Deer Hunt Area 66, Bates Hole-Hat Six: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 66 (Bates Hole-Hat Six) covers 1,000 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 49.9% public land, most of it BLM (190,623 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 365 mule deer (37.9% success for 963 mule deer hunters) and 124 white-tailed deer here. The 2026 season table lists 4 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 landBureau of ReclamationArea 66Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Bates Hole/Hat Six (757); white-tailed deer: Central |
| Size | 1,000 square miles (640,152 acres) |
| Public land | 49.9% (319,609 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 365 mule deer, 124 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 21 (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 | Casper, Bessemer Bend, Meadow Acres, Glenrock, Evansville and Mills |
How much public land is in Deer Area 66?
49.9% of deer Area 66 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 319,609 of 640,152 acres. The largest share is BLM, 190,623 acres or 29.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 66 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 190,623 | 29.8% |
| State trust land | 117,015 | 18.3% |
| National forest | 9,122 | 1.4% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 2,849 | 0.4% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 117,066 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 65,327 acres road access or reached from other state land, 32,757 acres next to other public land, 18,793 acres no known public access and 189 acres possible access by water. 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 66
Public Access Area: North Platte River-Sechrist (52 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Muddy Mountain (25,420 acres here), Ice Cave Mountain (15,253 acres here), Hat Six (1,309 acres here), Pathfinder (154 acres here) and Deer Creek (47 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 4,935 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 66?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 963 active hunters took 365 (362 bucks), 37.9% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 390 active hunters took 124 (70 bucks), 31.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 963 | 365 | 362 | 3 | 0 | 37.9% | 3,647 | 10.0 |
| 2024 | 871 | 328 | 318 | 5 | 5 | 37.7% | 2,642 | 8.1 |
| 2023 | 880 | 405 | 400 | 5 | 0 | 46% | 2,843 | 7.0 |
| 2022 | 711 | 224 | 213 | 11 | 0 | 31.5% | 2,529 | 11.3 |
| 2021 | 666 | 190 | 181 | 9 | 0 | 28.5% | 2,287 | 12.0 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 390 | 124 | 70 | 35 | 19 | 31.8% | 1,761 | 14.2 |
| 2024 | 446 | 147 | 90 | 52 | 5 | 33% | 2,207 | 15.0 |
| 2023 | 279 | 96 | 48 | 43 | 5 | 34.4% | 1,032 | 10.8 |
| 2022 | 221 | 84 | 61 | 19 | 4 | 38% | 678 | 8.1 |
| 2021 | 361 | 129 | 71 | 41 | 17 | 35.7% | 1,713 | 13.3 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 963 | 365 | 37.9% | 3,647 |
Source: WGFD 2025 deer harvest report, page 15 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 66 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 21 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 66:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 21 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer | |
| Type 3 also Areas 88, 89 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 75 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 also Areas 88, 89 | Aug 15 to Oct 14 | 75 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer only valid in Area 88 | |
| Type 8 also Areas 88, 89 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 6 (final, April 2026), page 9. 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 66?
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 | 3 | 6 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 60 | 195 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 11 | 17 | 11 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 15 | 25 | not published | |
| Residents | 60 | 134 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region D general license. In the 2026 draw it had 316 licenses; 426 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 153 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 66?
Highways through the area: I-25 (about 47 miles inside it), WY 487 (about 33 miles inside it), US 87 (about 30 miles inside it), US 26 (about 28 miles inside it) and US 20 (about 28 miles inside it). Towns inside: Casper, Bessemer Bend, Meadow Acres, Brookhurst and Red Butte. Nearby: Glenrock (on the line), Evansville (on the line), Mills (on the line) and Rolling Hills (3 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 66?
Deer Area 66 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 22 | Douglas | 2,538 | 19.7% | 290 (2025) |
| Area 34 | North Natrona | 1,451 | 65.9% | 154 (2025) |
| Area 64 | Laramie Peak | 2,963 | 30.4% | 538 (2025) |
| Area 65 | South Converse | 1,222 | 24.2% | 841 (2025) |
| Area 67 | Casper Mountain | 27 | 9% | not reported |
| Area 70 | Shirley Mountain | 1,149 | 54.7% | 227 (2025) |
| Area 87 | Ferris | 1,220 | 65.4% | 43 (2025) |
| Area 88 | Kendrick | 223 | 51.5% | 170 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 66?
49.9% of deer Area 66 is public land: 319,609 of its 640,152 acres, the largest share BLM (190,623 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 66?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 365 mule deer and 124 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 66. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 328.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 66 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens August 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 66?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 66. The largest, Type 3, had 80 licenses and 218 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 66?
Casper, Bessemer Bend and Meadow Acres are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Glenrock (on the line), Evansville (on the line) and Mills (on the line).
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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 9.
- 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 22 Area 34 Area 64 Area 65 Area 70 Area 87 Area 88