Antelope Hunt Area 24, Thunder Basin: harvest, draw results and public land
Antelope Hunt Area 24 (Thunder Basin) covers 851 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 18.1% public land, the largest part state trust land (39,630 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 612 active hunters took 490 antelope here, 80.1% success. The 2026 season table lists 4 license rows here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 5, final April 2026. Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the Office of State Lands, read 2026-10-18.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 24Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Black Thunder (750) |
| Size | 851 square miles (544,468 acres) |
| Public land | 18.1% (98,597 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 490 (80.1% of 612 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2, Type 6, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Sleepy Hollow, Gillette, Wright and Moorcroft |
How much public land is in Antelope Area 24?
18.1% of antelope Area 24 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 98,597 of 544,468 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 39,630 acres or 7.3% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 24 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 39,630 | 7.3% |
| BLM | 36,158 | 6.6% |
| National forest | 22,809 | 4.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 39,631 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 25,444 acres no known public access, 11,040 acres road access or reached from other state land and 3,147 acres next to other public land. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
WGFD access areas in Antelope Area 24
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 3,610 acres of private land enrolled in WGFD's Access Yes program.
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD antelope hunt areas) from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Access areas: WGFD's WHMA, PAA, HMA and Walk-In boundaries. Wilderness: USFS wilderness boundaries as WGFD publishes them.
How many antelope are harvested in Antelope Area 24?
WGFD estimates 490 antelope were taken in antelope Area 24 in 2025: 431 bucks, 54 does and 5 fawns. 612 hunters hunted, and 80.1% of them took an animal. Residents: 195 hunters, 75.4% success; nonresidents: 417 hunters, 82.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 612 | 490 | 431 | 54 | 5 | 80.1% | 2,072 | 4.2 |
| 2024 | 565 | 522 | 461 | 61 | 0 | 92.4% | 1,432 | 2.7 |
| 2023 | 423 | 432 | 388 | 34 | 10 | 102.1% | 994 | 2.3 |
| 2022 | 509 | 495 | 394 | 73 | 28 | 97.2% | 1,565 | 3.2 |
| 2021 | 582 | 515 | 396 | 103 | 16 | 88.5% | 1,632 | 3.2 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 250 | 207 | 147 | 71% | 927 |
| Type 2 | 425 | 385 | 310 | 80.5% | 888 |
| Type 6 | 28 | 22 | 16 | 72.7% | 198 |
| Type 7 | 25 | 21 | 17 | 81% | 59 |
Source: WGFD 2025 antelope harvest report, page 10 of the PDF; earlier years from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. WGFD counts a hunter as active if he hunted. Days per animal is worked out from WGFD's own two figures. Success above 100% is as WGFD prints it: some hunters hold more than one license.
When is antelope season in Antelope Area 24 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 24:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 20 | 250 | Any antelope |
| Type 2 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 20 | 425 | Any antelope valid on private land |
| Type 6 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 20 | 25 | Doe or fawn |
| Type 7 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 20 | 25 | Doe or fawn valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 5 (final, April 2026), page 2. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
What did the 2026 draw look like in Antelope Area 24?
From WGFD's 2026 initial drawing demand reports: each limited quota hunt's licenses, its first-choice applicants in each drawing, how many were drawn in the preference point drawings, and the fewest points that drew. WGFD does not publish how many drew in the random drawings. The rules for points and the deadlines are on the Wyoming draw page.
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 15 | 185 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 8 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 199 | 127 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 47 | 233 | 48 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 24 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 95 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 39 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 340 | 26 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 287 | 163 | 163 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 118 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 5 | 70 | not published | |
| Residents | 20 | 49 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 5 | 44 | not published | |
| Residents | 20 | 22 | not published |
Source: WGFD 2026 antelope demand report, nonresident preference point drawing and the other 2026 demand reports on WGFD's draw results page. Applicants who miss in a nonresident preference point drawing go on to the random drawing, so one person can be counted in both. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Antelope Area 24?
Highways through the area: WY 51 (about 23 miles inside it), I-90 (about 17 miles inside it), WY 59 (about 16 miles inside it), US 16 (about 14 miles inside it) and US 14 (about 14 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sleepy Hollow. Nearby: Gillette (on the line), Wright (on the line), Moorcroft (2 miles) and Pine Haven (10 miles).
Which antelope hunt areas border Area 24?
Antelope Area 24 touches 6 other antelope hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 3 | Keyhole | 331 | 9.9% | 193 (2025) |
| Area 7 | South Upton | 988 | 28.3% | 285 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Rozet | 418 | 15.1% | 231 (2025) |
| Area 23 | Pumpkin Buttes | 1,542 | 14% | 1,992 (2025) |
| Area 26 | Bear Creek | 1,817 | 14.9% | 790 (2025) |
| Area 27 | Bill | 564 | 57.7% | 105 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Antelope Area 24?
18.1% of antelope Area 24 is public land: 98,597 of its 544,468 acres, the largest share state trust land (39,630 acres). Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data.
What is the hunter success in Antelope Area 24?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 80.1%: 612 active hunters took 490 antelope. In 2024 it was 92.4% (522 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does antelope season open in Antelope Area 24 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes October 20, by WGFD Commission Chapter 5. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
How many licenses were in the 2026 draw for Antelope Area 24?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for antelope Area 24. The largest, Type 2, had 879 licenses and 198 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Antelope Area 24?
Sleepy Hollow is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Gillette (on the line), Wright (on the line) and Moorcroft (2 miles).
Get notified about FilledTag in Wyoming
Leave your email and we will let you know when FilledTag adds something new for Wyoming hunters.
The free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wyoming included.
Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: WGFD antelope harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 5 (final, April 2026), page 2.
- Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports; deadlines and fees on the Wyoming draw page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD antelope hunt areas. Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Highways and towns: Census TIGER/Line 2024 and the 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
Wyoming hunting Antelope hunt areas Sheridan Region Area 3 Area 7 Area 19 Area 23 Area 26 Area 27