Deer Hunt Area 12, Hat Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 12 (Hat Creek) covers 533 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 10.5% public land, most of it state trust land (22,569 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 56 mule deer (46.3% success for 121 mule deer hunters) and 23 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 4 license rows here, including general license seasons.
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.
BLMState trust landArea 12Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Cheyenne River (740); white-tailed deer: Central |
| Size | 533 square miles (341,395 acres) |
| Public land | 10.5% (35,937 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 56 mule deer, 23 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); Oct 16 to Nov 30 (Any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 3, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Lusk, Van Tassell and Manville |
How much public land is in Deer Area 12?
10.5% of deer Area 12 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 35,937 of 341,395 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 22,569 acres or 6.6% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 12 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 22,569 | 6.6% |
| BLM | 13,368 | 3.9% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 22,569 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 14,125 acres no known public access and 8,444 acres road access or reached from other state land. 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 12
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 233 acres of private land enrolled in WGFD's Access Yes program.
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 12?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 121 active hunters took 56 (56 bucks), 46.3% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 75 active hunters took 23 (19 bucks), 30.7% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 121 | 56 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 46.3% | 487 | 8.7 |
| 2024 | 183 | 86 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 47% | 669 | 7.8 |
| 2023 | 130 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 0 | 42.3% | 609 | 11.1 |
| 2022 | 160 | 109 | 86 | 22 | 1 | 68.1% | 672 | 6.2 |
| 2021 | 206 | 122 | 95 | 25 | 2 | 59.2% | 869 | 7.1 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 75 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 30.7% | 219 | 9.5 |
| 2024 | 112 | 41 | 34 | 7 | 0 | 36.6% | 374 | 9.1 |
| 2023 | 71 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 26.8% | 342 | 18.0 |
| 2022 | 81 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 23.5% | 327 | 17.2 |
| 2021 | 109 | 25 | 18 | 4 | 3 | 22.9% | 211 | 8.4 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 121 | 56 | 46.3% | 487 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 12 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 12 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 15 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); October 16 to November 30 (any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 12:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Areas 11, 13, 14 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 200 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 also Areas 11, 13, 14 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 150 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| General | Oct 16 to Nov 30 | Any white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 2. 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 12?
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 | 19 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 8 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 160 | 71 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 60 | 35 | 35 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 76 | 85 | not published | |
| Residents | 120 | 70 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region B general license. In the 2026 draw it had 916 licenses; 963 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 481 were drawn.
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. 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 12?
Highways through the area: US 18 (about 13 miles inside it), US 85 (about 9 miles inside it) and WY 270 (about 3 miles inside it). Nearby: Lusk (13 miles), Van Tassell (14 miles) and Manville (17 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 12?
Deer Area 12 touches 3 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 11 | Mule Creek | 780 | 22.8% | 312 (2025) |
| Area 13 | Lusk | 825 | 16.5% | 154 (2025) |
| Area 14 | Twenty Mile | 971 | 15.2% | 78 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 12?
10.5% of deer Area 12 is public land: 35,937 of its 341,395 acres, the largest share state trust land (22,569 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 12?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 56 mule deer and 23 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 12. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 86.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 12 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 30, 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 12?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 12. The largest, Type 3, had 271 licenses and 106 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 12?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Lusk (13 miles), Van Tassell (14 miles) and Manville (17 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), page 2.
- 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 Casper Region Area 11 Area 13 Area 14