Deer Hunt Area 6, Skull Creek: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 6 (Skull Creek) covers 410 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 27.3% public land, the largest part national forest (28,816 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 247 mule deer (44.1% success for 560 mule deer hunters) and 69 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 landArea 6Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Black Hills (751); white-tailed deer: Black Hills |
| Size | 410 square miles (262,488 acres) |
| Public land | 27.3% (71,758 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 247 mule deer, 69 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 (Antlered deer) |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Newcastle, Osage, Upton, Sundance and Pine Haven |
How much public land is in Deer Area 6?
27.3% of deer Area 6 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 71,758 of 262,488 acres. The largest share is national forest, 28,816 acres or 11% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 6 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 28,816 | 11% |
| State trust land | 28,167 | 10.7% |
| BLM | 14,775 | 5.6% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 28,167 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 16,219 acres road access or reached from other state land, 9,084 acres no known public access and 2,864 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 6
Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 7,668 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 6?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 560 active hunters took 247 (247 bucks), 44.1% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 374 active hunters took 69 (69 bucks), 18.4% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 560 | 247 | 247 | 0 | 0 | 44.1% | 2,046 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 582 | 262 | 257 | 5 | 0 | 45% | 1,992 | 7.6 |
| 2023 | 510 | 211 | 211 | 0 | 0 | 41.4% | 1,763 | 8.4 |
| 2022 | 521 | 232 | 219 | 13 | 0 | 44.5% | 1,776 | 7.7 |
| 2021 | 601 | 223 | 194 | 22 | 7 | 37.1% | 2,084 | 9.3 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 374 | 69 | 69 | 0 | 0 | 18.4% | 1,217 | 17.6 |
| 2024 | 477 | 112 | 103 | 9 | 0 | 23.5% | 1,390 | 12.4 |
| 2023 | 355 | 70 | 67 | 0 | 3 | 19.7% | 979 | 14.0 |
| 2022 | 360 | 73 | 66 | 7 | 0 | 20.3% | 913 | 12.5 |
| 2021 | 424 | 77 | 74 | 3 | 0 | 18.2% | 1,100 | 14.3 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 560 | 247 | 44.1% | 2,046 |
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 6 in 2026?
General license seasons: November 1 to 20 (antlered deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 6:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 | Antlered deer |
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 6?
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 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 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 6?
Highways through the area: US 16 (about 23 miles inside it) and US 85 (about 20 miles inside it). Towns inside: Newcastle and Osage. Nearby: Upton (on the line), Sundance (17 miles), Pine Haven (17 miles) and Moorcroft (19 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 6?
Deer Area 6 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 4 | Sand Creek | 317 | 42% | 546 (2025) |
| Area 5 | Inyan Kara | 365 | 13.3% | 206 (2025) |
| Area 7 | South Osage | 425 | 29.1% | 77 (2025) |
| Area 8 | Upton-Four Horse | 563 | 27.6% | 106 (2025) |
| Area 9 | Blacktail Creek | 625 | 22.2% | 86 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 6?
27.3% of deer Area 6 is public land: 71,758 of its 262,488 acres, the largest share national forest (28,816 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 6?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 247 mule deer and 69 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 6. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 262.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 6 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.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 6?
Newcastle and Osage are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Upton (on the line), Sundance (17 miles) and Pine Haven (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 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.
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