Deer Hunt Area 40: Buffalo Creek
Area 40 is open on a general deer license: the 2026 general season runs Oct. 15 to Oct. 24. Nonresidents need a Region M general license; in the 2026 draw it took 1 preference point to be sure of drawing (3.8% of those with fewer drew).
- Mule deer herd
- Southwest Bighorn (208)
- White-tailed deer herd
- Bighorn Basin (201)
- Size
- 721 sq mi
- Nonresident region
- Region M
General season
Residents hunt Area 40 on a general deer license. Nonresidents need the Region M general license, which is drawn for the whole region and is good in the general seasons of 4 areas.
| Season | Special archery | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 to Oct. 24 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
Region M general license, 2026 draw
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 265 licenses. The draw ran out at just under 1 point: 3.8% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 12 1 100% 6 1 100% just under 6 6 100% 5 2 100% just under 5 7 100% 4 1 100% just under 4 3 100% 3 13 100% just under 3 13 100% 2 22 100% just under 2 65 100% 1 128 100% just under 1 79 3.80% 0 or fewer 181 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 88 licenses, 255 first-choice applicants (about 35%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 117 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 39 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
Limited-quota licenses
Type 3 · Any white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35
| Season | Special archery | Quota | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 to Nov. 30 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | 50 | Any white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35 |
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 6 licenses. The draw ran out at 2 points: 33.3% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 5 1 100% 3 2 100% just under 3 2 100% 2 3 33.33% just under 2 18 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 1 license, 20 first-choice applicants (about 5%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 3 licenses. The draw ran out at just under 1 point: 66.7% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 1 1 100% just under 1 3 66.67% - Nonresident special, random draw: 1 license, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Resident: 40 licenses, 99 first-choice applicants (about 40%).
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35
| Season | Special archery | Quota | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 to Nov. 30 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | 150 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer; also valid in Area 35 |
- Nonresident: 110 licenses, 73 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 120 licenses, 40 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Legal boundary description
Beginning at the intersection of U.S. Highway 16 and the Bluebank Road (B.L.M. Road 1411); northeasterly along said highway to the Canyon Creek Road (U.S.F.S. Road 25); southerly along said road to the Gold Mine Road (U.S.F.S. Road 452); southerly along said road to the Hazelton Road (Bighorn Divide Road); southerly along said road to the Cherry Creek Hill Stock Drive Road; westerly along said road to Lost Creek; northwesterly down said creek to Deep Creek; northerly down said creek to the Upper Nowood Road; southwesterly along said road to the Nowater Stock Drive (B.L.M. Road 1404); northwesterly along said road to the Bluebank Road (B.L.M. Road 1411); northerly along said road to the intersection with U.S. Highway 16.
Nearby deer areas
- Area 28: Hunter Mesa
- Area 30: Upper Powder River
- Area 32: Beartrap Creek
- Area 35: Upper Nowood
- Area 39: Bates Creek
- Area 41: Lower Nowood
- Area 46: Cloud Peak
- Area 163: Middle Fork
- Area 164: Nowater
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.