Deer Hunt Area 164, Nowater: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 164 (Nowater) covers 511 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 89.8% public land, most of it BLM (269,097 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 167 mule deer (49.1% success for 340 mule deer hunters) and 83 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 6 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 landBureau of ReclamationArea 164Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Southwest Bighorn (208); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 511 square miles (326,828 acres) |
| Public land | 89.8% (293,434 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 167 mule deer, 83 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 3, Type 6, Type 7, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Worland, Kirby and Ten Sleep |
How much public land is in Deer Area 164?
89.8% of deer Area 164 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 293,434 of 326,828 acres. The largest share is BLM, 269,097 acres or 82.3% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 164 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 269,097 | 82.3% |
| State trust land | 18,178 | 5.6% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 6,159 | 1.9% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 18,282 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 16,326 acres road access or reached from other state land, 1,944 acres next to other public land and 12 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 164
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 974 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 164?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 340 active hunters took 167 (110 bucks), 49.1% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 208 active hunters took 83 (31 bucks), 39.9% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 340 | 167 | 110 | 52 | 5 | 49.1% | 1,357 | 8.1 |
| 2024 | 332 | 139 | 103 | 34 | 2 | 41.9% | 1,448 | 10.4 |
| 2023 | 228 | 104 | 49 | 51 | 4 | 45.6% | 1,031 | 9.9 |
| 2022 | 308 | 118 | 76 | 41 | 1 | 38.3% | 1,397 | 11.8 |
| 2021 | 359 | 134 | 74 | 49 | 11 | 37.3% | 1,511 | 11.3 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 208 | 83 | 31 | 32 | 20 | 39.9% | 1,147 | 13.8 |
| 2024 | 281 | 130 | 63 | 52 | 15 | 46.3% | 1,320 | 10.2 |
| 2023 | 234 | 123 | 63 | 52 | 8 | 52.6% | 1,850 | 15.0 |
| 2022 | 278 | 122 | 63 | 43 | 16 | 43.9% | 1,260 | 10.3 |
| 2021 | 280 | 179 | 88 | 75 | 16 | 63.9% | 2,234 | 12.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 78.3% | 184 |
| Type 6 | 50 | 41 | 39 | 95.1% | 93 |
| Type 7 | 50 | 23 | 15 | 65.2% | 66 |
| General | not limited | 265 | 77 | 29.1% | 1,014 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 22 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 164 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 14 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 164:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 15 to Nov 30 | 50 | Any Deer valid on or within one (1) mile of irrigated land |
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 15 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | 50 | Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land |
| Type 7 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 15 to Nov 30 | 50 | Doe or fawn valid on or within one (1) mile of irrigated land |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 150 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 18. 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 164?
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 | 10 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 86 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 7 | 19 | 9 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 38 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 28 | 34 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 22 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 18 | 7 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 29 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 132 | 12 | not published | |
| Residents | 120 | 16 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region M general license. In the 2026 draw it had 509 licenses; 522 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 267 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. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Deer Area 164?
Highways through the area: US 16 (about 12 miles inside it), WY 432 (about 11 miles inside it), US 20 (about 8 miles inside it) and WY 789 (about 8 miles inside it). Nearby: Worland (on the line), Kirby (on the line), Ten Sleep (7 miles) and Thermopolis (12 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 164?
Deer Area 164 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 37 | Copper Mountain | 372 | 51.4% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 39 | Bates Creek | 254 | 65.1% | 91 (2025) |
| Area 40 | Buffalo Creek | 721 | 55% | 431 (2025) |
| Area 41 | Lower Nowood | 517 | 70.6% | 323 (2025) |
| Area 125 | Fifteen Mile | 952 | 88.4% | 46 (2025) |
| Area 127 | Cottonwood | 265 | 78.3% | 105 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 164?
89.8% of deer Area 164 is public land: 293,434 of its 326,828 acres, the largest share BLM (269,097 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 164?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 167 mule deer and 83 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 164. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 139.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 164 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 164?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 5 limited quota hunts for deer Area 164. The largest, Type 8, had 252 licenses and 28 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 164?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Worland (on the line), Kirby (on the line) and Ten Sleep (7 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 18.
- 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 39 Area 40 Area 41 Area 125 Area 127