Hunt Area 27, Buffalo, Wyoming

Rolling to moderately steep foothill terrain transitioning from the Powder River Basin plains to the eastern face of the Bighorn Mountains. Elevation ranges from roughly 4,600 ft in the lower plains-edge sections to approximately 7,000 ft at the upper canyon walls along Rock and Sayles creeks within Bud Love WHMA (which itself ranges 5,500–7,000 ft per WGFD). Steep canyon walls are a defining feature in the northern portion; the southern half is gentler, with small hills and flats broken by creek drainages.

Primary public access in the northern half is the Bud Love Wildlife Habitat Management Area (7,888 acres, ~6 miles NW of Buffalo), reached via French Creek Road and Rock Creek Road off US-87/I-25 north of Buffalo. Johnson County Walk-In Areas WIA 1 (895 ac, open 08/15–05/31) and WIA 11 (644 ac, open 08/15–05/31) overlap deer hunt area 27 and provide additional access to enrolled private land during their open dates. The western boundary is the Bighorn National Forest edge along Johnson County Road 14 (Crazy Woman Canyon Road / USFS Road 33), a 13-mile one-lane dirt road requiring high-clearance vehicles and prohibiting trailers; closed for improvements in summer 2025 and reopened fall 2025 — verify condition annually. The southern half has severely limited public access: BLM and state parcels form a dispersed checkerboard pattern surrounded by private ranch land, making legal entry difficult without landowner permission. Interstate 25 (Exit 299 area) and US-87 provide the main highway corridors into the unit from Sheridan to the north and Casper to the south. The Bud Love WHMA is closed to all human presence January 1 through May 14 annually (opens at 8:00 AM on May 15). Nonresident general deer licenses for this area are also valid in adjacent areas 24, 25, 28, 30, 32, 33, 163, and 169 (Region Y).

A mix of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir at higher elevations transitioning to curlleaf mountain mahogany on long limestone ridges at mid-elevation — a highly preferred mule deer forage plant. Lower draws and creek bottoms support willows and cottonwoods. Over 300 acres of grassy meadows adjacent to North Sayles Creek provide open feeding areas. The plains-edge portions of the southern half carry sagebrush-steppe and mixed-grass prairie typical of the Powder River Basin.

Mule deer are the primary big-game target; the area is part of the North Bighorn deer herd (Hunt Areas 24, 25, 27, 28, 50–53), which as of 2024–25 remains below WGFD postseason population objectives and is under active monitoring through a five-year Mule Deer Monitoring Project. White-tailed deer are also present and huntable, particularly in creek-bottom riparian corridors; CWD prevalence in whitetails in the broader Sheridan Region has been documented above 30%. The Bud Love WHMA supports approximately 500 wintering elk and 200 mule deer annually, plus small numbers of pronghorn. Moose are present in riparian corridors and willow-bottom drainages (Moose Hunt Zone 34). Mountain lions are documented residents (Lion Hunt Zone 23). Black bears are documented in the adjacent Bighorn foothills (Bear Hunt Zone 4). Wild turkey, pheasant, sage grouse, sandhill crane, and waterfowl are present. Eagles and other raptors use the area. Brook and rainbow trout inhabit North Fork Sayles Creek and three man-made ponds within Bud Love WHMA.

ELEVATION: Bud Love WHMA spans 5,500–7,000 ft per WGFD; the unit's plains-edge eastern fringe drops to ~4,600 ft. WILDLIFE ZONE NUMBERS: Moose Zone 34, Lion Zone 23, Bear Zone 4 are hunt zone designations, not population counts — the draft's stated counts of '34 moose', '23 mountain lions', '4 black bears' were erroneous and have been removed. WIA CORRECTION: WIA 5 does not overlap Area 27 per WGFD walk-in data; WIA 1 and WIA 11 are the confirmed overlapping parcels. TYPE 8 QUOTA: Nonresident demand report (6/15/2026) confirms 1,148 quota with 53 first-choice applicants. Chapter 6 draft also lists a 1,200-quota private-land-only Type 8 season (Sep 1–Sep 30). SEASON MUZZLELOADER: Wyoming has no separate muzzleloader-only deer season in Chapter 6; muzzleloaders are legal during archery and general seasons. HARVEST DATA: Area-specific success rates not publicly available in tabular form; accessible via WGFD Hunt Planner or Sheridan Region office (307-672-7418). CWD: Whitetail CWD prevalence above 30% documented in Sheridan Region. NONRESIDENT GENERAL: Region Y license valid in areas 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 163, and 169 (quota 1,000 nonresident licenses).