Cottonwood Draw Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Cottonwood Draw Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 700 acres in WGFD's Laramie Region, Platte County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists deer (hunt area 15) and antelope (hunt area 34) for big game hunting here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: WGFD's WHMA data, updated 10/12/2026. Boundary: WGFD GIS. Harvest: WGFD reports to 2025.
BLMState trust landOther public (state parks, military)Cottonwood Draw WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 700 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
| County | Platte |
| Access dates | Open year-round Open year round. |
| Seasonal closure | Access limited to easement area marked with signs |
| Big game listed | Deer and Antelope |
| Facilities | Parking area. |
| Nearest towns | Guernsey (9 mi), Chugcreek (10 mi) and Y-O Ranch (11 mi) |
What are the rules on Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
Access: Open year-round Open year round.
Exceptions: Access parking lot not plowed during winter.
Seasonal closure: Access limited to easement area marked with signs.
Area regulations: Motor Vehicle Travel Restricted to Roads Marked By white arrow on the Wildlife Habitat Management Area. No Recreational Shooting, Off Road Vehicle use is prohibited; open fires and fireworks are prohibited.
WGFD lists these uses: Hunting, Trapping, Camping, Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Waterfall.
In WGFD's words, from its WHMA data. WGFD's posted signs and its Chapter 23 rules for Commission lands are the final word.
What can you hunt on Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: deer in area 15; antelope in area 34. Also listed: pheasant, doves, partridge, turkey and rabbit.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Cottonwood Draw WHMA, with the acres of the WHMA in each and WGFD's latest harvest for the whole hunt area:
| Hunt area | WHMA acres in it | Harvest, whole area | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Area 3 | 700 | 253 (2025) | 41.3% |
| Deer Area 15 | 700 | 1,107 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 34 | 700 | 391 (2025) | 76.1% |
Harvest: WGFD harvest reports, latest year each area was reported (WGFD harvest reports). Acres measured by FilledTag from WGFD's boundaries.
What land is around Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
Inside the WHMA boundary, by manager (WGFD's own holdings and leases are not in the federal and state layers, so they show as unlisted land):
| Manager | Acres inside |
|---|---|
| No federal or state trust land inside | 0 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 700 |
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land) inside WGFD's boundary (700 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 316. Nearest towns: Guernsey (9 miles), Chugcreek (10 miles), Y-O Ranch (11 miles) and Lakeview North (11 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Cottonwood Draw WHMA open?
Open year-round Open year round. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Access limited to easement area marked with signs.
What can you hunt on Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
WGFD lists deer and antelope for big game, and pheasant, doves, partridge, turkey and rabbit. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
Motor Vehicle Travel Restricted to Roads Marked By white arrow on the Wildlife Habitat Management Area. No Recreational Shooting, Off Road Vehicle use is prohibited; open fires and fireworks are prohibited.
Where is Cottonwood Draw WHMA?
About 9 miles from Guernsey, and 10 miles from Chugcreek, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Cottonwood Draw WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 3, deer Area 15 and antelope Area 34. Each hunt area's season applies to the ground inside it.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area facts, access dates, rules and species: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area details.
- Boundary: WGFD Wildlife Habitat Management Area boundaries. Surrounding land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land).
- Hunt area harvest: WGFD harvest reports, 2021 to 2025.
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 Laramie Region Elk Area 3 Deer Area 15 Antelope Area 34