Whiskey Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Whiskey Basin Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 12,833 acres in WGFD's Lander Region, Fremont County. Wildlife Habitat Management Areas are lands WGFD manages for wildlife habitat and public hunting and fishing access. WGFD lists elk (hunt areas 68, 69), deer (hunt area 128), antelope (hunt area 84), moose (hunt area 6) and bighorn sheep (hunt areas 9, 10) 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 landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Whiskey Basin WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 12,833 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
| County | Fremont |
| Access dates | This area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am May 16th. |
| Seasonal closure | Whiskey Basin WHMA is closed to motorized vehicles Dec. 1 - May 15 |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Antelope, Moose and Bighorn sheep |
| Facilities | Comfort Stations, Campgrounds, Boat Ramps |
| Nearest towns | Dubois (2 mi) and Crowheart (12 mi) |
What are the rules on Whiskey Basin WHMA?
Access: This area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am May 16th.
Exceptions: Closure is limited to vehicles only. Foot and horse access open year-round.
Seasonal closure: Whiskey Basin WHMA is closed to motorized vehicles Dec. 1 - May 15.
Area regulations: 14 day camping limit Weed free certified hay only.
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 Whiskey Basin WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in areas 68 and 69; deer in area 128; antelope in area 84; moose in area 6; bighorn sheep in areas 9 and 10. Also listed: waterfowl, pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, doves, partridge, turkey, rabbit, mountain lion, black bear and mountain grouse.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Whiskey Basin WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Whiskey Basin 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 69 | 10,202 | 115 (2025) | 48.7% |
| Elk Area 68 | 2,623 | 206 (2025) | 30.7% |
| Elk Area 127 | 8 | 54 (2025) | 44.3% |
| Deer Area 128 | 12,826 | 390 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 171 | 7 | 209 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 84 | 12,822 | 123 (2025) | 83.1% |
| Antelope Area 117 | 10 | 3 (2025) | 100% |
| Moose Area 6 | 12,822 | 5 (2025) | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 10 | 7,681 | 5 (2025) | 100% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 9 | 5,141 | 1 (2025) | 20% |
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 Whiskey Basin 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 | 7,496 |
| State trust land | 93 |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 43 |
| National forest | 8 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 5,193 |
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 (12,833 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Whiskey Basin WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: US 287 and US 26. Nearest towns: Dubois (2 miles) and Crowheart (12 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Whiskey Basin WHMA open?
This area opens to motorized vehicles at 8:00 am May 16th. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Whiskey Basin WHMA is closed to motorized vehicles Dec. 1 - May 15.
What can you hunt on Whiskey Basin WHMA?
WGFD lists elk, deer, antelope, moose and bighorn sheep for big game, and waterfowl, pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, 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 Whiskey Basin WHMA?
14 day camping limit Weed free certified hay only.
Where is Whiskey Basin WHMA?
About 2 miles from Dubois, and 12 miles from Crowheart, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Whiskey Basin WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Areas 69, 68 and 127, deer Areas 128 and 171 and antelope Areas 84 and 117. 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 Lander Region Elk Area 69 Elk Area 68 Elk Area 127 Deer Area 128 Deer Area 171 Antelope Area 84