Tom Thorne/Beth Williams Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Tom Thorne/Beth Williams Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 2,961 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 bighorn sheep (hunt area 19) 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 landTom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 2,961 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
| County | Albany |
| Access dates | Foot and horse access open year-round this area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am June 1st. |
| Seasonal closure | Vehicular Closure Feb 1 - May 31 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer and Bighorn sheep |
| Facilities | Comfort Station, Primitive Boat Launch. |
| Nearest towns | Westview Circle (24 mi), Whiting (25 mi) and Wheatland (27 mi) |
What are the rules on Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
Access: Foot and horse access open year-round this area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am June 1st.
Exceptions: Closure is limited to vehicles only. Foot and horse access open year-round.
Seasonal closure: Vehicular Closure Feb 1 - May 31.
Area regulations: Use of internal combustion engines is prohibited. Camping Limit is 14 days, Access road and parking not plowed during winter, Access limited to WGFC land or easement marked with department signs.
WGFD lists these uses: Fishing, Hunting, Trapping, Camping, Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Floating.
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 Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in area 7; deer in area 64; bighorn sheep in area 19. Also listed: waterfowl, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit and mountain grouse.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Tom Thorne/Beth Williams 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 | 2,958 | 2,386 (2025) | 46.4% |
| Deer Area 64 | 2,959 | 538 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 38 | 2,961 | 497 (2025) | 76.6% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 19 | 2,961 | 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 Tom Thorne/Beth Williams 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 | 844 |
| State trust land | 313 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 1,804 |
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 (2,961 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 34. Nearest towns: Westview Circle (24 miles), Whiting (25 miles), Wheatland (27 miles) and Chugwater (27 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA open?
Foot and horse access open year-round this area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am June 1st. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Vehicular Closure Feb 1 - May 31.
What can you hunt on Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer and bighorn sheep for big game, and waterfowl, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit and mountain grouse. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
What are the rules on Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
Use of internal combustion engines is prohibited. Camping Limit is 14 days, Access road and parking not plowed during winter, Access limited to WGFC land or easement marked with department signs.
Where is Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA?
About 24 miles from Westview Circle, and 25 miles from Whiting, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Tom Thorne/Beth Williams WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 7, deer Area 64 and antelope Area 38. 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 38 Bighorn sheep Area 19