Deer Hunt Area 21, Thunder Basin: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 21 (Thunder Basin) covers 851 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 18.1% public land, the largest part state trust land (39,646 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 125 mule deer (44.6% success for 280 mule deer hunters) and 42 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 21Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Cheyenne River (740); white-tailed deer: Central |
| Size | 851 square miles (544,691 acres) |
| Public land | 18.1% (98,630 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 125 mule deer, 42 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); Nov 1 to Nov 15 (Any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Sleepy Hollow, Gillette, Wright and Moorcroft |
How much public land is in Deer Area 21?
18.1% of deer Area 21 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 98,630 of 544,691 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 39,646 acres or 7.3% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 21 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 39,646 | 7.3% |
| BLM | 36,161 | 6.6% |
| National forest | 22,823 | 4.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 39,647 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 25,461 acres no known public access, 11,039 acres road access or reached from other state land and 3,147 acres next to other public 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 21
Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 3,610 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 21?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 280 active hunters took 125 (118 bucks), 44.6% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 103 active hunters took 42 (20 bucks), 40.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 280 | 125 | 118 | 4 | 3 | 44.6% | 1,079 | 8.6 |
| 2024 | 223 | 114 | 114 | 0 | 0 | 51.1% | 1,018 | 8.9 |
| 2023 | 209 | 106 | 106 | 0 | 0 | 50.7% | 878 | 8.3 |
| 2022 | 287 | 145 | 140 | 5 | 0 | 50.5% | 1,276 | 8.8 |
| 2021 | 280 | 135 | 110 | 21 | 4 | 48.2% | 1,119 | 8.3 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 103 | 42 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 40.8% | 350 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 67 | 25 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 37.3% | 280 | 11.2 |
| 2023 | 72 | 36 | 26 | 5 | 5 | 50% | 187 | 5.2 |
| 2022 | 49 | 29 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 59.2% | 175 | 6.0 |
| 2021 | 89 | 34 | 9 | 23 | 2 | 38.2% | 201 | 5.9 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 280 | 125 | 44.6% | 1,079 |
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 21 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 15 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer); November 1 to 15 (any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 21:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| General | Nov 1 to Nov 15 | Any white-tailed deer | ||
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 50 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 3. 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 21?
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 | 46 | 7 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 4 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region B general license. In the 2026 draw it had 916 licenses; 963 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 481 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 21?
Highways through the area: I-90 (about 26 miles inside it), WY 51 (about 25 miles inside it), US 16 (about 24 miles inside it), US 14 (about 24 miles inside it) and WY 59 (about 16 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sleepy Hollow. Nearby: Gillette (on the line), Wright (on the line), Moorcroft (2 miles) and Pine Haven (10 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 21?
Deer Area 21 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 3 | Keyhole | 331 | 9.9% | 286 (2025) |
| Area 8 | Upton-Four Horse | 563 | 27.6% | 106 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rochelle Hills | 857 | 54.3% | 62 (2025) |
| Area 18 | Campbell | 953 | 22.3% | 289 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Pumpkin Buttes | 1,518 | 13.9% | 224 (2025) |
| Area 22 | Douglas | 2,538 | 19.7% | 290 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 21?
18.1% of deer Area 21 is public land: 98,630 of its 544,691 acres, the largest share state trust land (39,646 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 21?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 125 mule deer and 42 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 21. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 114.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 21 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 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 21?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for deer Area 21. Type 8 had 86 licenses and 11 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 21?
Sleepy Hollow is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Gillette (on the line), Wright (on the line) and Moorcroft (2 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 3.
- 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.
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