Deer Hunt Area 168, Medicine Butte: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 168 (Medicine Butte) covers 448 square miles in WGFD's Green River Region and is 44.1% public land, most of it BLM (113,272 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 192 mule deer (35.8% success for 536 mule deer hunters) and 3 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 3 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 168Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Green River Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Uinta (423) |
| Size | 448 square miles (286,948 acres) |
| Public land | 44.1% (126,522 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 192 mule deer, 3 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 10 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); Oct 1 to Oct 14 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer; youth only) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 3 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Evanston, Bear River, Lyman and Mountain View |
How much public land is in Deer Area 168?
44.1% of deer Area 168 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 126,522 of 286,948 acres. The largest share is BLM, 113,272 acres or 39.5% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 168 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 113,272 | 39.5% |
| State trust land | 13,250 | 4.6% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 13,250 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 12,468 acres no known public access and 782 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 168
Public Access Area: Bear River Divide (47,916 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Bear River Divide (51,352 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 104 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 168?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 536 active hunters took 192 (192 bucks), 35.8% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 31 active hunters took 3 (3 bucks), 9.7% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 536 | 192 | 192 | 0 | 0 | 35.8% | 2,366 | 12.3 |
| 2024 | 374 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 13.1% | 1,580 | 32.2 |
| 2023 | 230 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 14.8% | 789 | 23.2 |
| 2022 | 611 | 204 | 191 | 13 | 0 | 33.4% | 2,876 | 14.1 |
| 2021 | 527 | 101 | 90 | 8 | 3 | 19.2% | 2,169 | 21.5 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 31 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9.7% | 54 | 18.0 |
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 17 | |
| 2022 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23.5% | 40 | 10.0 |
| 2021 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 27 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 536 | 192 | 35.8% | 2,366 |
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 168 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 10 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); October 1 to 14 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer; youth only). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 168:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Areas 132, 133, 134, 135 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 25 | Any white-tailed deer |
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 10 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| General, Youth only | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer; youth only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), pages 15 to 19. 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 168?
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 | 4 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 19 | 57 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 4 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region K general license. In the 2026 draw it had 179 licenses; 404 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 81 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 168?
Highways through the area: I-80 (about 48 miles inside it), US 189 (about 40 miles inside it), WY 89 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 412 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Evanston. Nearby: Bear River (on the line), Lyman (3 miles), Mountain View (6 miles) and Kemmerer (13 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 168?
Deer Area 168 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 132 | Cedar Mountain | 1,686 | 67.1% | 297 (2025) |
| Area 133 | Uinta | 571 | 19.3% | 174 (2025) |
| Area 134 | Bear River Divide | 1,249 | 54.2% | 143 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 168?
44.1% of deer Area 168 is public land: 126,522 of its 286,948 acres, the largest share BLM (113,272 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 168?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 192 mule deer and 3 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 168. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 49.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 168 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 168?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for deer Area 168. Type 3 had 26 licenses and 69 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 168?
Evanston is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Bear River (on the line), Lyman (3 miles) and Mountain View (6 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 15 to 19.
- 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 Green River Region Area 132 Area 133 Area 134