Deer Hunt Area 3: Keyhole
Area 3 is open on a general deer license: the 2026 general season runs Nov. 1 to Nov. 20. Nonresidents need a Region A general license; in the 2026 draw it took 1 preference point to be sure of drawing (2.1% of those with fewer drew).
- Mule deer herd
- Black Hills (751)
- White-tailed deer herd
- Black Hills (706)
- Size
- 331 sq mi
- Nonresident region
- Region A
General season
Residents hunt Area 3 on a general deer license. Nonresidents need the Region A general license, which is drawn for the whole region and is good in the general seasons of 6 areas.
| Season | Special archery | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 1 to Nov. 20 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | Antlered deer valid in the entire area; any white-tailed deer valid on private land |
Region A general license, 2026 draw
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 1,272 licenses. The draw ran out at 0 points: 2.1% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 10 2 100% 9 1 100% just under 8 2 100% 7 4 100% 6 5 100% 5 2 100% just under 5 2 100% 4 18 100% just under 4 23 100% 3 46 100% just under 3 45 100% 2 101 100% just under 2 120 100% 1 464 100% just under 1 405 100% 0 1,514 2.11% - Nonresident, random draw: 424 licenses, 1,482 first-choice applicants (about 29%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 589 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 196 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
Legal boundary description
Beginning at the intersection of Interstate Highway 90 and U.S. Highway 14 in the town of Sundance; westerly along Interstate Highway 90 to its intersection with the “D” Road; northerly along said road to the Oshoto Road (Crook County Road 263); easterly along said road to the Cabin Creek Road (Crook County Road 116); southerly and easterly along said road to U.S. Highway 14; easterly and southerly along said highway to Interstate Highway 90 at the town of Sundance.
Nearby deer areas
- Area 1: Crook
- Area 2: Bearlodge
- Area 5: Inyan Kara
- Area 8: Upton-Four Horse
- Area 18: Campbell
- Area 21: Thunder Basin
How to read this
Draw results are what happened in the 2026 draw, published by Wyoming Game and Fish. They are not a forecast; quotas and applicant numbers change every year. Preference-point odds are WGFD's own figures. For random and resident draws WGFD publishes licenses and applicant counts, so the percentage shown is the share of first-choice applicants there were licenses for, before second and third choices. Rows marked “just under” a number are applicants between two point levels, which happens when a party applies together and its points are averaged.
Season dates and legal deer are from WGFD Chapter 6, Deer Hunting Seasons. Where a draw report and the regulation describe a license differently, this page uses the regulation's wording.
Sources: WGFD draw results and odds (2026), WGFD Chapter 6 deer seasons, and the WGFD deer hunt area boundaries. Boundaries on the map are for general location, not a survey. Check the current regulations before you hunt.