Antelope Hunt Area 26, Bear Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Antelope Hunt Area 26 (Bear Creek) covers 1,817 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 14.9% public land, the largest part state trust land (80,016 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 902 active hunters took 790 antelope here, 87.6% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 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 26Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region (also Sheridan) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | North Converse (748) |
| Size | 1,817 square miles (1,162,738 acres) |
| Public land | 14.9% (172,743 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 790 (87.6% of 902 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Wright, Rolling Hills, Glenrock and Douglas |
How much public land is in Antelope Area 26?
14.9% of antelope Area 26 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 172,743 of 1,162,738 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 80,016 acres or 6.9% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 26 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 80,016 | 6.9% |
| BLM | 67,971 | 5.8% |
| National forest | 24,756 | 2.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 80,048 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 51,185 acres road access or reached from other state land, 24,730 acres no known public access and 4,133 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 26
Public Access Areas: Ogalalla Ranch (4,310 acres here) and North Platte River-Bixby (33 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 3 areas covering 10,658 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 26?
WGFD estimates 790 antelope were taken in antelope Area 26 in 2025: 747 bucks, 26 does and 17 fawns. 902 hunters hunted, and 87.6% of them took an animal. Residents: 239 hunters, 78.2% success; nonresidents: 663 hunters, 91% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 902 | 790 | 747 | 26 | 17 | 87.6% | 2,312 | 2.9 |
| 2024 | 949 | 884 | 813 | 66 | 5 | 93.2% | 2,969 | 3.4 |
| 2023 | 979 | 921 | 800 | 73 | 48 | 94.1% | 2,484 | 2.7 |
| 2022 | 1,167 | 1,050 | 811 | 218 | 21 | 90% | 3,179 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | 1,441 | 1,255 | 917 | 267 | 71 | 87.1% | 3,850 | 3.1 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 1,006 | 877 | 770 | 87.8% | 2,169 |
| Type 7 | 50 | 32 | 20 | 62.5% | 143 |
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.
When is antelope season in Antelope Area 26 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 26:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Sep 23 | Sep 24 to Oct 14 | 1100 | Any antelope |
| Type 7 | Aug 15 to Sep 23 | Sep 24 to Oct 31 | 50 | Doe or fawn valid on or within (1) mile of irrigated 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 26?
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 | 159 | 564 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 81 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 871 | 169 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 477 | 1,043 | 479 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 244 | 152 | 152 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 8 | 182 | not published | |
| Residents | 39 | 38 | 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 26?
Highways through the area: WY 59 (about 44 miles inside it), WY 93 (about 17 miles inside it), WY 95 (about 14 miles inside it) and WY 387 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Wright. Nearby: Rolling Hills (on the line), Glenrock (on the line), Douglas (on the line) and Edgerton (8 miles).
Which antelope hunt areas border Area 26?
Antelope Area 26 touches 7 other antelope hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 23 | Pumpkin Buttes | 1,542 | 14% | 1,992 (2025) |
| Area 24 | Thunder Basin | 851 | 18.1% | 490 (2025) |
| Area 25 | Ormsby | 721 | 32% | 403 (2025) |
| Area 27 | Bill | 564 | 57.7% | 105 (2025) |
| Area 29 | Shawneee | 1,263 | 22.8% | 331 (2025) |
| Area 30 | Laprele | 1,052 | 28.8% | 424 (2025) |
| Area 31 | Hat Six | 316 | 32.7% | 72 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Antelope Area 26?
14.9% of antelope Area 26 is public land: 172,743 of its 1,162,738 acres, the largest share state trust land (80,016 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 26?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 87.6%: 902 active hunters took 790 antelope. In 2024 it was 93.2% (884 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does antelope season open in Antelope Area 26 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 24 and the latest closes October 31, 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 26?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for antelope Area 26. The largest, Type 1, had 1,832 licenses and 1,928 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Antelope Area 26?
Wright is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Rolling Hills (on the line), Glenrock (on the line) and Douglas (on the line).
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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 Casper Region Area 23 Area 24 Area 25 Area 27 Area 29 Area 30 Area 31