Deer Hunt Area 53, Devils Canyon: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 53 (Devils Canyon) covers 230 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 87.5% public land, most of it BLM (71,640 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 70 mule deer (27.8% success for 252 mule deer hunters) and 0 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 1 license row 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 landNational park (no general hunting)Area 53Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | North Bighorn (321); white-tailed deer: Bighorn Basin |
| Size | 230 square miles (147,267 acres) |
| Public land | 87.5% (128,921 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 70 mule deer, 0 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 24 (Antlered mule deer three (3) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deer) |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Lovell, Cowley and Byron |
How much public land is in Deer Area 53?
87.5% of deer Area 53 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 128,921 of 147,267 acres. The largest share is BLM, 71,640 acres or 48.6% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 53 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 71,640 | 48.6% |
| National forest | 51,781 | 35.2% |
| National park (no general hunting) | 5,862 | 4% |
| State trust land | 5,500 | 3.7% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 5,597 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 5,596 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1 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.
5,862 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.
WGFD access areas in Deer Area 53
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Yellowtail (87 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Yellowtail (87 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 53?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 252 active hunters took 70 (70 bucks), 27.8% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 38 active hunters took 0 (0 bucks), 0% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 252 | 70 | 70 | 0 | 0 | 27.8% | 1,259 | 18.0 |
| 2024 | 254 | 66 | 66 | 0 | 0 | 26% | 1,068 | 16.2 |
| 2023 | 276 | 71 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 25.7% | 1,563 | 22.0 |
| 2022 | 263 | 69 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 26.2% | 1,175 | 17.0 |
| 2021 | 264 | 48 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 18.2% | 1,216 | 25.3 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 90 | |
| 2024 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | ||
| 2023 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 193 | |
| 2022 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 7 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 25 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 252 | 70 | 27.8% | 1,259 |
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 53 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 24 (antlered mule deer three (3) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 53:
| 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 three (3) points or more on either antler or any white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 7. 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 53?
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.
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region R general license. In the 2026 draw it had 562 licenses; 719 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 275 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.
How do you get to Deer Area 53?
No numbered highway crosses the area. Nearby: Lovell (10 miles), Cowley (11 miles), Byron (16 miles) and Deaver (17 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 53?
Deer Area 53 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 25 | Tongue-Goose | 756 | 99.4% | 198 (2025) |
| Area 50 | Upper Shell-Beaver Creek | 134 | 100% | 56 (2025) |
| Area 52 | Crystal Creek | 152 | 76.4% | 42 (2025) |
| Area 122 | Shoshone River | 992 | 64.2% | 323 (2025) |
| Area 123 | Yellowtail | 38 | 15.7% | 25 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 53?
87.5% of deer Area 53 is public land: 128,921 of its 147,267 acres, the largest share BLM (71,640 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 53?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 70 mule deer and 0 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 53. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 66.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 53 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 15 and the latest closes October 24, by WGFD Commission Chapter 6. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 53?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Lovell (10 miles), Cowley (11 miles) and Byron (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 7.
- 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 25 Area 50 Area 52 Area 122 Area 123