Hunt Area 128, Wind River, Wyoming

WGFD uses the number 128 for two distinct hunt areas in different chapters. Deer Hunt Area 128 'Wind River' encompasses all drainage of the Wind River west of the west boundary of the Wind River Reservation plus those areas of the Spence and Moriarty Wildlife Habitat Management Area east of the East Fork of the Wind River -- covering the Wind River Valley near Dubois, elevation roughly 6,400 to 13,800 ft. Terrain transitions from sagebrush/cottonwood river bottoms through conifer-forested mid-elevation ridgelines to alpine tundra and shale-slide high country in the Wind River Range. Elk Hunt Area 128 'Muskrat' is an entirely different unit south of the Wind River Reservation, bounded generally by US 26 on the north (at the Wind River Reservation boundary), Natrona CR 212/321 on the east, the Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim Draw/WY 135 corridor on the south and west, and the Wind River Reservation south boundary -- covering the Granite Mountains, Sweetwater River valley, and high-desert plains; elevation roughly 5,900 to 8,100 ft.

moderate

CRITICAL: WGFD assigns the number 128 to two different species chapters -- Deer Area 128 'Wind River' (Chapter 6) is a different geographic unit from Elk Area 128 'Muskrat' (Chapter 7). Hunters must verify which chapter's area 128 applies to their license. || DEER AREA 128 BOUNDARY (Ch 6 Section 9): 'All of the drainage of the Wind River west of the west boundary of the Wind River Reservation and those areas of the Spence and Moriarty Wildlife Habitat Management Area that lie east of the East Fork of the Wind River.' || CWD Status (Deer Area 128 Wind River): CWD active surveillance ongoing. 2020-2024 pooled prevalence in adult females is 7% (CI 3-13%, n=140). Adult males tested 0% positive across 47 samples. Sampling is prioritized through 2025. CWD has NOT been widely detected in the Dubois herd through 2024 but monitoring is active due to proximity to infected herds upstream. || CWD Status (Elk Area 128 Muskrat): CWD has not been detected in this herd unit through 2024 per available reports. || Pack Trail Fire: A wildfire closed a large portion of deer Area 128 popular for front-country hunters in 2024, displacing hunters to adjacent areas. Check current closure status before hunting. || WHMA Closures: Both the Spence and Moriarty WHMA and Kirk Inberg/Kevin Roy WHMA are closed to human presence January 1 - May 15 annually. The areas open at 8:00 AM on May 16. An early access lottery allows limited entry during the closure period for shed hunting. The closure zone for Spence and Moriarty applies to land west of the East Fork County Road. || Wilderness: Approximately 45% of deer Area 128 is designated wilderness (Fitzpatrick Wilderness). Nonresident hunters in wilderness areas must use a licensed Wyoming guide. No motorized travel permitted in wilderness. || Nonresident Region L deer quota: 200 tags total for 2026, distributed across areas 92, 94, 128, 156, 157, 160, and 171 (note: area 148 was removed from Region L and area 156 added in the 2026 draft vs. prior years). || Elk Area 23 cross-validity REMOVED: Prior regulations allowed Area 23 Type 1, 4, and 6 elk licenses in the northeast portion of Elk Area 128. The 2026 draft (Ch 7 Draft 03.16.2026.4) strikes this provision. It no longer applies. || Elk Area 24 Type 5 cross-validity: Area 24 Type 5 antlerless elk license (175 quota) is also valid in Elk Area 128, Nov 1-Nov 30. || Season dates are from Ch 6 Draft 03.16.2026.4 and Ch 7 Draft 03.16.2026.4; antelope from Ch 5 Draft 01.06.2026.2. Verify all dates against final adopted regulations before hunting. || Public land estimate of 86% is sourced from GoHunt for the deer Area 128 Wind River unit; the elk Muskrat Area 128 is approximately 81% public per GoHunt. Official WGFD figures are not disaggregated by hunt area.