Mule Deer Herd Unit Boundaries - 2025 for Wyoming at 1:100,000

ISO-19139 Metadata

Resource Identification Information:

Citation:
Title:  Mule Deer Herd Unit Boundaries - 2025 for Wyoming at 1:100,000

Presentation format:  mapDigital

Descriptive keywords:
Keywords:  Downloadable Data

Thesaurus name: ArcGIS Content Type
Descriptive keywords:
Keywords:  Hunt Areas, Herd Units, Regions, Mule Deer, 2025, Wyoming, White-tailed Deer, Deer

Abstract:  This data set represents the 2025 deer hunt area, herd unit, and regions boundaries for Wyoming. The layer was originally digitized at a scale of 1:100,000, using USGS 1:100,000 DRGs as a backdrop for heads up digitizing. Updates requested by Wyoming Game and Fish Biological Services were completed by selecting needed features from other layers, including roads, streams, HUCs, NAIP 2009 rasters and others. Hunt area boundary descriptions are part of hunting regulations, which are approved and published annually by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission. When needed, the 2008 edition (1st Edition) of the Wyoming Road and Recreation Atlas (Benchmark Maps) was consulted for road and other information.NOTE: A layer of herd units is derived from this hunt area layer by dissolving on the "MD_HERDUNIT" or ""WD_HERDUNIT" and "MD_HERDNAME" or ""WD_HERDNAME" attributes (Dissolve_Fields), and unchecking the box "Create multipart features (optional)". All of the same metadata is used from the hunt area layer except that the citation title is modified so that "Mule Deer Herd Unit" or "White-tailed Deer Herd Unit" replaces "Hunt Area". The "Dissolve" tool: ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Generalization.NOTE: A layer of nonresident regions is derived from this hunt area layer by dissolving on the "Region" attribute (Dissolve_Field), and unchecking the box "Create multipart features (optional)". All of the same metadata is used from the hunt area layer except that the citation title is modified so that "Nonresident Region" replaces "Hunt Area". The "Dissolve" tool: ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Generalization.

Purpose: This data set was developed in order to produce small scale hunt area boundary maps, published in brochure form, for individuals with an interest hunting in Wyoming. It is also designed for statewide and regional overview use. By dissolving on the herd unit attribute, a herd unit boundary coverage can be produced (and similarly for a regions boundary coverage; see Description for more details).

Dataset language:  eng
Dataset character set:  utf8

Maintenance:
Update frequency:  asNeeded


Resource constraints:
Constraints:
Limitations of use: The State of Wyoming and Wyoming Game and Fish Department provide this data and any related materials "as is", without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, including the utility of the data on non-State of Wyoming computer systems. The State of Wyoming and Wyoming Game and Fish Department shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein. The State of Wyoming and Wyoming Game and Fish Department give no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data. It is strongly recommended that these data be directly acquired from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and not indirectly through other sources, which may have changed the data in some way. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data.This data set should never be used at a scale larger than 1:100,000. When applicable, published written boundary descriptions maintained by and available from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department should be referenced for detailed boundary information and take precedence in resolving locational disputes. These data and related graphics (i.e. "PDF or JPG" format files) are not legal documents and are not intended to be used as such. The information contained in these data is dynamic and may change over time. The data are not better than the original sources from which they were derived. It is the responsibility of the data user to use the data appropriately and consistent within the limitations of geospatial data in general and these data in particular. Any related graphics are intended to aid the data user in acquiring relevant data; it is not appropriate to use the related graphics as data.

Spatial representation type:  vector

Processing environment: Esri ArcGIS 13.3.0.52636

Extent:
Geographic element - Bounding rectangle:
Extent contains the resource: true
West longitude: -111.284754
East longitude: -103.823214
North latitude: 45.047516
South latitude: 40.945577
Credits: Wyoming Game and Fish Department, State of Wyoming

Point of contact - originator: 
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Contact information:
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US

Spatial Representation - Vector:

Level of topology for this dataset:  geometryOnly
Geometric objects:
Object type:  composite

Reference System Information:

Reference system identifier:
Value: 0
Code space: EPSG
Version: 10.055(13.1.0)

Data Quality Information:

Scope of quality information:
Level of the data:dataset

Lineage:
Process step:
Description: Data automation: Using USGS 1:100,000 scale DRGs, written huntarea boundary descriptions developed by personnel in the Wildlife Division were digitized. Boundaries follow roads, streams, and occassionally hydrologic divides. To faciliate road indentification, the Wyoming Atlas and Gazetterr (DeLorme, 1998) was consulted.

Process step:
Description: Data attribution: Two user-defined attributes were created (huntarea and herdunit). Polygons were attributed with the huntarea and herdunit codes determined by the Wildlife Division. Island polygons which serve as neither a huntarea or herdunit are attributed as "0".

Process step:
Description: Update A third user-defined attribute was added (herdname).

Process step:
Description: Corrected SE corner of Hunt Area 22 and SW corner of Hunt Area 14 to follow State Highway 59 as per regulation. Changed Region field on Hunt Area 88 from E to D.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2005-03-25T00:00:00
Description: Update for 2005: Changes made to HA144; HA147 was combined with HA145.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2005-06-01T00:00:00
Description: Update The southern boundary of HA24 was changed.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2006-04-01T00:00:00
Description: Update The huntareas comprising MDR537 (Laramie Peak) and MDR538 (Iron Mountain) were combined into MDR537 (Laramie Mountains).

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2006-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Huntareas 128 and 129, together comprising a portion of MDR642 (Dubois), were combined together to form HA128.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Kirk Nordyke
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Coordinator

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: (307) 777-4595
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82009
Country:  US
e-mail address:Kirk.Nordyke@wgf.state.wy.us
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2007-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Combination of HA22 & HA158 into HA22; boundary modification between HA23, HA24 and HA26; boundary modification between HA132 & HA133; correction to HA128 to eliminate sliver polygons resulting between HA128 and adjacent hunt areas upon dissolving on herdunit boundaries.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Kirk Nordyke
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Coordinator

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: (307) 777-4595
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US
e-mail address:Kirk.Nordyke@wgf.state.wy.us
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2008-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Combination of HA38 and HA39 into HA39. Correction and refinement to boundary between HA118 and HA119. Island polygons were deleted.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Kirk Nordyke
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Coordinator

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: (307) 777-4595
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US
e-mail address:Kirk.Nordyke@wgf.state.wy.us
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2009-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Hunt areas comprising Herdunits 752 (Thunder Basin) and 753 (Lance Creek) were combined into one herdunit, designated as Herdunit 752 and named Cheyenne River.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2009-04-01T00:00:00
Description: Update HAs 84 and 98 were modified where they meet at the town of Rawlins. HAs 91, 94, and 95 were modified in the area comprising the southwest portion of HA94.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2009-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Combination of HA10 and HA167 into HA10. Change to boundary between HA124 and HA165. Correction and refinement to boundary between HA66 and HA73; correction to boundary between HA82 and HA84; correction and refinement to boundary between HA90 and HA97; correction to boundary between HA94 and HA95.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2010-03-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Boundary correction between Hunt Areas 141 & 146.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2010-07-01T00:00:00
Description: Update Boundary change between HAs 82/84; combination of HAs 91/92/93 into HA92; combination of HAs 94/95 into HA94; and corrections to HA152.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Kirk Nordyke
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Coordinator

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: (307) 777-4595
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US
e-mail address:Kirk.Nordyke@wgf.state.wy.us
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2011-06-27T00:00:00
Description: Update A fourth user-defined attribute was added (huntname).

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2011-07-18T00:00:00
Description: Update Boundary correction between Hunt Areas 160 & 90, 97 & 90.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2011-07-19T00:00:00
Description: Update Combination of HA43, HA42, and HA40 into HA40. Boundary modification between HA40 and HA39. Boundary modification between HA36 and HA34; HA35 and HA34; HA133 and HA132. HA34 renamed North Natrona from Natrona. Boundary modifications made to HA40 and HA30 to meet current boundary descriptions.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2011-11-10T00:00:00
Description: Re-digitization of the boundaries to achieve a consistency between shared Big Game Hunt Area boundaries. Spot corrections where differences occurred between the boundaries and the boundary descriptions.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2012-04-03T00:00:00
Description: Boundary changes between HA65/66.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2012-06-25T00:00:00
Description: Correction between HA138 and HA164.
Rationale: As per BioServices.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2012-10-30T00:00:00
Description: Boundary updates completed included modifications to hunt areas 34/35 (35 boundary expanded, 34 boundary contracted), 41/44/45 (combined into 41), 47/49 (combined into 47), 134/168 (134 boundary contracted, 168 boundary expanded), 132/133 (boundaried changed to follow road decribed on hunt area regulation information, also 132 boundary expanded, 133 boundary contracted), and 134/168 (boundaries modified to correctly follow the location discussed in the hunt area regulation information) .

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Shay Davis
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: (307)-777-4651
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US
e-mail address:Shay.Davis@wyo.gov
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2013-09-30T00:00:00
Description: Hunt areas 75 and 70 were updated per the Chapter 7 regulation boundary descriptions. Also, hunt areas 15, 16, 55 and 57 were all combined into hunt area 15. This hunt area is the Goshen Rim Mule Deer herd.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2015-02-05T00:00:00
Description: Hunt areas 59, 62 and 63 are now combined into hunt area 59. Hunt areas 64 and 73 are now combined into hunt area 64. Herdunits 104 and 430 are now combined into Herdunit 104.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Grant Frost
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: Senior Wildlife Biologist

Contact information:
Phone:
Voice: 307-777-4589
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd.
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
e-mail address:grant.frost@wyo.gov
Process step:
When the process occurred:  2015-10-29T00:00:00
Description: Hunt Area 19 now includes the former Hunt Areas 19 and 20. Hunt Area 17 has expanded and now follows Wyoming Highway 59 on its eastern border.

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2016-08-11T00:00:00
Description: Comments were solicited from field personnel statewide via an online web map. Based on these comments, hunt area boundaries were adjusted to better coincide with the road, stream, divide and administrative boundaries identified in the hunt area descriptions.
Rationale: In coordination with Wildlife Division (Jason Hunter) to improve the general spatial accuracy of the boundaries.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Drew Pearson
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2016-11-17T00:00:00
Description: Hunt area 34 now closes a gap that existed near the city of Casper. Hunt Areas 66 and 67 were edited near Casper to follow the shared big game boundary in this area. Hunt Areas 141 and 162 were consolidated into new HA141. HA162 was eliminated. The boundary between Hunt Areas 132 and 133 was modified eastward to follow the Blacks Fork River southward to the state line.
Rationale: Requested by the Wildlife Division

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Drew Pearson
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2017-11-14T00:00:00
Description: The shared boundary of Hunt Area 33 and 169 now more closely matches Willow Creek Rd.
Rationale: Requested by the Wildlife Division

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2017-11-29T00:00:00
Description: Hunt area 170 was removed and that area is now part of hunt area 157. Adjustments were made to the boundary of HA 39 and HA 36, which now follows the divide between Kirby Creek and Bridger Creek.
Rationale: Requested by the Wildlife Division

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Drew Pearson
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2018-05-30T00:00:00
Description: Comprehensive metadata content review completed.
Rationale: Part of a process in which GIS Program personnel reviewed metadata content for all authoritative geospatial data in a condensed time frame (mostly throughout the first nine months of 2018). Content was checked against the current WGFD metadata standard, edited to meet that standard, and edited to ensure complete sentences and correct punctuation and spelling.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Troy Gerhardt
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS support specialist

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2018-11-28T00:00:00
Description: Corrected SE corner of Hunt Area 22 and SW corner of Hunt Area 14 to follow State Highway 59 as per regulation. Moved South boundary of Hunt Area 94 and Northeast boundary of Hunt Area 131 north to a line created by Sweetwater River and BLM Road 2317. Changed Region field for Hunt Area 88 to D. Changed Region field for Hunt Areas 34, 87, 89, 90, 96, 97, 98 to new Region Q. Changed Region field for Hunt Areas 92, 94, 128, 148, 157, 160, 171 to new Region L. These two steps eliminated Region E.
Rationale: Requested by the Wildlife Division.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Erica Cirigliano
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2019-04-18T00:00:00
Description: Realigned the boundary between hunt areas 152 and 154 to HUC 12 data provided by DEQ and BLM as part of the Wyoming Watershed Boundary Dataset. The boundary is described as following the hydrographic divide between Shoal Creek and Dell Creek drainages but had been drawn following Shoal Creek. This discrepancy was discovered in the course of correcting Moose Hunt Area Boundaries.
Rationale: In coordination with Wildlife Division (Jason Hunter) to improve the general spatial accuracy of the boundaries.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Erica Cirigliano
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2019-10-22T00:00:00
Description: Expanded the northwestern boundary of Hunt Area 155 to include the Gros Ventre River and Highway 191 as the west boundary. Additionally, Hunt Area 161 was eliminated by splitting it with Big Ditch and then merging the north portion with HA70 and the south portion with HA79. A correction was made to the boundary between Hunt Area 31 and Hunt Area 22 based on the re-alignment and straightening of Highway 387.
Rationale: Theses changes were requested by Wildlife Division. The correction was made via direct request by the local game warden.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Thomas Koenig
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2019-11-14T00:00:00
Description: A correction was made to the boundary between Hunt Area 122 and Hunt Area 165 based on the re-alignment and straightening of Highway 14-16-20.
Rationale: The correction was made via request after hunter discovered error.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Thomas Koenig
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2020-10-13T00:00:00
Description: HA80 and HA83 were combined into HA80.
Rationale: Requested by Wildlife Division.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Thomas Koenig
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2021-06-02T00:00:00
Description: Mule Deer and White-tailed Deer Hunt Areas were combined into a single feature class. For the tabular data related to White-tailed Deer "WD_" has been appended to the beginning of the pertinent fields. The same procedure was done for the fields associated with Mule Deer in which "MD_" is appended to the relevant fields.
Rationale: Requested by Kirk Nordyke in an effort to streamline hunt area maintenance procedures.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Thomas Koenig
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2021-10-26T00:00:00
Description: On October 8th, 2021 a proposed change was received for Deer Hunt Areas 135/143/144 to use La Barge Creek to its intersection with Commissary Ridge and the divide between the Snake and Green Rivers. However, this stream does not reach the ridge on any GIS layer, so an intermediary linear feature was needed. Grant Frost, Senior Wildlife Biologist, provided the following: "I changed the boundary so it follows La Barge Creek up to where it crosses the forest road for the last time. I then had to use the road (10072) and then the short spur (10072I) that continues up to the divide. The stream is so small at that point that the drainage file I used in digitizing the change doesn't extend above the main forest road. I felt that free-handing this boundary would be introducing errors. The largest gap between the spur road and the stream is about 100 meters, and sometimes they are right on top of each other." (Grant Frost, 2021). The proposal was accepted by the regional wildlife personnel.
Rationale: Requested by Wildlife Division.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Thomas Koenig
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2023-11-09T00:00:00
Description: A correction was made to the spatial data for HA148. Along the central-southern border of the hunt area (adjacent to Grand Teton National Park), the boundary should follow that of Elk HA70/79. The narrative description was correct (as per Wildlife Division).
Rationale: Requested by Wildlife Division.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Kirk Nordyke
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: Geospatial Technology Supervisor

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2025-04-04T00:00:00
Description: On February 28th, 2025 a proposed change was received for Deer Hunt Areas 106/109. The shared boundary was moved westerly. New boundary has moved to where Dead Indian creek converges with Clarks Fork Yellowstone River. Boundary moves southerly along Dead Indian Creek to the North Absaroka Wilderness Boundary; easterly to the top of the Paint Creek drainage. On June 3rd, 2024 a boundary correction request came in for Deer Hunt Areas 89/90. Data inconsistencies and technological enhancements indicated boundary following two-track private trail not County Road 321. Boundaries were corrected to follow the legal description "Gas Hills Road (Natrona County Road 212); southwesterly along said road to the Dry Creek Road (Natrona County Road 321); southeasterly along said road to the divide between Deer Creek and Dry Creek"
Rationale: Requested by Wildlife Division.

Process contact - processor: 
Individual's name: Joshua Lane
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Contact's position: GIS Technician

Process step:
When the process occurred:  2025-04-08T00:00:00
Description: For five hunt areas (47, 50, 117, 121, and 165), corrections were made to either hunt names, herd unit numbers, or herd names
Rationale: Requested by Wildlife.

Process contact - originator: 
Organization's name: Wyoming Game and Fish Department

Contact information:
Address:
Delivery point: 5400 Bishop Blvd
City: Cheyenne
Administrative area: Wyoming
Postal code: 82006
Country:  US

Distribution Information:

Format:
Format name: File Geodatabase Feature Class

Metadata Information:

Metadata language:  eng
Metadata character set:  utf8


Last update:  2025-04-09

Scope of the data described by the metadata:  dataset
Scope name: dataset

Name of the metadata standard used: ISO 19139 Geographic Information - Metadata - Implementation Specification
Version of the metadata standard: 2007