Deer Hunt Area 70, Shirley Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 70 (Shirley Mountain) covers 1,149 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 54.7% public land, most of it BLM (346,918 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates hunters took 188 mule deer (34.3% success for 548 mule deer hunters) and 39 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.
BLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationNational wildlife refugeOther public (state parks, military)Area 70Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Shirley Mountain (540); white-tailed deer: Southeast Wyoming |
| Size | 1,149 square miles (735,439 acres) |
| Public land | 54.7% (402,412 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 188 mule deer, 39 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 | Hanna, Medicine Bow, Elk Mountain and Rock River |
How much public land is in Deer Area 70?
54.7% of deer Area 70 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 402,412 of 735,439 acres. The largest share is BLM, 346,918 acres or 47.2% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 70 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 346,918 | 47.2% |
| State trust land | 47,831 | 6.5% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 19,358 | 2.6% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 7,663 | 1% |
| National wildlife refuge | 79 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 47,872 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 26,691 acres next to other public land, 11,232 acres no known public access, 8,551 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,398 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 70
Hunter Management Areas: Hanna Draw (69,564 acres here), Missouri John (19,160 acres here), Beer Mug (11,775 acres here), Pine Draw (11,348 acres here) and Pathfinder (4,850 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 5,539 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 70?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 548 active hunters took 188 (188 bucks), 34.3% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 110 active hunters took 39 (23 bucks), 35.5% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 548 | 188 | 188 | 0 | 0 | 34.3% | 2,245 | 11.9 |
| 2024 | 587 | 211 | 211 | 0 | 0 | 35.9% | 2,443 | 11.6 |
| 2023 | 458 | 152 | 152 | 0 | 0 | 33.2% | 1,930 | 12.7 |
| 2022 | 521 | 219 | 215 | 4 | 0 | 42% | 2,022 | 9.2 |
| 2021 | 511 | 128 | 124 | 4 | 0 | 25% | 2,063 | 16.1 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 110 | 39 | 23 | 14 | 2 | 35.5% | 468 | 12.0 |
| 2024 | 120 | 31 | 13 | 15 | 3 | 25.8% | 577 | 18.6 |
| 2023 | 77 | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 14.3% | 237 | 21.5 |
| 2022 | 68 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 20.6% | 538 | 38.4 |
| 2021 | 92 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 7.6% | 334 | 47.7 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 548 | 188 | 34.3% | 2,245 |
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 70 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 70:
| 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 Area 74 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 8 also Area 74 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 75 | 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 70?
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 | 9 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 40 | 62 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 12 | 3 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 15 | 23 | not published | |
| Residents | 60 | 57 | 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 70?
Highways through the area: WY 487 (about 21 miles inside it), WY 77 (about 16 miles inside it), US 30 (about 7 miles inside it), US 287 (about 7 miles inside it) and WY 72 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Hanna. Nearby: Medicine Bow (on the line), Elk Mountain (13 miles), Rock River (16 miles) and Sinclair (19 miles).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 70?
Deer Area 70 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 64 | Laramie Peak | 2,963 | 30.4% | 538 (2025) |
| Area 66 | Bates Hole-Hat Six | 1,000 | 49.9% | 489 (2025) |
| Area 74 | Kyle | 843 | 22.5% | 75 (2025) |
| Area 79 | Kennaday Peak | 914 | 46.7% | 131 (2025) |
| Area 87 | Ferris | 1,220 | 65.4% | 43 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 70?
54.7% of deer Area 70 is public land: 402,412 of its 735,439 acres, the largest share BLM (346,918 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 70?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 188 mule deer and 39 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 70. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 211.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 70 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes December 31, 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 70?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 70. The largest, Type 8, had 75 licenses and 80 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 70?
Hanna is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Medicine Bow (on the line), Elk Mountain (13 miles) and Rock River (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 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.
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