Mule Creek Ranch Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Mule Creek Ranch Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 10,107 acres in WGFD's Laramie Region, Albany County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 7), deer (hunt area 64) and antelope (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 landMule Creek Ranch WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 10,107 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
| County | Albany |
| Access dates | Open May 1 through December 31. Access limited to easement area marked with signs. |
| Seasonal closure | Winter closure January 1 through April 30 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer and Antelope |
| Facilities | Horse Corrals, Comfort Station, Parking |
| Nearest towns | Esterbrook (19 mi) and Medicine Bow (29 mi) |
What are the rules on Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
Access: Open May 1 through December 31. Access limited to easement area marked with signs.
Exceptions: Access is restricted to licensed big game hunters with a valid HMA permission slip from WGFD on the 88 Ranch.
Seasonal closure: Winter closure January 1 through April 30.
Area regulations: Closed Jan. 1 - April. 30. Overnight camping (5-day limit) and parking permitted at corrals. Mule Creek HMA permission slip required to hunt the 88 Ranch property from November 1 - December 31. No off-road vehicles; access road and parking not plowed during winter. Open fires, fireworks, and littering are strictly prohibited.
WGFD lists these uses: Big Game Hunting.
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 Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 7; deer in area 64; antelope in area 42.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Mule Creek Ranch 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 7 | 10,304 | 2,386 (2025) | 46.4% |
| Deer Area 64 | 10,304 | 538 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 42 | 10,304 | 287 (2025) | 97.3% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 19 | 10,304 | 10 (2025) | 90.9% |
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 Mule Creek Ranch 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 |
|---|---|
| State trust land | 1,990 |
| BLM | 1,434 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 6,880 |
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 (10,304 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
Nearest towns: Esterbrook (19 miles) and Medicine Bow (29 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Mule Creek Ranch WHMA open?
Open May 1 through December 31. Access limited to easement area marked with signs. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Winter closure January 1 through April 30.
What can you hunt on Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer and antelope for big game. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
Closed Jan. 1 - April. 30. Overnight camping (5-day limit) and parking permitted at corrals. Mule Creek HMA permission slip required to hunt the 88 Ranch property from November 1 - December 31. No off-road vehicles; access road and parking not plowed during winter. Open fires, fireworks, and littering are strictly prohibited.
Where is Mule Creek Ranch WHMA?
About 19 miles from Esterbrook, and 29 miles from Medicine Bow, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Mule Creek Ranch WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 7, deer Area 64 and antelope Area 42. 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 7 Deer Area 64 Antelope Area 42 Bighorn sheep Area 19