Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 18, Douglas Creek: harvest, seasons and public land
Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 18 (Douglas Creek) covers 2,300 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 50.1% public land, most of it national forest (512,639 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 3 active hunters took 3 bighorn sheep here, 100% success. The 2026 season table lists 1 license row here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 9, final April 2026. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the Office of State Lands, read 2026-10-18.
National forestBLMState trust landNational wildlife refugeArea 18Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Douglas Creek (516) |
| Size | 2,300 square miles (1,472,091 acres) |
| Public land | 50.1% (738,015 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 37,860 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 3 (100% of 3 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Elk Mountain, Woods Landing-Jelm, Centennial, Riverside, Saratoga and Laramie |
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
50.1% of bighorn sheep Area 18 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 738,015 of 1,472,091 acres. The largest share is national forest, 512,639 acres or 34.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 18 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 512,639 | 34.8% |
| BLM | 130,000 | 8.8% |
| State trust land | 95,376 | 6.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 4,670 | 0.3% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 95,414 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 43,186 acres road access or reached from other state land, 36,260 acres no known public access, 15,888 acres next to other public land and 80 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: Platte River Wilderness (22,561 acres) and Savage Run Wilderness (15,299 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 Bighorn Sheep Area 18
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Wick Brothers/Beumee (11,728 acres here), Pennock Mountain (10,174 acres here), Forbes/Sheep Mountain (1,584 acres here) and Jelm (1,098 acres here). Public Access Areas: Saratoga Lake (852 acres here), Twin Buttes (291 acres here), North Platte River-Treasure Island (243 acres here), Gelatt Lake (198 acres here) and Meeboer Lake (195 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: X-Bar Ranch (14,648 acres here), Strouss Hill (14,012 acres here), Hart Monolith Ranch (13,505 acres here), Lewis Ranch (11,570 acres here), Harrison Creek (6,970 acres here) and Spiegelberg (5,975 acres here) and 2 more. Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 2,218 acres of private land enrolled in WGFD's Access Yes program.
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD bighorn sheep 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 bighorn sheep are harvested in Bighorn sheep Area 18?
WGFD estimates 3 bighorn sheep were taken in bighorn sheep Area 18 in 2025: 3 rams, 0 ewes and 0 lambs. 3 hunters hunted, and 100% of them took an animal.
| Year | Licenses | Active hunters | Harvest | Rams | Ewes | Lambs | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 38 | 12.7 |
| 2024 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 56 | 18.7 |
| 2023 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 97 | 32.3 |
| 2022 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 6 | 3.0 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 |
Source: WGFD 2025 bighorn sheep harvest report, page 8 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 bighorn sheep season in Bighorn Sheep Area 18 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 18:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Aug 15 to Aug 31 | Sep 1 to Nov 30 | 3 | Any ram |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 9 (final, April 2026), page 2. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
How do you get to Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
Highways through the area: I-80 (about 91 miles inside it), WY 130 (about 87 miles inside it), WY 230 (about 66 miles inside it), WY 11 (about 11 miles inside it) and US 287 (about 10 miles inside it). Towns inside: Elk Mountain, Woods Landing-Jelm, Centennial, Albany, Ryan Park and Fox Park. Nearby: Riverside (on the line), Saratoga (on the line), Laramie (on the line) and Encampment (on the line).
Which bighorn sheep hunt areas border Area 18?
Bighorn sheep Area 18 touches 1 other bighorn sheep hunt area. Its size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 21 | Encampment River | 1,073 | 71.3% | 2 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
50.1% of bighorn sheep Area 18 is public land: 738,015 of its 1,472,091 acres, the largest share national forest (512,639 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 Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 100%: 3 active hunters took 3 bighorn sheep. In 2024 it was 100% (3 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does bighorn sheep season open in Bighorn Sheep Area 18 in 2026?
The special archery season opens August 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes November 30, by WGFD Commission Chapter 9. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
What is the closest town to Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
Elk Mountain, Woods Landing-Jelm and Centennial are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Riverside (on the line), Saratoga (on the line) and Laramie (on the line).
Is there wilderness in Bighorn Sheep Area 18?
Yes. Platte River Wilderness (22,561 acres) and Savage Run Wilderness (15,299 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 bighorn sheep harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 9 (final, April 2026), page 2.
- Licenses: WGFD issues bighorn sheep licenses by drawing; its demand reports are on WGFD's draw results page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD bighorn sheep 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 Bighorn sheep hunt areas Laramie Region Area 21