Deer Hunt Area 120, Hamilton Dome: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 120 (Hamilton Dome) covers 583 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 14.5% public land, most of it BLM (47,263 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 53 mule deer (73.6% success for 72 mule deer hunters) and 74 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.
BLMState trust landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 120Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Owl Creek/Meeteetse (212); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 583 square miles (372,902 acres) |
| Public land | 14.5% (54,079 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 53 mule deer, 74 white-tailed deer |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 3, Type 1, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Owl Creek, Thermopolis, East Thermopolis and Kirby |
How much public land is in Deer Area 120?
14.5% of deer Area 120 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 54,079 of 372,902 acres. The largest share is BLM, 47,263 acres or 12.7% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 120 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 269,375 | 72.2% |
| BLM | 47,263 | 12.7% |
| State trust land | 6,816 | 1.8% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 7,075 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 3,869 acres road access or reached from other state land, 3,046 acres next to other public land and 160 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.
PAD-US maps 269,375 acres here inside the Wind River Reservation. Tribal land there is not open to hunting on Wyoming licenses; some ground inside the reservation line is private or managed by WGFD and follows its own rules.
WGFD access areas in Deer Area 120
Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 629 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 120?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 72 active hunters took 53 (53 bucks), 73.6% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 150 active hunters took 74 (4 bucks), 49.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 72 | 53 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 73.6% | 386 | 7.3 |
| 2024 | 64 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 76.6% | 192 | 3.9 |
| 2023 | 60 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 80% | 146 | 3.0 |
| 2022 | 60 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 0 | 58.3% | 255 | 7.3 |
| 2021 | 54 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 90.7% | 179 | 3.7 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 150 | 74 | 4 | 48 | 22 | 49.3% | 1,240 | 16.8 |
| 2024 | 126 | 93 | 11 | 66 | 16 | 73.8% | 672 | 7.2 |
| 2023 | 129 | 111 | 25 | 72 | 14 | 86% | 803 | 7.2 |
| 2022 | 138 | 111 | 22 | 73 | 16 | 80.4% | 651 | 5.9 |
| 2021 | 146 | 123 | 20 | 88 | 15 | 84.2% | 784 | 6.4 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 80 | 72 | 53 | 73.6% | 386 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 18 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 120 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 120:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Area 119 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 100 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 15 | 75 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Dec 15 | 150 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 13. 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 120?
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 | 2 | 46 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 1 | not published | |
| Residents | 45 | 105 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 52 | 6 | |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 5 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 67 | 41 | not published | |
| Residents | 120 | 80 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 4 | 5 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 73 | 86 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 12 | 17 | 12 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
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 120?
Highways through the area: WY 789 (about 14 miles inside it), US 20 (about 14 miles inside it), WY 120 (about 13 miles inside it) and WY 170 (about 12 miles inside it). Towns inside: Owl Creek. Nearby: Thermopolis (on the line), East Thermopolis (on the line), Kirby (10 miles) and Shoshoni (15 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 120?
Deer Area 120 touches 4 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 37 | Copper Mountain | 372 | 51.4% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 119 | Anchor | 439 | 61.7% | 131 (2025) |
| Area 127 | Cottonwood | 265 | 78.3% | 105 (2025) |
| Area 171 | Crowheart Butte | 2,384 | 0% | 209 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 120?
14.5% of deer Area 120 is public land: 54,079 of its 372,902 acres, the largest share BLM (47,263 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 120?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 53 mule deer and 74 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 120. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 49.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 120 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 15, 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 120?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for deer Area 120. The largest, Type 8, had 187 licenses and 121 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 120?
Owl Creek is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Thermopolis (on the line), East Thermopolis (on the line) and Kirby (10 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 13.
- 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 37 Area 119 Area 127 Area 171