Think of the West and it’s easy for your mind to construct visions of bugling bulls, bouncing muleys, and prairie pronghorns bolting from horizon to horizon. But whitetails also abound across most western states, and adventure hunts for North America’s favorite deer shouldn’t be overlooked. You won’t find wild whitetails in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, or Utah, but that still leaves exciting opportunities for whitetail hunters in eight great states. Here’s a look at the 2024 West region deer season forecast.
DON’T MISS
The 2024 Southeast Deer Season Forecast
Mountain bucks aren't easy to hunt, and some western states will be even more difficult due to a harsh 2022-23 winter.
Arizona
While an exact population density is unknown, it’s estimated that Arizona is home to about 95,000 Coues whitetails. In short, the herd seems to be doing well, and remains stable. It has for quite some time, and sports over 500 B&C Coues entries to show for it.
Fortunately, for hunters hoping to conduct a lot of e-scouting, the wildlife agency produces helpful reports. Once afield, covering ground with optics is the key to a successful hunt. “Glassing is of the utmost importance,” said Dustin Darveau, terrestrial wildlife specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Wear out the seat of your pants before the soles of your boots. Use a tripod and learn good glassing techniques.”
Keep in mind the recent firearm discharge law. “Arizona has rules on the discharge of a firearm, arrow, bolts or hybrid devices,” Darveau said. “You cannot do so within 1/4 mile (440 yards) of any occupied structure or residence (without permission of owner/resident), developed campground, boat ramps, etc.”
Colorado
A state that’s dominated by elk and mule deer hunters, Colorado offers a bit of whitetail hunting, too. It holds about 25,000 in the eastern region of the state. These deer are pricey to hunt, requiring about $500 to do so. That’s steep, especially given the low population, and that it’s put less than 100 bucks in the B&C book. Furthermore, the herds are growing and pushing westward, and the wildlife agency is trying to prevent that.
On the bright side, there are about 23 million acres of public land here, and some of that is in the whitetail range (about 80,000 total). Do your research. There are about 20 SWAs that are especially good for whitetails.
Use HuntStand's Nationwide Rut Map (comes with a Whitetail Pro subscription) to plan your 2024 rut hunt.
Idaho
People almost always forget about Idaho, and that’s a shame. This is a great place to chase whitetails, especially in the northern stretch of the state. It has about 200,000 whitetails. While tags are pricey this year, and trophy potential quite low (less than 100 B&C bucks), the deer density is a bright spot.
About 70% of the state is public, which plays to the hands of most traveling hunters. The Clearwater and Panhandle regions offer incredible western hunting. If you’re north of the Salmon River, chances are good some whitetails are nearby.
Montana
Famous for elk, Montana also offers some pretty solid whitetail hunting. Compared to other states, the hunting license cost is pretty reasonable. Not to mention that it’s put about 150 Booners in the book.
On the downside, Montana has suffered from recent EHD outbreaks and harsh winters. It might pay off to wait another year or two before embarking on a trip, but that’s dealer’s choice. Whoever travels to Montana should expect to find a lot of public land (44% of the state) and decent opportunities.
Some mountain states harbor pockets of whitetails in small geographical areas.
Upgrade your HuntStand app to a Pro Whitetail membership and gain access to the most powerful tools for whitetail hunting. Whitetail Activity Forecast. Nationwide Rut Map. Whitetail Habitat Map. And more …
New Mexico
Another excellent state for Coues deer, New Mexico is also home to its larger whitetail cousin. Most of these deer are located around the ag areas and river bottoms. The Coues deer are in the southwestern corner of the state.
Unfortunately, this is a draw state. About 85% of the tags go to residents, leaving only about 15% to non-residents. Thus, Arizona is a more popular (and better) destination for Coues deer.
Oregon
Oregon used to offer a great over-the-counter whitetail hunting opportunity. Not long ago, that changed, and not for the better. “In 2021, all archery deer hunting was changed to a controlled hunt draw structure form a general over-the-counter structure,” said Justin Dion, assistant wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Game Program.
If you’re OK with that, there isn’t much difference in the annual forecast as compared to the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Overall, the small pocket of whitetails in the eastern region are doing quite well. The only thing that’s new? A few additional youth hunts.
“Hunters should expect about the same season,” Dion said. “Our herds have bounced back from disease outbreaks and are providing good opportunities.”
And don’t forget about the new CWD rules. “Oregon has stepped up its efforts to monitor for CWD,” Dion urged. “If you pass an active and signed CWD check station, all hunters who are transporting wildlife or wildlife parts are required to stop for inspection. You can also make an appointment to have your deer or elk sampled at one of our field offices.” Check out the CWD page for more information.
“Oregon has multiple deer species, including black-tailed deer, mule deer, and white-tailed deer, across large amounts of public land in a variety of landscapes, from coastal mountains to the high desert,” said Noa Vallance, and assistant wildlife biologist.
That makes it pretty unique.
Good luck hunting the West during the 2024-25 season.
Washington
Like Oregon, Washington has a small population of whitetails in its eastern counties. It projects a promising 2024 deer season. The 105,000-strong herd is doing quite well. While it costs quite a bit for non-residents (nearly $450), it can be worth it, especially if you find a place to hunt. It’s even put approximately 65 Booners in the books.
Furthermore, whitetail populations numbers, general hunting facts, and more, can be found on the wildlife agency’s website. Use the search bar to obtain narrowed results, including past reports. For example, if you search for “Hunting Prospects,” you can see the agency’s own forecast from past years. If you search “Harvest Reports,” it provides the numbers of hunters and species taken in each Game Management Unit.
Wyoming
The Cowboy State now has a low population of whitetails. It only harbors about 52,600, and that’s in a relatively small pocket in the eastern part of the state. That’s low-odds hunting.
Unfortunately, the nasty 2022-23 winter lowers its forecast. The 2023-24 winter was better, though. “After that severe winter, in some parts of the state, hunters will observe a significant reduction in the number of deer,” said Grant Frost, senior wildlife biologist with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. “Licenses have been reduced accordingly. In private-land areas, it’s important to have permission to hunt somewhere before applying for the license. Having a license in pocket but nowhere to hunt is a real possibility.”
This year, if applicable, it might be worth considering a mule deer or whitetail. “Except for licenses specific to white-tailed deer, most license types and seasons allow a hunter to take a white-tailed or mule deer,” Frost said. “Numbers are down, and conditions will be tougher this year.
“[We’re] still recovering from severe winter conditions from two years ago in some parts of the state,” he said. “Some seasons have been shortened and/or had antler point restrictions put in place.”
8 Ways Deer Hunters Use Maps
