Hunt Area 15, Southeast Wyoming, Wyoming

Rolling shortgrass prairie and sagebrush-steppe plains broken by agricultural fields, river drainages, scattered buttes, and sandstone bluffs; elevation ranges from approximately 4,103 to 6,130 feet. The North Platte River and Laramie River cut through the unit, creating deeper canyon terrain near Glendo and Guernsey reservoirs in the northern half, while the southern half transitions to more open high-plains grassland approaching the Colorado border.

Public land accounts for approximately 12.7% of the unit — a low figure dominated by scattered BLM parcels and Wyoming state sections. Private agricultural land blocks direct road access to much of the riverine public land along the North Platte. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department's Access Yes Walk-In Area program substantially augments access: Goshen County lists 33 Walk-In Areas open for deer hunting (ranging from approximately 193 to 8,584 acres; most open September 1 through December 31), and Laramie County has at least six Walk-In Areas totaling over 6,600 acres. Major managed public-access properties include: Table Mountain WHMA (1,719.6 acres, 15 miles SE of Torrington — foot and horse access year-round, vehicle access May 16 to September 30 only, closed to motor vehicles October 1–May 15); Springer/Bump Sullivan WHMA (3,415.7 acres on US Hwy 85, 15 miles south of Torrington — foot and horse access year-round, vehicle access May 16–September 30 only, closes October 1); Grayrocks Reservoir PAA (5,584 acres including a 3,500-acre reservoir, 9 miles NE of Wheatland — year-round foot access, unplowed winter roads); North Glendo WHMA (2,662.8 acres at the north end of Glendo Reservoir, Converse/Platte County line — open year-round). Laramie River Hunter Management Area (40,349 acres north of Laramie) operates primarily as a pronghorn-focused permission-slip HMA (Antelope Area 43); deer appear in the species list but the active management and application process centers on antelope. Main paved access routes are I-25 (western boundary), US-20/26 (north), US-85 (Torrington–Cheyenne), US-18/20 (Lusk corridor), and WY-270/Hartville area roads. BLM and county dirt roads provide interior access but can be impassable when wet.

Dominant cover is native shortgrass prairie — blue grama and buffalo grass — interspersed with sagebrush flats and vast expanses of dryland and irrigated cropland (wheat, corn, alfalfa). Juniper breaks and rocky ridgelines appear on upland benches and around the Glendo and Grayrocks Reservoir bluffs. River and creek bottoms along the North Platte, Laramie, and tributary drainages support dense cottonwood-willow-saltcedar galleries that serve as primary whitetail deer habitat. Wetland impoundments at Springer/Bump Sullivan and Table Mountain WHMAs provide marsh-edge cover used by deer, turkey, and waterfowl.

Mule deer (Goshen Rim Herd) and white-tailed deer are both present; whitetails concentrate in the North Platte and Laramie River cottonwood-willow drainages near Torrington, Wheatland, and Guernsey, while mule deer use sagebrush uplands, juniper breaks, and shortgrass prairie throughout. The Goshen Rim mule deer herd is significantly below WGFD's population objective as of 2025, attributed to drought, habitat degradation, and chronic wasting disease pressure. CWD prevalence in the Goshen Rim herd stands at approximately 39%, the highest recorded in Wyoming per the 2025 WGFD Laramie Region Hunt Forecast; WGFD designates Hunt Area 15 as a priority CWD sampling area and stations field check stations during the general season. Pronghorn are present and hunted under a separate antelope hunt area numbering system. Wild turkey inhabit river-bottom timber, particularly around Springer/Bump Sullivan and Table Mountain WHMAs. Ring-necked pheasant (stocked at several WHMAs), sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, and mourning dove round out the upland bird complex. Waterfowl stage heavily at Grayrocks Reservoir and along the North Platte. Mountain lion are present statewide under a quota system.