Wyoming Elk Mule Deer Whitetail Deer

Unit 118 (Bighorns South)

Wyoming Hunting Guide — Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer

Elk Area 118 covers southern Bighorn NF country — timbered crest and drainage heads with migration-driven harvest. About 192 tags against 611 3-year applicants puts it among Wyoming's tighter elk draws. Quality reputation keeps demand steady.

View Draw Odds Wyoming Hunting Guide

Elk Hunting in Unit 118

Where to Find Elk in Area 118

Area 118 elk summer high in Bighorn NF timber and move down drainages as winter pushes in.

High Timber

Archery bulls hold in spruce-fir and lodgepole along the crest.

Transition Benches

Rifle-season elk concentrate on pine-aspen fringes below timberline.

How to Hunt Elk in Area 118

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle44%

Bighorn elk areas typically run rifle success between 25% and 40% per WGFD harvest summaries.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	41	6	100.0%	0
Rifle— General	56	192	29.2%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Non-resident Type 1 tags typically require 3-5 preference points under the 75/25 draw.

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 118

Area 118 covers the northern slope of the Uinta Mountains in southwestern Wyoming's Uinta County. Roughly 21 mule deer tags issued over three recent reporting years against 162 applicants makes this one of the tightest mule deer draws in the state — a true trophy hunt. The country is high-elevation conifer-sage transition with spruce-fir at 10,000 feet dropping to sage benches near 7,500 feet. Boone-and-Crockett-class bucks come out of this area most years.

Where to Find Mule Deer in Area 118

Area 118 bucks use the Uinta North Slope from alpine basins down to sage-aspen transitions.

High Basins — Early Season

Early-season archery hunts focus on the alpine basins above 10,000 feet. Bachelor bull groups of bucks hold in the tundra-willow country before the rut.

Timber Transitions — Mid-Season

October rifle hunts concentrate on the aspen-conifer transitions at 8,500–9,500 feet. Bedded bucks use north-facing conifer for cover.

Sage-Aspen Edge — Late Season

Late hunts push bucks into the sage-aspen edge country at 7,500–8,500 feet. Rut movement increases visibility.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Area 118

Area 118 is a trophy hunt — the tiny tag count means every day afield matters.

Scout Before the Season

A pre-season scouting trip 2–4 weeks before the opener is essential. We identify specific bucks using trail cameras and glass, then track movement patterns relative to water and feed.

Glass From the Rim

The alpine rim positions give us long-range views into multiple basins simultaneously. A quality spotting scope and a stable tripod are non-negotiable — we routinely identify bucks at 2–3 miles.

Patient Stalks

Stalks on mature mule deer in open country demand wind discipline and patience. We've spent entire days closing 1.5 miles on a bedded 180-class buck — it pays off.

Rut Opportunity

The late-October rut opens windows on bucks that are otherwise nocturnal. This is when the biggest bucks become visible — we save our best days for the rut window.

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle35%

Area 118 mule deer success runs 50–70% per WGFD harvest reports — high by any standard for mule deer hunting. The tiny tag count protects age structure, producing consistent 170+ bucks and occasional Boone-and-Crockett-class animals.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	9	53	17.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Wyoming uses a 75% preference / 25% random split. Area 118 non-resident mule deer tags require 8–12 preference points in recent cycles — among the highest-point mule deer tags in Wyoming. Residents need 5–8 points. The 25% random pool occasionally opens the door for lower-point applicants.

Whitetail Deer Hunting in Unit 118

Area 118 covers the southern Powder River drainage in Campbell County, where Thunder Basin National Grassland provides significant public access to whitetail habitat. River-bottom cottonwoods and brushy coulee systems hold whitetail deer, with mule deer also present on the drier upland portions of this mixed-terrain unit.

Where to Find Whitetail Deer in Area 118

Whitetail deer in Area 118 concentrate along the Powder River corridor and the draw systems draining into it across the Thunder Basin Grassland.

Thunder Basin National Grassland

The grassland parcels within Area 118 provide walk-in public access without the landowner permission barrier. Deer use the brushy draws cutting through the grassland, especially those with water and adjacent crop stubble fields. Morning and evening are the prime activity windows.

Powder River Riparian Zone

The cottonwood and willow strips along the Powder River hold the largest deer concentrations. Glass the river-bottom edges at first light for deer transitioning between feeding and bedding areas.

How to Hunt Whitetail Deer in Area 118

The presence of Thunder Basin National Grassland parcels in Area 118 gives public-land hunters meaningful access in a region otherwise dominated by private range.

Grassland Draw Hunting

Work the brushy draws on the grassland parcels systematically. Deer bed in the denser cover at draw heads and feed on the open grassy flats. Still-hunt slowly into the wind through these draws during mid-morning after deer have bedded.

Water Source Focus

In the dry high-plains environment of the Thunder Basin, stock tanks and seasonal water sources concentrate deer. Identify these features on topographic maps and position downwind during evening hunts.

Agricultural Edge Hunting

Where crop fields abut the grassland boundary, deer are predictable feeders. Set up on these edges during the last hour of light for the highest-probability encounters.

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Whitetail Deer Success Rates

Success rate data not yet available for this species in this unit.

Area 118 produces consistent whitetail harvest thanks to the Thunder Basin public land base. Hunters who put in scouting time on the grassland parcels and adjacent river corridor typically find huntable deer populations.

Whitetail Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	9	65	13.8%	0

Data from 2023 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Whitetail tags in Area 118 are relatively accessible for non-residents. The Thunder Basin Grassland public land base reduces hunting pressure compared to fully private-land whitetail units, keeping this unit manageable in the draw.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How tough is the terrain in Area 118?

Moderate to strenuous — timbered Bighorn NF country with meaningful elevation gains from trailheads. Good fitness required.

How many points do I need for Area 118 mule deer as a non-resident?

Area 118 non-resident mule deer tags require 8–12 preference points in recent cycles — one of the highest-point mule deer hunts in Wyoming.

Is Area 118 a true trophy area?

Yes. Boone-and-Crockett-class bucks come out of the Uinta North Slope most years. The tiny tag count protects age structure and keeps pressure low.

Does Thunder Basin National Grassland provide hunting access in Area 118?

Yes — Thunder Basin National Grassland parcels within Area 118 are open to public hunting. Use the USFS Motor Vehicle Use Map and BLM Surface Management layer to identify specific public parcels before your hunt.

Are there both whitetail and mule deer in Area 118?

Yes. Whitetail concentrate in the river-bottom riparian zones while mule deer use the drier upland sage and grassland habitat. The overlap zone in side draws can hold both species.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-18.

WGFD Hunt Planner — Elk — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Elk Area 118 boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Wyoming Hunting Regulations — Elk — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Season dates, License structure · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Drawing Statistics — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 118 historical draw odds · accessed 2026-04-17
Bighorn National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Forest road access, Wilderness boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Hunt Planner — Mule Deer — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 118 boundary and season structure, Limited-quota tag allocation, License and weapon structure · accessed 2026-04-17
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest (Wyoming portion) — USDA Forest Service · supports: Uinta North Slope management area, Trail and road access, Dispersed camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Harvest Reports & Surveys — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 118 mule deer success rates, Buck quality averages, Historical harvest data · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Hunt Planner — Wyoming Deer Hunting — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Unit boundaries, Season dates, License quotas · accessed 2026-04-18

Unit 118 (Bighorns South)

Elk Hunting in Unit 118

Where to Find Elk in Area 118

High Timber

Transition Benches

How to Hunt Elk in Area 118

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 118

Where to Find Mule Deer in Area 118

High Basins — Early Season

Timber Transitions — Mid-Season

Sage-Aspen Edge — Late Season

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Area 118

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Whitetail Deer Hunting in Unit 118

Where to Find Whitetail Deer in Area 118

Thunder Basin National Grassland

Powder River Riparian Zone

How to Hunt Whitetail Deer in Area 118

Whitetail Deer Success Rates

Whitetail Deer Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification