Hunt Area 8, Upton-Four Horse, Wyoming

Rolling semi-arid high plains with dissected drainages, creek draws, and gentle ridgelines; elevations range roughly 3,800–5,200 ft. The official boundary (WGFD Chapter 6) runs: WY-116/WY-450 junction → west on WY-450 to USFS Road 930 (Keeline Road) → northwest to Black Thunder Creek → east down Black Thunder Creek to Bacon Creek → north up Bacon Creek to Newel Prong → north up Newel Prong to the Cheyenne River/Belle Fourche River Divide → northeast along the divide to the Four Horse Creek/Raven Creek divide → northwest along that divide to the Belle Fourche River → northeast down the Belle Fourche River to Interstate 90 → east along I-90 to US-16 → southeast on US-16 to WY-116 at Upton → south on WY-116 to WY-450. Significant drainages include the Belle Fourche River (northern boundary), Four Horse Creek, Raven Creek, Bacon Creek, Black Thunder Creek, and Newel Prong. Terrain becomes more broken near creek headwaters and the Cheyenne River/Belle Fourche River divide ridgelines to the northwest.

Primary road access via US Highway 16 (Moorcroft–Upton corridor, eastern leg of northern boundary after I-90), Wyoming Highway 116 (eastern boundary through Upton), and Wyoming Highway 450 (southern boundary, Keeline road corridor). USFS Road 930 (Keeline Road) forms the southwestern boundary and provides vehicular access into the interior. The unit is predominantly private ranch land — large cattle and sheep operations control the majority of acreage, and access permission is required for virtually all productive creek-bottom and ridgeline hunting. Public land consists of scattered BLM tracts and isolated Thunder Basin National Grassland parcels (Thunder Basin spans Weston, Converse, Campbell, Niobrara, and Crook counties); contiguous public access is limited. Walk-In Hunting Area 15 (4,779 acres, open August 15–December 31) is located within Hunt Area 8 and is the primary structured public access opportunity; it also overlaps Elk Hunt Area 126. WIA enrollment varies annually. The WGFD has noted that 'these areas have limited public access, and hunters should secure permission to private lands before planning a hunt.' No designated wilderness or roadless areas exist within the unit.

Mixed-grass prairie and sagebrush-steppe dominate the uplands, transitioning to shortgrass prairie flats on open benches. Wyoming big sagebrush, blue grama, western wheatgrass, and needle-and-thread grass are the principal plant communities. Riparian corridors along the Belle Fourche River and tributary draws support cottonwood, willow, and shrub thickets — the primary white-tailed deer habitat. Scattered ponderosa pine appears near the northeastern edge of the unit as terrain transitions toward Black Hills foothills. Overall vegetative structure reflects the ecotone between Great Plains grassland and sagebrush steppe characteristic of Thunder Basin National Grassland.

White-tailed deer are present along riparian corridors (Belle Fourche River bottoms and creek drainages) and in brushy draws; the northeast Wyoming region supports a recovering whitetail population following epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue outbreaks in 2021–2022, with chronic wasting disease (CWD) prevalence exceeding 30% in white-tailed deer across the broader Sheridan Region. Mule deer occupy sagebrush uplands and transitional cover between creek drainages and open grassland; regional mule deer numbers have trended below management objectives since 2019. Pronghorn antelope are present across the open grasslands and sagebrush flats — Pronghorn Antelope Hunt Area 7 (South Upton) shares essentially the same geographic boundary as Deer Hunt Area 8. Wild turkey (Merriam's) occupy ponderosa pine and riparian cottonwood fringe in the northeastern portion of the unit; this area falls within Turkey Hunt Area 1 (Black Hills), which encompasses Weston County north of US-16. Sage grouse are present in suitable sagebrush-grassland habitat. Mountain lion are present in the broader landscape under a statewide quota system. Prairie dogs inhabit Thunder Basin grassland patches within and adjacent to the unit.

1. Season data sourced from WGFD Chapter 6 draft dated 03.16.2026 (CH 6 Draft 03.16.2026.4) — verify against final adopted 2026 regulations before hunting. 2. CRITICAL DISCREPANCY: The WGFD deer hunting guide states 'Type 3 and 8 license issuance has been eliminated in Hunt Areas 7, 8 and 9 due to confusion and enforcement problems created due to a lack of access,' but the 2026 draft regulations table still shows Type 3 (quota 50) and Type 8 (quota 50) for Area 8. This discrepancy must be verified against the final adopted Chapter 6. 3. The official boundary (per Chapter 6) follows the Belle Fourche River northeast to Interstate 90, then east along I-90 to US-16 — I-90 is the true northern boundary segment, not US-16. 4. Walk-In Area 15 confirmed: 4,779 acres, open Aug 15–Dec 31, within Hunt Area 8 (also overlaps Elk Hunt Area 126). 5. Region B nonresident general license quota confirmed at 700 (reduced from 800) for areas 7-9, 11-14, 21 per 2026 draft. 6. No unit-specific harvest statistics available; all hunter_success_pct and reported_harvest fields are null. 7. CWD prevalence exceeds 30% in white-tailed deer in the broader Sheridan Region — mandatory carcass movement restrictions may apply. 8. Pronghorn, Mountain Lion, Wild Turkey, and Sage Grouse season dates are null here as these species use separate WGFD area numbering systems (Chapters 5, 11, 20).