Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 20, Kouba Canyon: harvest, seasons and public land
Bighorn Sheep Hunt Area 20 (Kouba Canyon) covers 245 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 26.8% public land, most of it BLM (22,749 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1 active hunters took 1 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 landArea 20Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Size | 245 square miles (157,015 acres) |
| Public land | 26.8% (42,048 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 1 (100% of 1 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1 |
| Special archery opens | August 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Hill View Heights and Newcastle |
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 20?
26.8% of bighorn sheep Area 20 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 42,048 of 157,015 acres. The largest share is BLM, 22,749 acres or 14.5% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 20 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 22,749 | 14.5% |
| State trust land | 13,214 | 8.4% |
| National forest | 6,085 | 3.9% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 13,215 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 8,016 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,813 acres no known public access, 2,227 acres next to other public land and 159 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 Bighorn Sheep Area 20
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 389 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 20?
WGFD estimates 1 bighorn sheep were taken in bighorn sheep Area 20 in 2025: 1 ram, 0 ewes and 0 lambs. 1 hunters hunted, and 100% of them took one.
| Year | Licenses | Active hunters | Harvest | Rams | Ewes | Lambs | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 2 | 2.0 |
| 2024 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 18 | 18.0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 4.5 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 5 | 5.0 |
| 2021 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 75% | 27 | 9.0 |
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 20 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open August 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 20:
| 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 20?
Highways through the area: US 85 (about 9 miles inside it) and US 16 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Hill View Heights. Nearby: Newcastle (on the line).
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Bighorn Sheep Area 20?
26.8% of bighorn sheep Area 20 is public land: 42,048 of its 157,015 acres, the largest share BLM (22,749 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 20?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 100%: 1 active hunters took 1 bighorn sheep. In 2024 it was 100% (1 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does bighorn sheep season open in Bighorn Sheep Area 20 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 20?
Hill View Heights is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Newcastle (on the line).
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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.