Wyoming’s 2026 deer season could be a matter of quality over quantity in some parts of the state, amid rumors that the vaunted Wyoming Range mule deer herd might once again be producing the sort of monster bucks for which it's famous.
Overall, mule deer hunters have reason to be cautiously optimistic going into the season, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s hunting forecast.
Some early archery deer seasons opened Tuesday. Most rifle season will kick off in mid-October.
Monster Buck Comeback
The Wyoming Range mule deer herd is one of the most treasured. It produced the state’s most famous mule deer in the late 1980s and early 1990s — Popeye, Morty, and Goliath — gigantic bucks still well-remembered.
That herd was one of the hardest-hit during the devastating 2022-2023 winter. It lost thousands, including that year’s entire fawn crop.
Avid hunter Zach Key lives in La Barge and keeps close taps on the herd. He’s a co-founder of the Wyoming Range Hunting and Fishing Expo conservation group.
While deer numbers are still down, the herd seems well on the way to recovery, he told Cowboy State Daily.
“The deer quantity is down, but the quality is definitely better this year,” he said.
After an exceptionally mild winter, many deer likely still retained some fat going into spring and were able to “pour more nutrition” into antler growth, Key said.
Scouting reports from local hunters indicate a good number of large bucks, including some in true trophy class, in the 200-inch and up range, Key said.
That’s according to the Boone and Crockett trophy scoring system. It’s based on length and circumference measurements taken at several points along a deer’s antlers, which are compiled for the score.
“A lot of people are seeing some really solid bucks; I think some absolute hammer bucks are going to be killed this year,” he said.
Game and Fish forecasts “modest increases in opportunity” for hunters in the Green River and Pinedale regions.
“Hunters willing to put in the time and effort should be rewarded with an opportunity to harvest a trophy-class mule deer buck from abundant public lands in the Pinedale region,” according to Game and Fish.
Sheridan Area Deer in a Downswing
Mule deer numbers in the Sheridan region have been trending down since 2019 because of poor range conditions, drought, disease, and hard winters, according to Game and Fish.
On public land, more hunters might be competing for fewer deer.
Hunting seasons for 2026 are similar to the previous year. Antler point restrictions are in place for 2026 in some hunt areas. Hunters should expect difficult access to private lands and some overcrowding on accessible public lands, according to Game and Fish.
Hunter Frank Bilek of Buffalo said he’s not worried about finding a buck this year.
He likes to hunt on public land in the mountains above Buffalo.
“I’ve seen enough deer around here to see a difference from last year,” he told Cowboy State Daily.
He said the secret to hunting in the area is to put in the miles and go farther in and higher up than other hunters might be willing.
He likes hunting in the timber along the edges of large meadows, hoping to catch deer moving through in the morning or evening.
It might take more time and effort to find a huge buck this year, Bilek added.
“I haven’t seen super-impressive bucks” that were more common in years past, he said. “The super bucks are going to be harder to find because there are not as many of them and more hunters.”
White-Tails: A Good Alternative
In the Lander region, which includes the deer hunt areas around Riverton, the mule deer population has been “languishing,” according to Game and Fish.
Even so, the department opted to lift point restrictions in some hunt areas there.
“Antler-point restrictions were lifted this year to provide more harvest on proportionally high buck numbers and to potentially guard against the spread of CWD (chronic wasting disease). Hunters will have opportunities for similar harvest success as in past years — mostly with young bucks,” according to Game and Fish.
Jason Crotteau of Riverton said he usually doesn’t hunt mule deer in the area. Instead, he and his wife go for white-tailed deer on private property where they have access permission.
“Where we go, we’ve never had an issue,” finding deer, he told Cowboy State Daily.
While mule deer hunting in Wyoming is almost entirely bucks only, either buck or doe white-tailed deer can be shot in some general tag hunting areas, Crotteau said.
That increases the odds of getting venison in the freezer, he said.
“All of the deer we’ve taken in the last three years, they’ve been fat, and it’s been really good meat,” he said.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
