Deer Hunt Area 128, Wind River: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 128 (Wind River) covers 1,246 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 84.8% public land, most of it national forest (616,451 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 344 mule deer (39.9% success for 863 mule deer hunters) and 46 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 5 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.
National forestBLMState trust landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 128Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Dubois (642) |
| Size | 1,246 square miles (797,591 acres) |
| Public land | 84.8% (676,354 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 359,145 acres |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 344 mule deer, 46 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 22 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 3, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Dubois and Pinedale |
How much public land is in Deer Area 128?
84.8% of deer Area 128 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 676,354 of 797,591 acres. The largest share is national forest, 616,451 acres or 77.3% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 128 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 616,451 | 77.3% |
| BLM | 40,021 | 5% |
| State trust land | 19,882 | 2.5% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 16,272 | 2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 19,915 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 11,533 acres next to other public land, 4,819 acres road access or reached from other state land and 3,563 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.
Designated wilderness: Fitzpatrick Wilderness (198,459 acres), Washakie Wilderness (160,365 acres), Bridger Wilderness (279 acres) and Teton Wilderness (42 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).
PAD-US maps 16,272 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 128
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Spence and Moriarity (35,631 acres here), Kirk Inberg/Kevin Roy (17,281 acres here) and Whiskey Basin (12,826 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 128?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 863 active hunters took 344 (344 bucks), 39.9% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 296 active hunters took 46 (20 bucks), 15.5% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 863 | 344 | 344 | 0 | 0 | 39.9% | 4,682 | 13.6 |
| 2024 | 814 | 220 | 220 | 0 | 0 | 27% | 4,470 | 20.3 |
| 2023 | 850 | 327 | 312 | 12 | 3 | 38.5% | 4,680 | 14.3 |
| 2022 | 813 | 203 | 184 | 17 | 2 | 25% | 4,527 | 22.3 |
| 2021 | 911 | 413 | 388 | 25 | 0 | 45.3% | 4,762 | 11.5 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 296 | 46 | 20 | 24 | 2 | 15.5% | 960 | 20.9 |
| 2024 | 327 | 73 | 40 | 31 | 2 | 22.3% | 1,065 | 14.6 |
| 2023 | 318 | 97 | 45 | 34 | 18 | 30.5% | 1,175 | 12.1 |
| 2022 | 328 | 85 | 48 | 27 | 10 | 25.9% | 1,031 | 12.1 |
| 2021 | 370 | 83 | 34 | 39 | 10 | 22.4% | 1,322 | 15.9 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 66 | 66 | 58 | 87.9% | 481 |
| General | not limited | 797 | 286 | 35.9% | 4,201 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 19 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 128 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 22 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 128:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 22 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 | 75 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 50 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 14. 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 128?
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 | 1,443 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 482 | not published | |
| Residents | 60 | 3,834 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 1,449 | 6 | 20 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 5 | 487 | 5 | 20 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 11 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 118 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 7 | 18 | 7 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 1 | 1 | 11 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 10 | 24 | not published | |
| Residents | 38 | 141 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region L general license. In the 2026 draw it had 213 licenses; 300 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 105 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.
How do you get to Deer Area 128?
Highways through the area: US 287 (about 42 miles inside it) and US 26 (about 42 miles inside it). Towns inside: Dubois. Nearby: Pinedale (19 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 128?
Deer Area 128 touches 8 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 114 | Wall Mountain | 182 | 100% | 0 (2025) |
| Area 117 | Franc's Peak | 430 | 99.5% | 35 (2025) |
| Area 119 | Anchor | 439 | 61.7% | 131 (2025) |
| Area 139 | Pinedale | 476 | 83.6% | 16 (2025) |
| Area 141 | Green River | 506 | 90.9% | 35 (2025) |
| Area 148 | Teton | 684 | 93.9% | 53 (2025) |
| Area 156 | Spread Creek | 422 | 99% | 49 (2025) |
| Area 171 | Crowheart Butte | 2,384 | 0% | 209 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 128?
84.8% of deer Area 128 is public land: 676,354 of its 797,591 acres, the largest share national forest (616,451 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 128?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 344 mule deer and 46 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 128. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 220.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 128 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 128?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for deer Area 128. The largest, Type 1, had 73 licenses and 7,695 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 128?
Dubois is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Pinedale (19 miles).
Is there wilderness in Deer Area 128?
Yes. Fitzpatrick Wilderness (198,459 acres), Washakie Wilderness (160,365 acres) and Bridger Wilderness (279 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 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 14.
- 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 Lander Region Area 114 Area 117 Area 119 Area 139 Area 141 Area 148 Area 156 Area 171