Hunt Area 22, Douglas, Wyoming

Rolling sagebrush-grassland hills, rocky broken sandstone terrain, shallow canyon breaks, and cottonwood creek bottoms; elevation range approximately 4,600 to 5,300 feet. Terrain is generally gentle to moderately broken, with portions of the unit featuring sandstone rimrock and buttes.

The unit is predominantly private ranch land (approximately 80%), making public access severely limited and often checkerboarded. BLM parcels account for roughly 10% of the unit, state lands about 8%, and USFS approximately 2%. Two WGFD Walk-In Hunting Areas (Access Yes program) in Converse County are open for Deer Area 22: WIA 1 (1,287 acres, open August 15 through November 30) and WIA 15 (9,353 acres, open August 15 through November 30). The North Platte River-Bixby public access area (35.6 acres) on Tank Farm Road, approximately 24 miles northwest of Douglas near Glenrock, provides river corridor access within the unit boundary. The unit boundary is defined by I-25 (Casper), Wyoming Highway 259 north to Midwest, Wyoming Highway 387 northeast to Reno Junction, Wyoming Highway 59 south to Douglas, and the North Platte River west back to Casper. The Type 2 mule deer license is valid only south and east of Wyoming Highway 95, Converse County Road 23 (55 Ranch Road), Sage Creek Divide/Blizzard Heights Road, and Converse County Road 31 (Ross Road) — a significant internal boundary split. A quality GPS unit with public/private land boundary layers is essential; trespass fees or guided access are the most reliable way to reach quality deer habitat.

Dominant cover is sagebrush-steppe interspersed with native grassland and scattered low-profile cactus. Drainages and creek bottoms support narrow cottonwood and willow riparian strips. Rocky sandstone rims and buttes provide isolated cover. The overall character resembles pronghorn-antelope country rather than forested mule deer range.

Mule deer and white-tailed deer are both present, with mule deer the primary quarry; WGFD data shows 66.6% hunter success and 235 bucks harvested in 2023. White-tailed deer concentrate in cottonwood and willow riparian strips along the North Platte River and smaller creek drainages, with 38.8% hunter success and 80 animals harvested in 2023. Pronghorn are abundant throughout the sagebrush-grassland habitat and are managed under Antelope Hunt Area 26, which overlaps much of the unit. Elk are present in low numbers and managed under Wyoming's separate elk hunt area system. The North Platte River corridor supports waterfowl and shorebirds. Wild turkey are present in Converse County riparian corridors. Mountain lion occur statewide; presence in this semi-arid plains unit is low relative to mountainous areas. No bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or moose range is documented within this unit's terrain type.

1. SEASON DATES: All season dates are from Chapter 6 Draft dated 01.06.2026.2; final adopted dates should be verified against the approved 2026 regulation before use. 2. QUOTA: Mule deer quota of 400 = Type 1 (150) + Type 2 (250), confirmed from regulation table. White-tailed deer quota of 175 = Type 3 (75) + Type 8 (100), confirmed. 3. HARVEST DATA: All harvest numbers and success rates are from the 2023 Wyoming Deer Harvest Report. 4. TYPE 2 RESTRICTION: Confirmed — valid only south and east of Wyoming Highway 95, Converse County Road 23 (55 Ranch Road), Sage Creek Divide/Blizzard Heights Road, and Converse County Road 31 (Ross Road). 5. NO MUZZLELOADER SEASON: Confirmed — no muzzleloader-specific season exists for Area 22 in Chapter 6. The single muzzle-loading reference in Ch. 6 applies to Area 98 only. 6. BOUNDARY: Confirmed two-county unit (Natrona and Converse); Niobrara County reference in draft sources was not supported by the regulation boundary description. 7. PUBLIC LAND PCT: 19% figure consistent across GoHunt and HuntScore sources.