Deer Hunt Area 109, Bald Ridge: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 109 (Bald Ridge) covers 206 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 58.3% public land, the largest part national forest (32,269 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 2 mule deer (20% success for 10 mule deer hunters) and 69 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 3 license rows here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 6, 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 ReclamationArea 109Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Clark's Fork (216); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 206 square miles (132,033 acres) |
| Public land | 58.3% (76,933 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 2 mule deer, 69 white-tailed deer |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 3, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Cody and Powell |
How much public land is in Deer Area 109?
58.3% of deer Area 109 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 76,933 of 132,033 acres. The largest share is national forest, 32,269 acres or 24.4% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 109 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 32,269 | 24.4% |
| BLM | 27,602 | 20.9% |
| State trust land | 12,880 | 9.8% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 4,182 | 3.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 12,966 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 9,616 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,424 acres next to other public land and 926 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.
WGFD access areas in Deer Area 109
Public Access Areas: Clarks Fork River-Clark Canyon (870 acres here), Newton Lakes (471 acres here) and Shoshone River-Sulphur Creek (115 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD deer hunt areas (2026)) 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 deer are harvested in Deer Area 109?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 10 active hunters took 2 (2 bucks), 20% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 87 active hunters took 69 (20 bucks), 79.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 20% | 57 | 28.5 |
| 2024 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 44.4% | 185 | 23.1 |
| 2023 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 63.6% | 63 | 9.0 |
| 2022 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 88.9% | 37 | 4.6 |
| 2021 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27.8% | 45 | 9.0 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 87 | 69 | 20 | 42 | 7 | 79.3% | 570 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 57 | 44 | 16 | 26 | 2 | 77.2% | 429 | 9.8 |
| 2023 | 52 | 48 | 0 | 38 | 10 | 92.3% | 257 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 38 | 33 | 1 | 26 | 6 | 86.8% | 148 | 4.5 |
| 2021 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23.5% | 82 | 20.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 25 | 10 | 2 | 20% | 57 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 17 of the PDF; earlier years from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. An active hunter is one who hunted; the mule deer and white-tailed deer tables each count their own hunters, so they are not added together. Days per animal is worked out from WGFD's own two figures.
When is deer season in Deer Area 109 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 109:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 also Areas 105, 106 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 20 | 50 | Any deer |
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | 35 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | 125 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), pages 11 to 12. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
What did the 2026 draw look like in Deer Area 109?
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 | 1 | 3 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 28 | 105 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 45 | 8 | not published | |
| Residents | 100 | 80 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 58 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 25 | not published | |
| Residents | 35 | 970 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 61 | 3 | 19 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 29 | 4 | 20 |
Source: WGFD 2026 deer 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. A license valid in more than one area is listed under the first area WGFD prints for it.
How do you get to Deer Area 109?
Highways through the area: WY 296 (about 21 miles inside it) and WY 120 (about 19 miles inside it). Nearby: Cody (on the line) and Powell (20 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 109?
Deer Area 109 touches 6 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 105 | Beartooth | 358 | 82.4% | 175 (2025) |
| Area 106 | Crandall-Sunlight | 488 | 97.6% | 228 (2025) |
| Area 111 | Elk Fork | 431 | 88.6% | 221 (2025) |
| Area 113 | Boulder | 397 | 49.4% | 304 (2025) |
| Area 121 | Heart Mountain | 464 | 49.1% | 265 (2025) |
| Area 122 | Shoshone River | 992 | 64.2% | 323 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 109?
58.3% of deer Area 109 is public land: 76,933 of its 132,033 acres, the largest share national forest (32,269 acres). Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data.
How many deer are harvested in Deer Area 109?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 2 mule deer and 69 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 109. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 8.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 109 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes December 31, by WGFD Commission Chapter 6. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
How many licenses were in the 2026 draw for Deer Area 109?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for deer Area 109. The largest, Type 8, had 145 licenses and 88 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 109?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Cody (on the line) and Powell (20 miles).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: WGFD deer harvest reports (mule deer and white-tailed deer tables), 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), pages 11 to 12.
- Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports; deadlines and fees on the Wyoming draw page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD deer hunt areas (2026). 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 Deer hunt areas Cody Region Area 105 Area 106 Area 111 Area 113 Area 121 Area 122