Medicine Lodge Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Medicine Lodge Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 12,721 acres in WGFD's Cody Region, Big Horn County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 41), deer (hunt area 47), antelope (hunt area 79) and moose (hunt area 42) 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.
National forestBLMState trust landMedicine Lodge WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 12,721 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
| County | Big Horn |
| Access dates | This area opens to full access at 8:00 am June 1 - dec. 31. |
| Seasonal closure | NO UNAUTHORIZED VEHICULAR TRAVEL January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Antelope and Moose |
| Facilities | Parking |
| Nearest towns | Hyattville (4 mi), Shell (17 mi) and Ten Sleep (18 mi) |
What are the rules on Medicine Lodge WHMA?
Access: This area opens to full access at 8:00 am June 1 - dec. 31.
Seasonal closure: NO UNAUTHORIZED VEHICULAR TRAVEL January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1.
Area regulations: 14-day camping limit.
WGFD lists these uses: Fishing, Hunting, Trapping, Camping, Hiking, Wildlife Viewing.
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 Medicine Lodge WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 41; deer in area 47; antelope in area 79; moose in area 42. Also listed: waterfowl, pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, sandhill crane, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and mountain grouse.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Medicine Lodge WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Medicine Lodge 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 41 | 12,516 | 356 (2025) | 41% |
| Deer Area 47 | 12,516 | 402 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 79 | 12,516 | 119 (2025) | 81.5% |
| Moose Area 42 | 12,516 | 11 (2025) | 91.7% |
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 Medicine Lodge 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 |
|---|---|
| BLM | 9,055 |
| State trust land | 1,581 |
| National forest | 4 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 1,876 |
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 (12,516 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Medicine Lodge WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 31. Nearest towns: Hyattville (4 miles), Shell (17 miles), Ten Sleep (18 miles) and Manderson (20 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Medicine Lodge WHMA open?
This area opens to full access at 8:00 am June 1 - dec. 31. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: NO UNAUTHORIZED VEHICULAR TRAVEL January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1.
What can you hunt on Medicine Lodge WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer, antelope and moose for big game, and waterfowl, pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, sandhill crane, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and mountain grouse. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Medicine Lodge WHMA?
14-day camping limit.
Where is Medicine Lodge WHMA?
About 4 miles from Hyattville, and 17 miles from Shell, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Medicine Lodge WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 41, deer Area 47 and antelope Area 79. 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 Cody Region Elk Area 41 Deer Area 47 Antelope Area 79 Moose Area 42