Antelope Hunt Area 52, Spring Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Antelope Hunt Area 52 (Spring Creek) covers 616 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 64% public land, most of it BLM (129,540 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 140 active hunters took 122 antelope here, 87.1% 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 52Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region (also Green River) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Iron Springs (630) |
| Size | 616 square miles (394,554 acres) |
| Public land | 64% (252,616 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 16,120 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 122 (87.1% of 140 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Saratoga, Encampment, Riverside, Sinclair and Rawlins |
How much public land is in Antelope Area 52?
64% of antelope Area 52 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 252,616 of 394,554 acres. The largest share is BLM, 129,540 acres or 32.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 52 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 129,540 | 32.8% |
| National forest | 98,801 | 25% |
| State trust land | 24,275 | 6.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 24,390 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 15,551 acres next to other public land, 6,988 acres road access or reached from other state land, 1,839 acres no known public access and 12 acres possible access by water. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Huston Park Wilderness (11,488 acres) and Encampment River Wilderness (4,632 acres). A nonresident hunting big game in a designated wilderness area must be accompanied by a licensed professional guide or a resident guide (W.S. 23-2-401).
WGFD access areas in Antelope Area 52
Public Access Areas: North Platte River-Treasure Island (236 acres here), North Platte River-Sanger (134 acres here) and North Platte River-Pick Bridge (42 acres here).
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 52?
WGFD estimates 122 antelope were taken in antelope Area 52 in 2025: 120 bucks, 2 does and 0 fawns. 140 hunters hunted, and 87.1% of them took an animal. Residents: 109 hunters, 83.5% success; nonresidents: 31 hunters, 100% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 140 | 122 | 120 | 2 | 0 | 87.1% | 408 | 3.3 |
| 2024 | 148 | 123 | 114 | 9 | 0 | 83.1% | 370 | 3.0 |
| 2023 | 177 | 150 | 141 | 9 | 0 | 84.7% | 473 | 3.2 |
| 2022 | 397 | 350 | 204 | 131 | 15 | 88.2% | 1,399 | 4.0 |
| 2021 | 401 | 372 | 196 | 158 | 18 | 92.8% | 1,383 | 3.7 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 76 | 66 | 56 | 84.8% | 189 |
| Type 2 | 76 | 74 | 66 | 89.2% | 219 |
Source: WGFD 2025 antelope harvest report, page 12 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 52 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 52:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | Sep 16 to Oct 31 | 125 | Any antelope |
| Type 2 | Aug 15 to Sep 15 | Sep 16 to Nov 14 | 150 | Any antelope valid south of North Spring Creek |
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 52?
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 | 3 | 117 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 9 | not published | |
| Residents | 95 | 387 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 9 | 126 | 9 | 9 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 7 | 16 | 7 | 7 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 5 | 35 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 3 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 119 | 135 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 17 | 53 | 18 | 6 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 9 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
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 52?
Highways through the area: WY 70 (about 13 miles inside it), WY 230 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 130 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside. Nearby: Sinclair (14 miles) and Rawlins (17 miles).
Which antelope hunt areas border Area 52?
Antelope Area 52 touches 5 other antelope hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 50 | Elk Mountain | 1,186 | 61.7% | 349 (2025) |
| Area 51 | Big Creek | 318 | 58.9% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 53 | Baggs | 1,002 | 73.2% | 49 (2025) |
| Area 56 | Iron Springs | 268 | 46.8% | 10 (2025) |
| Area 108 | Bridger Pass | 192 | 56.5% | 24 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Antelope Area 52?
64% of antelope Area 52 is public land: 252,616 of its 394,554 acres, the largest share BLM (129,540 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 52?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 87.1%: 140 active hunters took 122 antelope. In 2024 it was 83.1% (123 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does antelope season open in Antelope Area 52 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 16 and the latest closes November 14, 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 52?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for antelope Area 52. The largest, Type 2, had 153 licenses and 229 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Antelope Area 52?
Saratoga, Encampment and Riverside are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Sinclair (14 miles) and Rawlins (17 miles).
Is there wilderness in Antelope Area 52?
Yes. Huston Park Wilderness (11,488 acres) and Encampment River Wilderness (4,632 acres) lie inside it. Wyoming law requires a nonresident hunting big game in a designated wilderness area to be accompanied by a licensed professional guide or a resident guide (W.S. 23-2-401).
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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.
Wyoming hunting Antelope hunt areas Laramie Region Area 50 Area 51 Area 53 Area 56 Area 108