Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area is 19,202 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 areas 40, 54), deer (hunt areas 52, 122, 123), antelope (hunt areas 78, 79, 80) 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.
BLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationNational park (no general hunting)Yellowtail WHMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 19,202 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
| County | Big Horn |
| Access dates | Open year-round. |
| Seasonal closure | Open year round |
| Big game listed | Elk, Deer, Antelope and Moose |
| Facilities | Parking, Handicap Accessible Comfort Station, Boat Ramp |
| Nearest towns | Lovell (3 mi), Cowley (7 mi) and Byron (10 mi) |
What are the rules on Yellowtail WHMA?
Access: Open year-round.
Seasonal closure: Open year round.
Area regulations: 14-day camping limit. Hunting blinds, tree stands or similar structures are permitted, but shall not be placed more than 7 days prior to opening date and removed 7 days following the close of the hunting season. They shall be marked with the name and address of the person who placed or constructed the structure.
WGFD lists these uses: Fishing, Hunting, 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 Yellowtail WHMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: elk in areas 40 and 54; deer in areas 52, 122 and 123; antelope in areas 78, 79 and 80; 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 Yellowtail WHMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Yellowtail 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 65 | 16,507 | 90 (2025) | 23.3% |
| Elk Area 40 | 2,841 | 131 (2025) | 29.7% |
| Elk Area 39 | 88 | 231 (2025) | 45.9% |
| Deer Area 123 | 12,996 | 25 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 122 | 3,513 | 323 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 52 | 2,839 | 42 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 53 | 87 | 70 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 80 | 11,287 | 188 (2025) | 100% |
| Antelope Area 78 | 5,219 | 157 (2025) | 92.4% |
| Antelope Area 79 | 2,929 | 119 (2025) | 81.5% |
| Moose Area 42 | 2,929 | 11 (2025) | 91.7% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 12 | 106 | 8 (2025) | 100% |
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 Yellowtail 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 | 3,761 |
| National park (no general hunting) | 2,113 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 13,562 |
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 (19,436 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Yellowtail WHMA?
Highways within 8 miles: WY 789, US 310, WY 37, WY 32 and WY 33. Nearest towns: Lovell (3 miles), Cowley (7 miles), Byron (10 miles) and Deaver (13 miles).
Questions hunters ask
When is Yellowtail WHMA open?
Open year-round. Seasonal closure, in WGFD's words: Open year round.
What can you hunt on Yellowtail 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 Yellowtail WHMA?
14-day camping limit. Hunting blinds, tree stands or similar structures are permitted, but shall not be placed more than 7 days prior to opening date and removed 7 days following the close of the hunting season. They shall be marked with the name and address of the person who placed or constructed the structure.
Where is Yellowtail WHMA?
About 3 miles from Lovell, and 7 miles from Cowley, measured from the area's boundary.
Which hunt areas is Yellowtail WHMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Areas 65, 40 and 39, deer Areas 123, 122 and 52 and antelope Areas 80, 78 and 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 40 Elk Area 39 Deer Area 123 Deer Area 122 Deer Area 52 Deer Area 53