Deer Hunt Area 36, Badwater: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 36 (Badwater) covers 899 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 68% public land, most of it BLM (339,622 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 71 mule deer (68.9% success for 103 mule deer hunters) and 18 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 2 license rows here.
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 landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Other public (state parks, military)Area 36Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Southwest Bighorn (208) |
| Size | 899 square miles (575,445 acres) |
| Public land | 68% (391,275 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 71 mule deer, 18 white-tailed deer |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Shoshoni, East Thermopolis, Thermopolis and Riverton |
How much public land is in Deer Area 36?
68% of deer Area 36 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 391,275 of 575,445 acres. The largest share is BLM, 339,622 acres or 59% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 36 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 339,622 | 59% |
| State trust land | 51,653 | 9% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 3,985 | 0.7% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 1 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 51,693 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 27,668 acres next to other public land, 17,651 acres road access or reached from other state land and 6,374 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.
PAD-US maps 3,985 acres here inside the Wind River Reservation. Tribal land there is not open to hunting on Wyoming licenses; some ground inside the reservation line is private or managed by WGFD and follows its own rules.
WGFD access areas in Deer Area 36
Public Access Area: Badwater Ranch (7,004 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 4,859 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 36?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 103 active hunters took 71 (71 bucks), 68.9% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 24 active hunters took 18 (4 bucks), 75% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 103 | 71 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 68.9% | 439 | 6.2 |
| 2024 | 60 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 55% | 191 | 5.8 |
| 2023 | 49 | 27 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 55.1% | 177 | 6.6 |
| 2022 | 151 | 59 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 39.1% | 714 | 12.1 |
| 2021 | 290 | 105 | 105 | 0 | 0 | 36.2% | 1,468 | 14.0 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | 18 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 75% | 60 | 3.3 |
| 2024 | 34 | 13 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 38.2% | 95 | 7.3 |
| 2023 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 23.1% | 94 | 15.7 |
| 2022 | 40 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 32.5% | 66 | 5.1 |
| 2021 | 98 | 39 | 32 | 4 | 3 | 39.8% | 331 | 8.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 105 | 103 | 71 | 68.9% | 439 |
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 36 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 36:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | 125 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | 25 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 5. 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 36?
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 | 3 | 61 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 2 | not published | |
| Residents | 85 | 201 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 12 | 73 | 12 | 8 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 8 | 11 | 9 | 1 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 5 | 7 | not published | |
| Residents | 20 | 22 | not published |
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. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Deer Area 36?
Highways through the area: US 20 (about 27 miles inside it), WY 789 (about 15 miles inside it) and US 26 (about 11 miles inside it). Towns inside: Shoshoni. Nearby: East Thermopolis (13 miles), Thermopolis (14 miles) and Riverton (17 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 36?
Deer Area 36 touches 8 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 34 | North Natrona | 1,451 | 65.9% | 154 (2025) |
| Area 35 | Upper Nowood | 188 | 37.7% | 31 (2025) |
| Area 37 | Copper Mountain | 372 | 51.4% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 39 | Bates Creek | 254 | 65.1% | 91 (2025) |
| Area 89 | Rattlesnake | 1,065 | 53.5% | 92 (2025) |
| Area 90 | Muskrat | 1,291 | 78.4% | 25 (2025) |
| Area 157 | Boysen | 664 | 0% | 380 (2025) |
| Area 171 | Crowheart Butte | 2,384 | 0% | 209 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 36?
68% of deer Area 36 is public land: 391,275 of its 575,445 acres, the largest share BLM (339,622 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 36?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 71 mule deer and 18 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 36. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 33.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 36 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 15 and the latest closes October 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 36?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 36. The largest, Type 1, had 110 licenses and 348 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 36?
Shoshoni is inside the hunt area. Just outside: East Thermopolis (13 miles), Thermopolis (14 miles) and Riverton (17 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 5.
- 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 Lander Region Area 34 Area 35 Area 37 Area 39 Area 89 Area 90 Area 157 Area 171