Deer Hunt Area 40, Buffalo Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 40 (Buffalo Creek) covers 721 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 55% public land, most of it BLM (179,434 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 293 mule deer (53.6% success for 547 mule deer hunters) and 138 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.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 40Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region (also Sheridan) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Southwest Bighorn (208); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 721 square miles (461,611 acres) |
| Public land | 55% (253,793 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 293 mule deer, 138 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 | Ten Sleep and Worland |
How much public land is in Deer Area 40?
55% of deer Area 40 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 253,793 of 461,611 acres. The largest share is BLM, 179,434 acres or 38.9% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 40 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 179,434 | 38.9% |
| State trust land | 41,551 | 9% |
| National forest | 32,808 | 7.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 41,733 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 34,179 acres road access or reached from other state land, 4,489 acres next to other public land and 3,065 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 40
Public Access Area: Wigwam Rearing Station (80 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Upper Nowood (369 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 613 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 40?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 547 active hunters took 293 (260 bucks), 53.6% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 334 active hunters took 138 (41 bucks), 41.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 547 | 293 | 260 | 28 | 5 | 53.6% | 2,494 | 8.5 |
| 2024 | 456 | 230 | 195 | 30 | 5 | 50.4% | 2,002 | 8.7 |
| 2023 | 387 | 216 | 184 | 32 | 0 | 55.8% | 1,796 | 8.3 |
| 2022 | 349 | 153 | 136 | 17 | 0 | 43.8% | 1,310 | 8.6 |
| 2021 | 574 | 244 | 176 | 64 | 4 | 42.5% | 2,450 | 10.0 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 334 | 138 | 41 | 62 | 35 | 41.3% | 1,593 | 11.5 |
| 2024 | 359 | 195 | 76 | 87 | 32 | 54.3% | 1,380 | 7.1 |
| 2023 | 342 | 295 | 92 | 171 | 32 | 86.3% | 1,262 | 4.3 |
| 2022 | 366 | 225 | 69 | 138 | 18 | 61.5% | 1,237 | 5.5 |
| 2021 | 389 | 217 | 50 | 139 | 28 | 55.8% | 1,446 | 6.7 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 6 | 50 | 37 | 30 | 81.1% | 145 |
| General | not limited | 522 | 263 | 50.4% | 2,349 |
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 40 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 40:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 24 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35 |
| Type 8 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 150 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35 |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 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 40?
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 | 1 | 20 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 99 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 26 | 6 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 110 | 73 | not published | |
| Residents | 120 | 40 | 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. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Deer Area 40?
Highways through the area: US 16 (about 23 miles inside it) and WY 434 (about 20 miles inside it). Nearby: Ten Sleep (on the line) and Worland (17 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 40?
Deer Area 40 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 28 | Hunter Mesa | 342 | 99.6% | 91 (2025) |
| Area 30 | Upper Powder River | 397 | 32.1% | 223 (2025) |
| Area 32 | Beartrap Creek | 142 | 36.4% | 3 (2025) |
| Area 35 | Upper Nowood | 188 | 37.7% | 31 (2025) |
| Area 39 | Bates Creek | 254 | 65.1% | 91 (2025) |
| Area 41 | Lower Nowood | 517 | 70.6% | 323 (2025) |
| Area 46 | Cloud Peak | 358 | 99.6% | 100 (2025) |
| Area 164 | Nowater | 511 | 89.8% | 250 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 40?
55% of deer Area 40 is public land: 253,793 of its 461,611 acres, the largest share BLM (179,434 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 40?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 293 mule deer and 138 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 40. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 230.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 40 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 15 and the latest closes November 30, 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 40?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 40. The largest, Type 8, had 230 licenses and 113 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 40?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Ten Sleep (on the line) and Worland (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 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 28 Area 30 Area 32 Area 35 Area 39 Area 41 Area 46 Area 164