Deer Hunt Area 76, Sheep Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Deer Hunt Area 76 (Sheep Mountain) covers 409 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 61.9% public land, most of it national forest (130,986 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 (23.8% success for 1,037 mule deer hunters) and 10 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 landNational wildlife refugeArea 76Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Sheep Mountain (539); white-tailed deer: Southeast Wyoming |
| Size | 409 square miles (261,821 acres) |
| Public land | 61.9% (162,056 acres) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 247 mule deer, 10 white-tailed deer |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 (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 | Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany, Fox Park and Laramie |
How much public land is in Deer Area 76?
61.9% of deer Area 76 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 162,056 of 261,821 acres. The largest share is national forest, 130,986 acres or 50% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 76 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 130,986 | 50% |
| State trust land | 21,155 | 8.1% |
| BLM | 9,915 | 3.8% |
| National wildlife refuge | 2,549 | 1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 21,160 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 17,144 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,477 acres no known public access, 1,538 acres next to other public land and 1 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 76
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Forbes/Sheep Mountain (1,584 acres here) and Jelm (909 acres here). Public Access Areas: Twin Buttes (291 acres here), Gelatt Lake (198 acres here) and Meeboer Lake (195 acres here). Hunter Management Area: X-Bar Ranch (14,631 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 629 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 76?
WGFD reports mule deer and white-tailed deer separately. Mule deer, 2025: 1,037 active hunters took 247 (247 bucks), 23.8% success. White-tailed deer, 2025: 123 active hunters took 10 (10 bucks), 8.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,037 | 247 | 247 | 0 | 0 | 23.8% | 6,429 | 26.0 |
| 2024 | 901 | 204 | 204 | 0 | 0 | 22.6% | 5,001 | 24.5 |
| 2023 | 773 | 204 | 204 | 0 | 0 | 26.4% | 4,353 | 21.3 |
| 2022 | 777 | 157 | 147 | 10 | 0 | 20.2% | 4,758 | 30.3 |
| 2021 | 790 | 216 | 206 | 7 | 3 | 27.3% | 4,503 | 20.8 |
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 123 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8.1% | 223 | 22.3 |
| 2024 | 107 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4.7% | 264 | 52.8 |
| 2023 | 103 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7.8% | 265 | 33.1 |
| 2022 | 63 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3.2% | 119 | 59.5 |
| 2021 | 83 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4.8% | 190 | 47.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 1,037 | 247 | 23.8% | 6,429 |
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 76 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 14 (antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 76:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 3 also Areas 75, 77 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 75 | Any white-tailed deer |
| Type 3 also Areas 75, 77 | Dec 1 to Dec 31 | Antlerless white-tailed deer | ||
| Type 8 also Areas 75, 77 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 100 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | Antlered mule deer or any 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 76?
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 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 59 | 90 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 12 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 20 | 44 | not published | |
| Residents | 80 | 79 | 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. A license valid in more than one area is listed under the first area WGFD prints for it.
How do you get to Deer Area 76?
Highways through the area: WY 130 (about 16 miles inside it), WY 230 (about 15 miles inside it), WY 11 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 10 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany and Fox Park. Nearby: Laramie (on the line).
Which deer hunt areas border Area 76?
Deer Area 76 touches 4 other deer hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 75 | Four Mile | 511 | 46.3% | 164 (2025) |
| Area 77 | Boulder Ridge | 377 | 18.2% | 31 (2025) |
| Area 78 | French Creek | 457 | 72.7% | 214 (2025) |
| Area 79 | Kennaday Peak | 914 | 46.7% | 131 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Deer Area 76?
61.9% of deer Area 76 is public land: 162,056 of its 261,821 acres, the largest share national forest (130,986 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 76?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 247 mule deer and 10 white-tailed deer were taken in deer Area 76. In 2024 the mule deer estimate was 204.
When does deer season open in Deer Area 76 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 76?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for deer Area 76. The largest, Type 8, had 100 licenses and 123 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Deer Area 76?
Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany and Fox Park are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Laramie (on the line).
Get notified about FilledTag in Wyoming
Leave your email and we will let you know when FilledTag adds something new for Wyoming hunters.
The free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wyoming included.
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 Laramie Region Area 75 Area 77 Area 78 Area 79