Sunshine Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Sunshine Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 4,616 acres in WGFD's Cody Region, Park County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt area 62), deer (hunt area 116), antelope (hunt area 110), moose (hunt area 9) and bighorn sheep (hunt area 5) 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 landSunshine WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,616 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
| County | Park |
| Access dates | This area opens to all human presence at 8:00 am June 1- December 31. |
| Seasonal closure | NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Antelope, Moose and Bighorn sheep |
| Facilities | Parking |
| Nearest towns | Meeteetse (11 mi) and Owl Creek (28 mi) |
What are the rules on Sunshine WHMA?
Access: This area opens to all human presence at 8:00 am June 1- December 31.
Seasonal closure: NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1.
Area regulations: 14-day camping limit. Vehicle travel is prohibited, foot or horseback only.
WGFD lists these uses: Fishing, Hunting, Camping, Hiking, Trapping, Wildlife Viewing, Waterfowl.
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 Sunshine WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 62; deer in area 116; antelope in area 110; moose in area 9; bighorn sheep in area 5. 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 Sunshine WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Sunshine 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 62 | 4,615 | 187 (2025) | 55.5% |
| Deer Area 116 | 4,594 | 171 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 117 | 21 | 35 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 110 | 4,615 | 169 (2025) | 95.5% |
| Moose Area 9 | 4,615 | 3 (2025) | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 5 | 4,615 | 28 (2025) | 77.8% |
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 Sunshine 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 |
|---|---|
| National forest | 4 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 4,611 |
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 (4,615 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Sunshine WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 290. Nearest towns: Meeteetse (11 miles) and Owl Creek (28 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Sunshine WHMA open?
This area opens to all human presence at 8:00 am June 1- December 31. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: NO UNAUTHORIZED HUMAN PRESENCE January 1 - 8:00 AM June 1.
What can you hunt on Sunshine WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer, antelope, moose and bighorn sheep 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 Sunshine WHMA?
14-day camping limit. Vehicle travel is prohibited, foot or horseback only.
Where is Sunshine WHMA?
About 11 miles from Meeteetse, and 28 miles from Owl Creek, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Sunshine WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 62, deer Areas 116 and 117 and antelope Area 110. 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 62 Deer Area 116 Deer Area 117 Antelope Area 110 Moose Area 9 Bighorn sheep Area 5