Hunt Area 164, Nowater, Wyoming

Washakie County, Wyoming. Rolling to rugged badlands, sagebrush flats, and steep-sided drainages draining toward the Bighorn River on the west. Dominant features include Honeycombs WSA (sharply dissected badlands) and Cedar Mountain WSA (deep canyon topography). Elevation ranges from approximately 4,400 ft at the lower Bighorn River drainages to 7,800 ft on higher terrain. Vegetation is primarily sagebrush-grassland with scattered riparian willows along Nowater, Cottonwood, Big and Little Cottonwood, Bad Kimball, and Mud creeks. Irrigated hay ground along river corridors attracts white-tailed deer. No national forest within the deer hunt area boundary.

low

CWD: Mandatory CWD sample submission required for Type 1 and Type 7 license holders. Known CWD hotspot in the northeast portion of the unit where agricultural fields along the Bighorn River serve as a wintering ground for both resident and migratory mule deer. Samples submitted at Cody Regional Office (307-527-7125), Medicine Lodge State Park drop barrel, or Northwest College in Powell (south side of Science and Math Building). Dedicated check station opens Nov. 15 to coincide with the Type 1/Type 7 season opening. CWD adult male prevalence five-year average (2020-2024): 23%; spiked to 38% in 2023 (per 2025 JCR). Southwest Bighorns mule deer herd (MD208, areas 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, and 164) is 47.2% below population management objective of 16,000 as of 2025 and has been below objective for 22 consecutive years — conservative antlerless quotas reflect this. Type 3 reduced from 100 to 50 and Type 8 reduced from 200 to 150 and open date moved from Sep. 1 to Oct. 1 in the March 2026 draft. General deer license holders are not subject to mandatory CWD testing but voluntary submission is encouraged. No Bighorn National Forest land falls within deer Hunt Area 164 — the forest boundary is the approximate eastern and northern limit. White-tailed deer occur primarily on private irrigated land along the Bighorn River and creek drainages; access is difficult to obtain. Zone M (nonresident) tag valid in Areas 35, 39, 40, and 164 only (quota 400); Areas 36 and 37 are NOT in Zone M. 2026 regulations are from March 16, 2026 draft — verify final version at wgfd.wyo.gov before hunting.