Deer Hunt Area 17, Northwest Gillette: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 17 (Northwest Gillette) covers 1,782 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 20.7% public land, most of it BLM (165,533 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 448 mule deer (37.8% success for 1,184 mule deer hunters) and 105 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.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 17Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Powder River (319); white-tailed deer: Powder River |
| Size | 1,782 square miles (1,140,549 acres) |
| Public land | 20.7% (236,309 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 448 mule deer, 105 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); Nov 1 to Nov 30 (Any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Gillette and Clearmont |
How much public land is in Deer Area 17?
20.7% of deer Area 17 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 236,309 of 1,140,549 acres. The largest share is BLM, 165,533 acres or 14.5% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 17 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 165,533 | 14.5% |
| State trust land | 68,859 | 6% |
| National forest | 1,917 | 0.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 68,875 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 45,244 acres no known public access, 17,788 acres road access or reached from other state land, 5,842 acres next to other public land and 1 acres possible access by water. 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 17
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 5,834 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 17?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 1,184 active hunters took 448 (444 bucks), 37.8% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 452 active hunters took 105 (64 bucks), 23.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,184 | 448 | 444 | 4 | 0 | 37.8% | 5,607 | 12.5 |
| 2024 | 1,200 | 540 | 530 | 10 | 0 | 45% | 4,896 | 9.1 |
| 2023 | 1,123 | 496 | 491 | 5 | 0 | 44.2% | 4,645 | 9.4 |
| 2022 | 1,141 | 470 | 440 | 28 | 2 | 41.2% | 4,954 | 10.5 |
| 2021 | 1,221 | 611 | 580 | 31 | 0 | 50% | 5,119 | 8.4 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 452 | 105 | 64 | 41 | 0 | 23.2% | 1,844 | 17.6 |
| 2024 | 524 | 127 | 94 | 25 | 8 | 24.2% | 2,232 | 17.6 |
| 2023 | 594 | 152 | 111 | 27 | 14 | 25.6% | 1,797 | 11.8 |
| 2022 | 488 | 133 | 87 | 38 | 8 | 27.3% | 1,670 | 12.6 |
| 2021 | 554 | 145 | 82 | 63 | 0 | 26.2% | 2,390 | 16.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 1,184 | 448 | 37.8% | 5,607 |
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 17 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 14 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); November 1 to 30 (any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 17:
| 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 | |
| General | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Any white-tailed deer | ||
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 250 | Doe or fawn 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 17?
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, reduced price, random | 234 | 23 | not published | |
| Residents | 200 | 14 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region C general license. In the 2026 draw it had 2,173 licenses; 1,717 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 1,096 were drawn.
Source: WGFD 2026 deer demand report, nonresident reduced price 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 17?
Highways through the area: US 16 (about 50 miles inside it), US 14 (about 50 miles inside it), WY 59 (about 46 miles inside it) and I-90 (about 26 miles inside it). Nearby: Gillette (2 miles) and Clearmont (12 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 17?
Deer Area 17 touches 5 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 18 | Campbell | 953 | 22.3% | 289 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Pumpkin Buttes | 1,518 | 13.9% | 224 (2025) |
| Area 23 | Clearmont | 1,143 | 16% | 1,081 (2025) |
| Area 26 | Ucross | 842 | 25.3% | 320 (2025) |
| Area 29 | Johnson | 1,002 | 20.1% | 349 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 17?
20.7% of deer Area 17 is public land: 236,309 of its 1,140,549 acres, the largest share BLM (165,533 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 17?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 448 mule deer and 105 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 17. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 540.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 17 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 17?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for deer Area 17. Type 8 had 434 licenses and 37 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 17?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Gillette (2 miles) and Clearmont (12 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 Sheridan Region Area 18 Area 19 Area 23 Area 26 Area 29