Antelope Hunt Area 43, Cooper Lake: harvest, draw results and public land
Antelope Hunt Area 43 (Cooper Lake) covers 445 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 19.3% public land, most of it BLM (30,312 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 227 active hunters took 195 antelope here, 85.9% 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.
BLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeArea 43Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Cooper Lake (526) |
| Size | 445 square miles (284,552 acres) |
| Public land | 19.3% (54,781 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 195 (85.9% of 227 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 6 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Laramie, Rock River, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow |
How much public land is in Antelope Area 43?
19.3% of antelope Area 43 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 54,781 of 284,552 acres. The largest share is BLM, 30,312 acres or 10.7% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 43 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 30,312 | 10.7% |
| State trust land | 24,469 | 8.6% |
| National wildlife refuge | 1,172 | 0.4% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 24,473 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 18,497 acres no known public access, 5,936 acres road access or reached from other state land and 40 acres access not yet researched. 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 43
Hunter Management Areas: Diamond Lake (43,377 acres here), Laramie River (39,706 acres here) and Strouss Hill (26 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 1,609 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 43?
WGFD estimates 195 antelope were taken in antelope Area 43 in 2025: 186 bucks, 9 does and 0 fawns. 227 hunters hunted, and 85.9% of them took an animal. Residents: 176 hunters, 82.4% success; nonresidents: 51 hunters, 98% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 227 | 195 | 186 | 9 | 0 | 85.9% | 559 | 2.9 |
| 2024 | 237 | 217 | 201 | 16 | 0 | 91.6% | 761 | 3.5 |
| 2023 | 242 | 188 | 183 | 0 | 5 | 77.7% | 676 | 3.6 |
| 2022 | 334 | 245 | 206 | 31 | 8 | 73.4% | 989 | 4.0 |
| 2021 | 840 | 586 | 266 | 273 | 47 | 69.8% | 2,675 | 4.6 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 254 | 227 | 195 | 85.9% | 559 |
Source: WGFD 2025 antelope harvest report, page 11 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 43 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 43:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Sep 14 | Sep 15 to Oct 31 | 300 | Any antelope |
| Type 6 | Aug 15 to Sep 14 | Sep 15 to Oct 31 | 50 | Doe or fawn |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 5 (final, April 2026), page 3. 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 43?
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 | 9 | 166 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 6 | 4 | not published | |
| Residents | 237 | 181 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 27 | 194 | 28 | 6 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 18 | 23 | 19 | 3 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 10 | 73 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 46 | 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 43?
Highways through the area: US 287 (about 41 miles inside it), US 30 (about 40 miles inside it), I-80 (about 31 miles inside it), WY 13 (about 3 miles inside it) and WY 130 (about 2 miles inside it). Towns inside: Laramie and Rock River. Nearby: Elk Mountain (13 miles) and Medicine Bow (15 miles).
Which antelope hunt areas border Area 43?
Antelope Area 43 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 37 | Harriman | 339 | 12% | 337 (2025) |
| Area 38 | Iron Mountain | 2,357 | 17.9% | 497 (2025) |
| Area 42 | Laramie Plains | 1,111 | 34% | 287 (2025) |
| Area 44 | South Laramie | 427 | 26.3% | 130 (2025) |
| Area 45 | West Laramie | 654 | 46.6% | 635 (2025) |
| Area 46 | Kyle | 398 | 26.2% | 189 (2025) |
| Area 50 | Elk Mountain | 1,186 | 61.7% | 349 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Antelope Area 43?
19.3% of antelope Area 43 is public land: 54,781 of its 284,552 acres, the largest share BLM (30,312 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 43?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 85.9%: 227 active hunters took 195 antelope. In 2024 it was 91.6% (217 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does antelope season open in Antelope Area 43 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 15 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 43?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for antelope Area 43. The largest, Type 1, had 297 licenses and 568 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Antelope Area 43?
Laramie and Rock River are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Elk Mountain (13 miles) and Medicine Bow (15 miles).
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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 3.
- 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.
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