Deer Hunt Area 26, Ucross: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 26 (Ucross) covers 842 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 25.3% public land, most of it BLM (83,009 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 207 mule deer (43% success for 481 mule deer hunters) and 113 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 4 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 26Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Powder River (319); white-tailed deer: Powder River |
| Size | 842 square miles (538,855 acres) |
| Public land | 25.3% (136,513 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 207 mule deer, 113 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 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Arvada, Clearmont, Sheridan and Buffalo |
How much public land is in Deer Area 26?
25.3% of deer Area 26 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 136,513 of 538,855 acres. The largest share is BLM, 83,009 acres or 15.4% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 26 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 83,009 | 15.4% |
| State trust land | 53,504 | 9.9% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 53,584 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 24,020 acres no known public access, 16,443 acres road access or reached from other state land and 13,121 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 26
Public Access Area: Healy Reservoir (382 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 4,001 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 26?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 481 active hunters took 207 (207 bucks), 43% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 406 active hunters took 113 (72 bucks), 27.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 481 | 207 | 207 | 0 | 0 | 43% | 1,729 | 8.4 |
| 2024 | 442 | 232 | 232 | 0 | 0 | 52.5% | 1,560 | 6.7 |
| 2023 | 442 | 217 | 214 | 3 | 0 | 49.1% | 1,534 | 7.1 |
| 2022 | 547 | 304 | 258 | 46 | 0 | 55.6% | 1,842 | 6.1 |
| 2021 | 498 | 280 | 269 | 11 | 0 | 56.2% | 1,805 | 6.4 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 406 | 113 | 72 | 36 | 5 | 27.8% | 1,341 | 11.9 |
| 2024 | 325 | 152 | 110 | 37 | 5 | 46.8% | 1,056 | 6.9 |
| 2023 | 387 | 202 | 132 | 56 | 14 | 52.2% | 1,294 | 6.4 |
| 2022 | 404 | 212 | 128 | 69 | 15 | 52.5% | 1,340 | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 518 | 285 | 207 | 67 | 11 | 55% | 1,592 | 5.6 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 481 | 207 | 43% | 1,729 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 13 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 26 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 26:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Area 23 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 500 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 also Area 23 | Sep 1 to Dec 15 | 1000 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land | |
| 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 |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), pages 3 to 4. 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 26?
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 | 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. 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 26?
Highways through the area: I-90 (about 49 miles inside it), US 16 (about 21 miles inside it), US 14 (about 16 miles inside it), US 87 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 341 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Arvada. Nearby: Clearmont (on the line), Sheridan (2 miles), Buffalo (3 miles) and Ranchester (15 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 26?
Deer Area 26 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 17 | Northwest Gillette | 1,782 | 20.7% | 553 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Pumpkin Buttes | 1,518 | 13.9% | 224 (2025) |
| Area 23 | Clearmont | 1,143 | 16% | 1,081 (2025) |
| Area 24 | Sheridan | 491 | 8.2% | 1,680 (2025) |
| Area 27 | Buffalo | 190 | 31.3% | 595 (2025) |
| Area 29 | Johnson | 1,002 | 20.1% | 349 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 26?
25.3% of deer Area 26 is public land: 136,513 of its 538,855 acres, the largest share BLM (83,009 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 26?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 207 mule deer and 113 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 26. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 232.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 26 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 26?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 26. The largest, Type 8, had 1,763 licenses and 50 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 26?
Arvada is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Clearmont (on the line), Sheridan (2 miles) and Buffalo (3 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 3 to 4.
- 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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