Deer Hunt Area 23, Clearmont: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 23 (Clearmont) covers 1,143 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 16% public land, most of it state trust land (76,987 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 441 mule deer (49.7% success for 888 mule deer hunters) and 640 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.
BLMState trust landArea 23Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Powder River (319); white-tailed deer: Powder River |
| Size | 1,143 square miles (731,764 acres) |
| Public land | 16% (116,974 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 441 mule deer, 640 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 3, Type 7, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Clearmont, Ranchester, Sheridan and Dayton |
How much public land is in Deer Area 23?
16% of deer Area 23 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 116,974 of 731,764 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 76,987 acres or 10.5% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 23 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 76,987 | 10.5% |
| BLM | 39,987 | 5.5% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 76,995 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 41,246 acres no known public access, 34,181 acres road access or reached from other state land, 970 acres next to other public land, 361 acres access not yet researched and 237 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 23
Hunter Management Area: Junction (297 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 4,662 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 23?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 888 active hunters took 441 (434 bucks), 49.7% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 1,123 active hunters took 640 (328 bucks), 57% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 888 | 441 | 434 | 7 | 0 | 49.7% | 3,544 | 8.0 |
| 2024 | 999 | 572 | 561 | 11 | 0 | 57.3% | 4,176 | 7.3 |
| 2023 | 1,075 | 563 | 463 | 83 | 17 | 52.4% | 4,030 | 7.2 |
| 2022 | 1,380 | 774 | 510 | 252 | 12 | 56.1% | 6,181 | 8.0 |
| 2021 | 1,558 | 1,092 | 654 | 427 | 11 | 70.1% | 7,248 | 6.6 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,123 | 640 | 328 | 240 | 72 | 57% | 5,163 | 8.1 |
| 2024 | 1,114 | 630 | 305 | 246 | 79 | 56.6% | 5,740 | 9.1 |
| 2023 | 911 | 460 | 228 | 197 | 35 | 50.5% | 4,283 | 9.3 |
| 2022 | 883 | 557 | 309 | 206 | 42 | 63.1% | 3,618 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | 1,376 | 941 | 394 | 415 | 132 | 68.4% | 6,401 | 6.8 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 7 | 25 | 6 | 4 | 66.7% | 12 |
| General | not limited | 883 | 437 | 49.5% | 3,532 |
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 23 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 23:
| 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 3 also Area 26 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 500 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 7 | Sep 1 to Dec 15 | 25 | Doe or fawn valid on private land | |
| Type 8 also Area 26 | Sep 1 to Dec 15 | 1000 | 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 23?
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 | 69 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 27 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 400 | 117 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 208 | 39 | 39 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 84 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 4 | 42 | not published | |
| Residents | 20 | 60 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 963 | 23 | not published | |
| Residents | 800 | 27 | 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 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 23?
Highways through the area: US 14 (about 55 miles inside it), US 87 (about 27 miles inside it), I-90 (about 27 miles inside it), US 16 (about 22 miles inside it) and WY 338 (about 14 miles inside it). Towns inside: Clearmont. Nearby: Ranchester (on the line), Sheridan (on the line), Dayton (5 miles) and Buffalo (16 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 23?
Deer Area 23 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 17 | Northwest Gillette | 1,782 | 20.7% | 553 (2025) |
| Area 24 | Sheridan | 491 | 8.2% | 1,680 (2025) |
| Area 26 | Ucross | 842 | 25.3% | 320 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 23?
16% of deer Area 23 is public land: 116,974 of its 731,764 acres, the largest share state trust land (76,987 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 23?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 441 mule deer and 640 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 23. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 572.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 23 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 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 23?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for deer Area 23. The largest, Type 8, had 1,763 licenses and 50 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 23?
Clearmont is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Ranchester (on the line), Sheridan (on the line) and Dayton (5 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.
Wyoming hunting Deer hunt areas Sheridan Region Area 17 Area 24 Area 26