Hunt Area 24, Sheridan, Wyoming

Rolling to gently broken foothills terrain with creek-cut benches and occasional deep canyons; predominantly low-gradient grassland and shrubland. GoHunt data places elevation between approximately 3,900 and 5,200 feet. The Kerns Wildlife Habitat Management Area on the northwestern edge reaches up to 7,400 feet where the unit abuts the Bighorn National Forest boundary. Overall slope is relatively gentle — GoHunt reports 80% of the area at 22 degrees of slope or less — allowing broad-area glassing from elevated benches.

Public land is scarce — GoHunt reports approximately 10.3% of the 492-square-mile area is publicly accessible. The unit is bounded on the west by the Bighorn National Forest (where public access is good), but the vast interior is privately owned ranch land. I-90 forms the eastern boundary; U.S. Highway 87 and Wyoming Highway 193 cross or border the unit and provide paved access to the perimeter. South Piney Creek runs west to the forest boundary. The WGFD Walk-In Hunting Program (WIHP) provides supplementary access — Sheridan County WIAs confirmed within Deer Hunt Area 24 include: WIA 7 (839 ac, 08/15-05/31), WIA 8 (2,445 ac, 08/15-10/14), and WIA 10 (423 ac, 08/15-05/31). Additional Sheridan County WIAs (1, 4, 5, 9, 11, 12) fall within adjacent deer areas or elk/antelope areas and are not verified for Deer Area 24. The Kerns Wildlife Habitat Management Area (4,942 acres, 12 miles northwest of Parkman) opens to foot and horse traffic October 31; vehicle access is closed November 1 through May 31. Outside these parcels and the Bighorn National Forest boundary, hunters must secure written landowner permission. WGFD has noted that access to private lands for mule deer hunting is very limited, and overcrowding can occur on the small accessible public parcels.

The dominant cover is sagebrush-grassland steppe with native bunchgrasses. Creek corridors (South Piney Creek and its tributaries) support cottonwood, willow, and other riparian shrubs. Where the unit contacts the Bighorn National Forest foothills, terrain transitions to ponderosa pine and limber pine ridges with dense draws of chokecherry and serviceberry (especially notable at the Kerns WHMA). The interior of the unit is ranch country with minimal timber cover; most woody vegetation is confined to drainages and foothill canyons on the western fringe.

Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are present throughout the unit. The 2019 aerial survey of Areas 23 and 24 combined counted 1,923 mule deer, with 45 bucks per 100 does and 90 fawns per 100 does — figures WGFD characterized as among the best mule deer habitat in the region, though mule deer populations have been trending below management objectives since 2019 due to drought, habitat deterioration, and disease. White-tailed deer are abundant along creek drainages and in the agricultural fringe but are concentrated almost entirely on private land. CWD is documented in deer across the Sheridan Region; specific hunt-area prevalence figures are not published separately — hunters should consult current WGFD surveillance reports and voluntary testing is available at the Sheridan Regional Office. The 2021-2022 EHD and bluetongue outbreaks suppressed white-tailed deer numbers, with populations rebounding as of 2025. Elk move through the foothill fringe and winter in lower drainages — approximately 800 elk winter on the Kerns WHMA alone; elk hunting is governed under separate WGFD elk hunt area numbers (primarily Areas 35-40). Pronghorn are present on open sagebrush flats (separate antelope hunt area numbering applies). Moose occupy riparian and willow-shrub corridors on the western foothill fringe. Mountain lion and black bear are documented on the foothill and forest-edge portions. Wild turkey and sharp-tailed grouse occur in creek-bottom and foothill habitats; wild turkey is specifically confirmed at the Kerns WHMA. Sage grouse are present on sagebrush areas — season status should be verified annually.