Deer Hunt Area 4, Sand Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 4 (Sand Creek) covers 317 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 42% public land, most of it national forest (72,129 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 102 mule deer (17.3% success for 590 mule deer hunters) and 444 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 2 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 4Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Black Hills (751); white-tailed deer: Black Hills |
| Size | 317 square miles (202,746 acres) |
| Public land | 42% (85,085 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 102 mule deer, 444 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 (Antlered deer; except the lands of the State of Wyoming's Ranch A property shall be closed) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Sundance, Newcastle and Upton |
How much public land is in Deer Area 4?
42% of deer Area 4 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 85,085 of 202,746 acres. The largest share is national forest, 72,129 acres or 35.6% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 4 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 72,129 | 35.6% |
| State trust land | 12,408 | 6.1% |
| BLM | 548 | 0.3% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 12,408 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 8,975 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,772 acres no known public access and 661 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 4
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Sand Creek (289 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 3 areas covering 22,057 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 4?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 590 active hunters took 102 (99 bucks), 17.3% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 1,206 active hunters took 444 (426 bucks), 36.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 590 | 102 | 99 | 3 | 0 | 17.3% | 1,617 | 15.9 |
| 2024 | 502 | 99 | 96 | 3 | 0 | 19.7% | 1,280 | 12.9 |
| 2023 | 393 | 77 | 77 | 0 | 0 | 19.6% | 942 | 12.2 |
| 2022 | 492 | 109 | 91 | 15 | 3 | 22.2% | 1,577 | 14.5 |
| 2021 | 490 | 119 | 89 | 30 | 0 | 24.3% | 1,057 | 8.9 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,206 | 444 | 426 | 13 | 5 | 36.8% | 4,608 | 10.4 |
| 2024 | 1,118 | 414 | 395 | 19 | 0 | 37% | 4,790 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | 916 | 384 | 358 | 22 | 4 | 41.9% | 3,878 | 10.1 |
| 2022 | 1,111 | 475 | 364 | 102 | 9 | 42.8% | 5,083 | 10.7 |
| 2021 | 1,101 | 470 | 348 | 100 | 22 | 42.7% | 4,582 | 9.7 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 590 | 102 | 17.3% | 1,617 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 11 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 4 in 2026?
General license seasons: November 1 to 20 (antlered deer; except the lands of the state of wyoming's ranch a property shall be closed). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 4:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 | Antlered deer; except the lands of the State of Wyoming's Ranch A property shall be closed | |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 | 25 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 1. 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 4?
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 | 4 | 61 | not published | |
| Residents | 19 | 75 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region A general license. In the 2026 draw it had 2,481 licenses; 2,754 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 1,272 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 4?
Highways through the area: WY 585 (about 20 miles inside it), I-90 (about 20 miles inside it), US 14 (about 18 miles inside it) and US 85 (about 6 miles inside it). Nearby: Sundance (on the line), Newcastle (16 miles) and Upton (20 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 4?
Deer Area 4 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 2 | Bearlodge | 1,006 | 23% | 1,521 (2025) |
| Area 5 | Inyan Kara | 365 | 13.3% | 206 (2025) |
| Area 6 | Skull Creek | 410 | 27.3% | 316 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 4?
42% of deer Area 4 is public land: 85,085 of its 202,746 acres, the largest share national forest (72,129 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 4?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 102 mule deer and 444 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 4. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 99.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 4 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens November 1 and the latest closes November 20, 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 4?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for deer Area 4. Type 8 had 23 licenses and 136 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 4?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Sundance (on the line), Newcastle (16 miles) and Upton (20 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 1.
- 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 Casper Region Area 2 Area 5 Area 6