Deer Hunt Area 39, Bates Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 39 (Bates Creek) covers 254 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 65.1% public land, most of it BLM (84,792 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 91 mule deer (64.1% success for 142 mule deer hunters) and 0 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.
BLMState trust landArea 39Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region (also Lander) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Southwest Bighorn (208); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 254 square miles (162,754 acres) |
| Public land | 65.1% (105,946 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 91 mule deer, 0 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 24 (Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 3, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Kirby, East Thermopolis and Thermopolis |
How much public land is in Deer Area 39?
65.1% of deer Area 39 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 105,946 of 162,754 acres. The largest share is BLM, 84,792 acres or 52.1% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 39 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 84,792 | 52.1% |
| State trust land | 21,154 | 13% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 21,243 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 15,658 acres road access or reached from other state land, 3,355 acres next to other public land and 2,230 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 39
Hunter Management Areas: Upper Nowood (3,614 acres here) and Kirby Creek (1,046 acres here).
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 39?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 142 active hunters took 91 (91 bucks), 64.1% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 20 active hunters took 0 (0 bucks), 0% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 142 | 91 | 91 | 0 | 0 | 64.1% | 591 | 6.5 |
| 2024 | 141 | 62 | 62 | 0 | 0 | 44% | 685 | 11.0 |
| 2023 | 136 | 57 | 57 | 0 | 0 | 41.9% | 569 | 10.0 |
| 2022 | 96 | 26 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 27.1% | 312 | 12.0 |
| 2021 | 118 | 31 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 26.3% | 425 | 13.7 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 34 | |
| 2024 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 2023 | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 35 | |
| 2022 | 37 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10.8% | 58 | 14.5 |
| 2021 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 76 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 142 | 91 | 64.1% | 591 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 14 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 39 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 24 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 39:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Area 37 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Dec 15 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 also Area 37 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Dec 15 | 50 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 24 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), pages 5 to 6. 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 39?
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 | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 36 | 42 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 8 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 18 | 15 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 30 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region M general license. In the 2026 draw it had 509 licenses; 522 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 267 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 39?
No numbered highway crosses the area. Nearby: Kirby (15 miles), East Thermopolis (15 miles) and Thermopolis (16 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 39?
Deer Area 39 touches 5 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 35 | Upper Nowood | 188 | 37.7% | 31 (2025) |
| Area 36 | Badwater | 899 | 68% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 37 | Copper Mountain | 372 | 51.4% | 89 (2025) |
| Area 40 | Buffalo Creek | 721 | 55% | 431 (2025) |
| Area 164 | Nowater | 511 | 89.8% | 250 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 39?
65.1% of deer Area 39 is public land: 105,946 of its 162,754 acres, the largest share BLM (84,792 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 39?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 91 mule deer and 0 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 39. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 62.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 39 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 15 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 39?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 39. The largest, Type 8, had 58 licenses and 45 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 39?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Kirby (15 miles), East Thermopolis (15 miles) and Thermopolis (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), pages 5 to 6.
- 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 Cody Region Area 35 Area 36 Area 37 Area 40 Area 164