Deer Hunt Area 51: Beaver Creek
Area 51 is open on a general deer license: the 2026 general season runs Oct. 15 to Oct. 24. Nonresidents need a Region R general license; in the 2026 draw it took about 3 preference points.
- Mule deer herd
- North Bighorn (321)
- White-tailed deer herd
- Bighorn Basin (201)
- Size
- 177 sq mi
- Nonresident region
- Region R
General season
Residents hunt Area 51 on a general deer license. Nonresidents need the Region R general license, which is drawn for the whole region and is good in the general seasons of 7 areas.
| Season | Special archery | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 to Oct. 24 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer |
| Oct. 25 to Oct. 31 | — | Antlered mule deer or any white-tailed deer valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land |
Region R general license, 2026 draw
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 273 licenses. The draw ran out at 3 points: 89.0% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 13 2 100% 10 1 100% 9 1 100% just under 9 2 100% 8 2 100% 7 6 100% just under 7 8 100% 6 7 100% just under 6 8 100% 5 16 100% just under 5 21 100% 4 50 100% just under 4 52 100% 3 109 88.99% just under 3 434 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 91 licenses, 444 first-choice applicants (about 20%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 149 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 49 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
Limited-quota licenses
Type 7 · Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
| Season | Special archery | Quota | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 15 to Nov. 15 | Sep. 1 to Sep. 30 | 75 | Doe or fawn valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land |
- Nonresident: 18 licenses, 107 first-choice applicants (about 17%).
- Resident: 60 licenses, 54 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 8 · Doe or fawn white-tailed deer
| Season | Special archery | Quota | Legal deer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep. 1 to Dec. 31 | — | 100 | Doe or fawn white-tailed deer |
- Nonresident: 93 licenses, 15 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 79 licenses, 6 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Legal boundary description
Beginning at the Bighorn River in the town of Greybull; northerly down said river to Bear Creek; northeasterly up said creek to the Bighorn National Forest boundary; southeasterly along said boundary to U.S. Highway 14; westerly along said highway to the Bighorn River.
Nearby deer areas
- Area 25: Tongue-Goose
- Area 47: Webber Canyon
- Area 50: Upper Shell-Beaver Creek
- Area 52: Crystal Creek
- Area 122: Shoshone River
- Area 124: Emblem
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.