About Elk Hunting in Wyoming

The total limit for elk licenses a person may possess differs from deer and antelope in that full price elk licenses and reduced price cow/calf elk licenses are combined together to calculate the total number of elk licenses allowed by any one person. An applicant shall apply for or receive no more than a total of three (3) elk licenses in any one (1) calendar year.

An applicant may apply for and receive one (1) general or limited quota full price elk license and one (1) limited quota reduced price cow/calf elk license through the initial license drawing. After the initial drawing, a person may apply for and receive up to a total of three (3) elk licenses, of which no more than one (1) shall be a General, Type 0, 1, 2, 3 or 9 license. However, no person shall apply for and receive more than a total of three (3) elk licenses which shall include not more than one (1) General, Type 0, 1, 2, 3 or 9 license in a single hunting season.

General elk licenses are full-price licenses that are unlimited in the number of licenses issued statewide and are available for purchase "over-the-counter" for Wyoming residents.  Hunters may apply for or purchase a maximum of one general elk license per year.  General elk licenses may be used in any hunt area open to general license hunting and are subject to the season dates and limitations for that hunt area as set forth in the Chapter 7 Elk Hunting Season Regulation.    

Nonresident elk hunters wishing to hunt a general area must obtain a Region General License specific to a select region. Region General Licenses allow a nonresident to hunt elk in any hunt area within that region that is open to general license hunting and are subject to the season dates and limitations for that hunt area as set forth in the Chapter 7 Elk Hunting Season Regulation.  For example, nonresident Region S Licenses are valid in Elk Hunt Areas 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 21, 105, 106, 107, 110, and 130, which are open to general license hunting. However, Region S licenses are NOT valid in Elk Hunt Areas 8, 11, 30, 31, 32, 108, 124, and 125 (although these eight hunt areas fall within Region S) as these hunt areas are limited quota. Many general license elk hunt areas also have additional limited quota full-price and/or reduced-price licenses available.

A person may apply for a reduced price cow/calf elk license without applying for a full price elk license. However, no hunter may take more than one (1) elk in Grand Teton National Park (Elk Hunt Areas 75 and 79) regardless whether he/she possesses both a full price elk license and a reduced price cow/calf elk license valid for the hunt area in Grand Teton National Park. Applicants desiring to hunt within Grand Teton National Park must apply for Elk Hunt Area 75.

After the first week of the National Elk Refuge (Elk Hunt Area 77) season, all unused full price elk and reduced price cow/calf elk licenses, excluding limited quota archery only licenses, are eligible for the National Elk Refuge drawing in Elk Hunt Area 77.

The Department of the Interior requires hunter safety certification of all hunters, regardless of age, to hunt in Grand Teton National Park (Elk Hunt Areas 75 and 79). The Hunter Mentor Program and Hunter Safety Exemption are not valid in Grand Teton National Park.

All nonresident full price elk licenses include an annual fishing privilege. Any hunter who is issued a full price elk license does not need to purchase an additional fishing license once their license is received in June. If you wish to fish prior to receiving your full price elk license, you must purchase a nonresident fishing license. Reduced price cow/calf elk licenses do not include fishing privileges.