land) totaling roughly 687 square miles. However, pronghorn concentrate more heavily on private land than that percentage suggests, especially along the Hams Fork River and in the Smiths Fork drainage northeast of Cokeville. Landowner permission is required to cross private parcels.
What months do the pronghorn seasons run in hunt area 98?: Both seasons in hunt area 98 run August 15 through October 31, split between archery (August 15–September 9) and regular seasons (September 10–October 31). Type 1 allows any antelope, while Type 6 is limited to does and fawns.
When do most pronghorn leave hunt area 98?: Most pronghorn migrate out of hunt area 98 to lower-altitude winter ranges as fall progresses, so hunters pushing late into October may find less game than those hunting earlier in the season. The southern flats and low country hold most of the antelope when they are present.

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