Hunters seeking opportunities in Wyoming's Area 81 should note the potential changes in season dates, as current proposals suggest a start date of September 20th, pending final approval by the state's Fish and Game department. Draw odds vary significantly between regular and special tags, with the latter offering potentially higher chances due to additional costs, although these vary yearly based on applicant behavior. Hunting in the area appears relatively accessible, particularly for antelope, with abundant land and game near the Oregon Basin and Cody Landfill, as evidenced by a recent successful hunt that required minimal scouting. However, archery hunters should be cautious, as terrain in some sections, like the Oregon Basin, is flat and provides limited concealment opportunities.
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Antelope | 65"-70" | 70"+ |
High
Low
Located along the South Fork of the Shoshone River, southwest of Cody, Area 81 is a diverse area with great hunting opportunities. It is bordered by a number of rivers, creeks, and some National Forest land. This area offers a wide variety of terrain, vegetation, and hunting opportunities.
This unit offers ample opportunity at a good antelope buck. There is good public access, a lot of public land, and a variety of terrain to hunt.
The north, central, and east portions of the unit (right off of Highway 120), hold most of the antelope and have much more typical antelope terrain, with deep ravines, sagebrush basins, large flats, and some rolling grass hills. There are also pine tree groves, rock outcroppings, and creek bottoms. The west and southwest side of the unit has much steeper terrain, more trees, and the country is much more broken. Although this terrain is not typical antelope territory, it still holds populations of antelope.
Wilderness
Under Wyoming law nonresidents are not permitted to hunt big game or trophy game in any federally designated wilderness areas without the presence of a licensed guide or resident companion. The resident companion must first get a free non-commercial guide license from a Game and Fish office. The law does not prohibit nonresidents from hiking, fishing or hunting game birds, small game, or coyotes in wilderness areas.
This area has a good amount of BLM land on the east side, as well as near Sheep Mountain. Forest Service land is located on the west side. Good county roads cover the entire unit. Highway 20/16 offers access to the north and northeast portions of the unit; hunters can literally park along the highway and go hunt. Road 3FK splits off of Highway 20 and provides direct access to southeast portions of the unit. Highway 120 and connecting roads, such as Road 3Em and 3Cq, offer direct access to central, south, and southeast portions of the unit, Road 6Wx offers access to the southwest corner of the unit, and Highways 16 and 291 offer access to the west and northwest portions of the unit. Some private landowners consider antelope a nuisance, so simply knocking on doors and asking for permission can prove to be beneficial. If you do this, try to obtain written permission or a recording of the conversation in case confronted by a game warden or sheriff. There is a mass network of BLM, oil field, and forest service roads in this unit. Overall, roads in the unit are well maintained. There are some smaller “two-track” type roads, but the majority are well used partly due to the gas and oil fields in the area. Pay close attention to county roads in Wyoming -although some roads are labeled "county", they are considered private roads and are not for public use. Also, be mindful in using oil and gas roads to access public lands that aren’t labeled “public use”. The best way to know for sure is to simply call the local game warden in the area. Having maps showing land ownership is highly recommended.
The tops of the buttes and ridges are mostly wind blown with light grass and rock that recede into sagebrush, which is prevalent among all elevations. Mixed grasses and prickly pear cactus are also common throughout the unit. With elevation increase on the National Forest, lodgepole pine, juniper and aspen are found.
Cody is the nearest town with many lodging options, restaurants and gas stations. Cody has a very nice sporting goods store called Rocky Mountain Sports where you can find equipment, licenses, and gear. However, to save both time and money, you can camp close to where you have chosen to hunt on public land. Camping on state land in WY is prohibited, but camping is allowed on BLM in a specific location for up to 14 days within any 28-day period.
Roughly 623 square miles
57.1% public land
Elevations from 4,818–12,150 feet
9.2% Wilderness