It was the biggest whitetail deer I had ever seen, and no one else seemed to care. I'll never forget that November afternoon standing on the side of a busy roadway outside of Cody, Wyoming when I spotted the gigantic, 170+ inch 10-pointer standing in a famer's field. The big buck was on a hot doe, and when a 110-inch rival appeared, the big buck lowered his head slightly and charged, chasing the smaller rival nearly 300 yards across the field away from his doe. I wasn't hunting at the time of this encounter. I just happened to spot the buck while driving around spotting deer during my last day living in the state. However, it boggled my mind how the locals zipped by without even a second glance at the buck of a lifetime that was standing in that field. It seemed to follow what a co-worker had told me about Wyoming hunting a month or two earlier. He said locals in the area care first and foremost about elk. They'll only shoot a mule deer if they don't get their elk, and they'll only consider shooting a whitetail if they fail on the other two first. I believe the exact term he used was "trash deer" in reference to whitetails.
Such a statement would be blasphemous in my home state of Michigan, but there does appear to be a whole different mindset in Wyoming when it comes to deer hunting. And because most nonresident hunters come to this state for the elk or pronghorn antelope opportunities, Wyoming flies under the radar as a big buck hotspot, which is how I suspect the locals who do love deer hunting like it. Let's look closer at the logistics of hunting the Equality State, and why it should be on your radar for a deer hunt.
Is There Good Deer Hunting in Wyoming?
Travis Smola
Wyoming has never been known as a deer state despite having an extremely robust mule deer herd. Some hunters don't even realize the state has whitetails because they can be so hard to find. I lived in the state for a month and a half before I spotted a scrawny whitetail doe and her fawn from the year prior. I suspect the elk and antelope herds, combined with surrounding states having a better reputation for deer, is what causes Wyoming to fly under the radar so much. After all, the world record typical mule deer came from Colorado, just to the south. To the west, hunters consistently put trophy mule deer on the ground in Idaho. Even Montana to the north has a better reputation for deer hunting than Wyoming does.
Part of that reason is because few Boone and Crockett class deer seem to be shot in the Cowboy State. In 1998, Bobby Beeman caused a lot of heads to turn when he arrowed a monster non-typical whitetail with matching club-like drop tines that still stands as the state record whitetail with a net score of 261 5/8 inches. If you start really diving into it, the state is often hard-pressed to record official measurements on more than a few dozen typical whitetails over 150 inches there every year. The mule deer hunting in Wyoming is notably better than the whitetail hunting. It usually produces a a few B&C class deer in the 170- to 190-inch typical range every year. In 2020, Michael Huish downed a 210 5/8-inch giant in Sublette County that was one of the biggest mule deer taken anywhere that year.
If you start driving around and talking to people in Wyoming, they have a more laid-back attitude when it comes to hunting. Most of the locals I interacted with during my brief time living there are hard-working farmers and ranchers. Many are meat hunters first, and could care less about measuring their deer or entering the record books. Yet they harvest great bucks on a consistent basis because the pressure from nonresidents is so low. Wyoming is a well-kept deer hunting secret, and it seems the locals are just fine with that.
The Hunting Seasons for Deer in Wyoming
Travis Smola
One annoying thing about Wyoming is the fact they do not have uniform and clear-cut archery and firearm season dates like other states do. The dates for hunting vary depending on hunt area and can come with limitations on the types of animals you are allowed to harvest. Some areas may be open for any deer, while others may restrict harvests to antlered deer only or does and fawns. For most areas, the archery season is generous. The typical dates are September 1 through September 30. Some areas close the season earlier on September 9 or 14. Either way, Wyoming is a good choice if you've always wanted to add a buck that's still in velvet to your hunting resume. The general season usually starts on October 1. It usually runs through either October 30, December 15, or December 31 depending on the hunt area.
There are also areas of the state that are limited quota hunts where the Wyoming Game and Fish Department may shut things down early if enough deer have been harvested in those areas. Be extremely careful when planning a hunting trip for a quota area. See the WGFD website for a more specific and detailed breakdown of the season dates by hunt area. There are simply too many for us to list them all here in full.
Hunting License Requirements and Fees
Travis Smola
Wyoming requires all hunters to purchase a conservation stamp in addition to their fishing or big game hunting license. The good news is these stamps are good for a year and you can use them for other hunting and fishing trips later. The cost of these stamps is $21.50. That cost aside, many deer hunters will find the nonresident license fees to be very reasonable when compared to other states.
- Nonresident - $374.00
- Nonresident doe or fawn - $34.00
- Nonresident landowner - $374.00
- Nonresident landowner doe or fawn - $34.00
- Nonresident special - $662.00
- Nonresident youth - $110.00
- Nonresident youth doe or fawn - $19.00
- Nonresident youth landowner - $110.00
- Nonresident youth landowner doe or fawn - $19.00
Wyoming also charges a $15.00 application fee to nonresidents who are applying for a hunting license through a drawing each year. For deer, the open date for applications is on January 3 and the latest they will take them is May 31. The results are posted on June 16. If there are leftover licenses after the initial draw, there is a five-day application period in June with a draw on July 7 for those tags. If there are still licenses left over after that, they are made available for over the counter sales on July 13.
Wyoming is a huge state with loads of public land to explore and very few residents to compete with in many areas. It's an overlooked deer state that doesn't always produce the biggest bucks out there. However, it does produce great numbers of deer and for those in the know, it's one of the better states to return to season after season in pursuit of that trophy buck.
When is the Best Time to Deer Hunt in Wyoming?
Travis Smola
Because there isn't as much hunting pressure on deer in Wyoming, there is almost no wrong time in the season to take that whitetail or mule deer trip of your dreams in the high country. Late October and early November are the prime times for the rut and when bucks are going to be the most active. In fact, most are not shy about moving during daylight hours, especially at higher elevations where hunters are putting more of their focus on the elk than the deer.
One thing I will warn potential hunters about are Wyoming's fierce winds. They start to pick up in intensity towards the end of September and can get quite intense through much of October and November. Expect 40 to 50 mph gusts at times. They are usually much more intense in the morning than the evening. Because much of the state is high in the mountains, the weather can be wildly unpredictable. It's not unheard of to get snow in the early part of September just as archery hunting season is starting up. The forecast can change by the minute, so we recommend packing clothing to fit every weather scenario. Otherwise, you might be forced to make an emergency stop at a local sporting goods store for extra layers when winter decides to drop in unexpectedly early. Sudden storms like that are great for hunting since they get the deer up and on their feet, but they can be a major inconvenience to nonresidents who aren't expecting it.
Wyoming is a huge state with loads of public land to explore and very few residents to compete with in many areas. It's an overlooked deer state that doesn't always produce the biggest bucks out there. However, it does produce great numbers of deer and for those in the know, it's one of the better states to return to season after season in pursuit of that trophy buck.
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