Deer Hunt Area 27, Buffalo: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 27 (Buffalo) covers 190 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 31.3% public land, most of it state trust land (36,811 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 75 mule deer (21.1% success for 356 mule deer hunters) and 520 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.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 27Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | North Bighorn (321); white-tailed deer: Powder River |
| Size | 190 square miles (121,828 acres) |
| Public land | 31.3% (38,179 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 75 mule deer, 520 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 (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 | Buffalo and Sheridan |
How much public land is in Deer Area 27?
31.3% of deer Area 27 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 38,179 of 121,828 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 36,811 acres or 30.2% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 27 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 36,811 | 30.2% |
| BLM | 1,321 | 1.1% |
| National forest | 47 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 36,822 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 35,624 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,198 acres no known public access. 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 27
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Bud Love (7,828 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Fort Phil Kearny (715 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 2,249 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 27?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 356 active hunters took 75 (72 bucks), 21.1% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 1,036 active hunters took 520 (256 bucks), 50.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 356 | 75 | 72 | 0 | 3 | 21.1% | 1,448 | 19.3 |
| 2024 | 373 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 16.1% | 1,655 | 27.6 |
| 2023 | 305 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 0 | 16.4% | 944 | 18.9 |
| 2022 | 320 | 64 | 60 | 4 | 0 | 20% | 1,255 | 19.6 |
| 2021 | 377 | 81 | 81 | 0 | 0 | 21.5% | 1,518 | 18.7 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,036 | 520 | 256 | 210 | 54 | 50.2% | 6,118 | 11.8 |
| 2024 | 994 | 560 | 227 | 271 | 62 | 56.3% | 5,697 | 10.2 |
| 2023 | 820 | 560 | 207 | 290 | 63 | 68.3% | 4,884 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 884 | 522 | 237 | 255 | 30 | 59.1% | 3,237 | 6.2 |
| 2021 | 1,100 | 691 | 248 | 398 | 45 | 62.8% | 4,519 | 6.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 356 | 75 | 21.1% | 1,448 |
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 27 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 31 (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 27:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | 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 | 1200 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land | |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid in the entire area; also valid in Area 28 | |
| Type 8 | Dec 1 to Dec 31 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 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 27?
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 | 1,148 | 53 | not published | |
| Residents | 960 | 51 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region Y general license. In the 2026 draw it had 1,216 licenses; 1,324 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 618 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 27?
Highways through the area: US 87 (about 31 miles inside it), I-25 (about 18 miles inside it), I-90 (about 13 miles inside it), WY 196 (about 10 miles inside it) and US 16 (about 10 miles inside it). Towns inside: Buffalo. Nearby: Sheridan (16 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 27?
Deer Area 27 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 24 | Sheridan | 491 | 8.2% | 1,680 (2025) |
| Area 25 | Tongue-Goose | 756 | 99.4% | 198 (2025) |
| Area 26 | Ucross | 842 | 25.3% | 320 (2025) |
| Area 28 | Hunter Mesa | 342 | 99.6% | 91 (2025) |
| Area 29 | Johnson | 1,002 | 20.1% | 349 (2025) |
| Area 30 | Upper Powder River | 397 | 32.1% | 223 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 27?
31.3% of deer Area 27 is public land: 38,179 of its 121,828 acres, the largest share state trust land (36,811 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 27?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 75 mule deer and 520 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 27. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 60.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 27 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 31, 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 27?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for deer Area 27. Type 8 had 2,108 licenses and 104 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 27?
Buffalo is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Sheridan (16 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 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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