Antelope Hunt Area 79, Big Horn: harvest, draw results and public land
Antelope Hunt Area 79 (Big Horn) covers 1,249 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 77.3% public land, most of it BLM (576,655 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 146 active hunters took 119 antelope here, 81.5% 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 landBureau of ReclamationNational park (no general hunting)Area 79Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Copper Mountain (201) |
| Size | 1,249 square miles (799,672 acres) |
| Public land | 77.3% (618,402 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 119 (81.5% of 146 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 7, Type 9, Type 0 |
| Towns in and near it | Ten Sleep, Hyattville, Shell, Manderson, Greybull and Basin |
How much public land is in Antelope Area 79?
77.3% of antelope Area 79 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 618,402 of 799,672 acres. The largest share is BLM, 576,655 acres or 72.1% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 79 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 576,655 | 72.1% |
| State trust land | 40,833 | 5.1% |
| National park (no general hunting) | 6,666 | 0.8% |
| National forest | 885 | 0.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 29 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 41,271 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 20,900 acres next to other public land, 20,320 acres road access or reached from other state land, 40 acres access not yet researched and 11 acres no known public access. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
6,666 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.
WGFD access areas in Antelope Area 79
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Renner (15,509 acres here), Medicine Lodge (12,516 acres here) and Yellowtail (2,929 acres here). Public Access Areas: Carter/Billy Miles (4,866 acres here) and Wigwam Rearing Station (401 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Spanish Point (5,989 acres here), Yellowtail (2,929 acres here) and Lower Nowood (230 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 8 areas covering 3,722 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 79?
WGFD estimates 119 antelope were taken in antelope Area 79 in 2025: 76 bucks, 43 does and 0 fawns. 146 hunters hunted, and 81.5% of them took an animal. Residents: 111 hunters, 76.6% success; nonresidents: 35 hunters, 97.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 146 | 119 | 76 | 43 | 0 | 81.5% | 756 | 6.4 |
| 2024 | 124 | 100 | 50 | 47 | 3 | 80.6% | 525 | 5.3 |
| 2023 | 102 | 70 | 44 | 24 | 2 | 68.6% | 533 | 7.6 |
| 2022 | 116 | 83 | 49 | 31 | 3 | 71.6% | 602 | 7.3 |
| 2021 | 111 | 97 | 56 | 40 | 1 | 87.4% | 484 | 5.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 28 | 28 | 25 | 89.3% | 85 |
| Type 6 | 76 | 51 | 40 | 78.4% | 189 |
| Type 9 | 50 | 50 | 33 | 66% | 358 |
| Type 0 | 28 | 28 | 21 | 75% | 124 |
Source: WGFD 2025 antelope harvest report, page 14 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 79 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Every row WGFD prints for Area 79:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 | 25 | Any antelope valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land | |
| Type 7 | Sep 1 to Nov 30 | 75 | Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land | |
| Type 9 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | 50 | Any antelope, archery only | |
| Type 0 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 25 | Any antelope, muzzle- loading firearms only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 5 (final, April 2026), pages 5 to 6. 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 79?
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 | 0 | 9 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 5 | not published | |
| Residents | 20 | 77 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 13 | 4 | 10 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 0 | 34 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 5 | not published | |
| Residents | 12 | 125 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 37 | 3 | 7 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 7 | 2 | 5 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 15 | 81 | not published | |
| Residents | 56 | 108 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 27 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 3 | not published | |
| Residents | 37 | 150 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 5 | 32 | 5 | 7 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
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 79?
Highways through the area: US 14 (about 20 miles inside it), WY 31 (about 13 miles inside it) and US 16 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Ten Sleep, Hyattville and Shell. Nearby: Manderson (on the line), Greybull (on the line), Basin (on the line) and Lovell (10 miles).
Which antelope hunt areas border Area 79?
Antelope Area 79 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 77 | Fifteen Mile Creek | 1,127 | 81.2% | 155 (2025) |
| Area 78 | Mccullough Peaks | 939 | 76.2% | 157 (2025) |
| Area 80 | Badger Basin | 1,384 | 52.8% | 188 (2025) |
| Area 114 | Nowater | 755 | 86.1% | 60 (2025) |
| Area 115 | Upper Nowood | 1,013 | 53.6% | 155 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Antelope Area 79?
77.3% of antelope Area 79 is public land: 618,402 of its 799,672 acres, the largest share BLM (576,655 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 79?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 81.5%: 146 active hunters took 119 antelope. In 2024 it was 80.6% (100 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does antelope season open in Antelope Area 79 in 2026?
The earliest regular season row opens August 15 and the latest closes November 30, 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 79?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for antelope Area 79. The largest, Type 7, had 71 licenses and 189 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Antelope Area 79?
Ten Sleep, Hyattville and Shell are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Manderson (on the line), Greybull (on the line) and Basin (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), pages 5 to 6.
- 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 Cody Region Area 77 Area 78 Area 80 Area 114 Area 115