Hunt Area 130, Big Sandy, Wyoming

A unit spanning Sweetwater County (lower portions near Farson, Big Sandy Reservoir) and Sublette County (northern high country near the Continental Divide). Elevation ranges from approximately 6,600 feet on lower sagebrush benches to 11,070 feet in the rocky high country near the Continental Divide. The south end of the unit is characterized by open sagebrush and grass flats. The north end rises into rocky, high-elevation terrain with good glassing country. The unit encompasses rolling hills, ravines, and the Big Sandy drainage.

moderate

1. DRAFT STATUS: All season dates are from WGFD Ch. 6 (Draft 03.16.2026.4) and Ch. 7 (Draft 03.16.2026.4). Final seasons were set at the April 22, 2026 Commission meeting; verify at wgfd.wyo.gov before hunting. 2. ANTLER RESTRICTION CONFIRMED: The 4-point-or-better antler restriction on mule deer IS in effect for Area 130 under both the General and Type 1 licenses per the March 2026 draft. The restriction was NOT struck. Commission news confirms Ch. 6 was 'adopted with retention of antler point restrictions in certain hunt areas.' 3. ELK AREA NUMBERING: Ch. 7 Elk Hunt Area 130 ('Bolten Rim') is near Rawlins in Carbon County and is entirely separate from Ch. 6 Deer Hunt Area 130 ('Big Sandy'). Elk hunting in the Big Sandy geography falls under Ch. 7 Elk Hunt Area 99. There is NO general elk license for the Big Sandy area — elk require a limited-draw Type 1 or Type 4 license under Elk Area 99. 4. COUNTY SPAN: Area 130 is NOT solely in Sublette County. The boundary description anchors at Farson (Sweetwater County) and references Sweetwater County Road 28. The unit spans Sweetwater County in the south and reaches into Sublette County toward the Continental Divide in the north. The Type 7 doe/fawn license for irrigated land explicitly references Sweetwater County. 5. CWD: Area 130 appeared on WGFD voluntary CWD sampling lists as recently as 2023. CWD is broadly present across Wyoming; check wgfd.wyo.gov for Area 130 CWD focus area or mandatory sampling designation for the current season before hunting. Mandatory sampling area announcements are typically released by August 1 each year. 6. MIGRATION: The unit's highest hunting value for mature bucks is during the rut migration in late October. The 6-day general season (Oct. 1–6) precedes peak migration, making the Type 1 limited license (Oct. 15–31, quota 5) the strategically superior draw opportunity. 7. HALF MOON WHMA: Half Moon WHMA (3,761 acres, 6 miles SE of Pinedale) is not confirmed to be within Area 130 boundaries. The Area 130 boundary is anchored at Farson; Pinedale lies west of the unit. Hunters should not assume Half Moon WHMA access falls within this area. 8. PRONGHORN: Area 130 does not appear in Ch. 5 antelope regulations. Use WGFD Hunt Planner to identify the applicable antelope area for the Big Sandy geography. 9. ELK FEEDGROUND PERMIT: Area 130 (Big Sandy) is not among the elk feedground areas (70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 80–98) requiring an Elk Special Management Permit. 10. SOURCE RELIABILITY: Population data from WGFD Sublette mule deer news release; season/quota data from official WGFD draft regulation PDFs (Ch. 6 and Ch. 7, both Draft 03.16.2026.4); elk area boundary data from Ch. 7 Section 7 area descriptions; Half Moon WHMA acreage from wgfd.wyo.gov/Public-Access/WHMA/WHMA/Half-Moon.