Wyoming hunt Planner

Welcome to our Hunt Planner. In the sections that follow you will find interactive maps, species specific hunt information, drawing odds, harvest information, public access and much more.

Please begin by selecting a species from the drop down menu below.

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Elk range from mountainous wilderness areas to lowland deserts and plains, and are plentiful on public and private lands. Every national forest has elk, and herds are present on mountain ranges and desert areas administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

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Hunt Area 28

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Apply For Season Dates Archery Dates License Limitations
GENERAL Oct. 1 - Oct. 14 Sep. 1 - Sep. 30 Any elk
GENERAL Oct. 15 - Oct. 22 - Antlerless elk
028-4 Nov. 1 - Nov. 20 Sep. 1 - Sep. 30 Antlerless elk
* Difficult Public Access
huntarea-deer-sample

Approx. % of Public Land: 85%
Access to Public Land: Good
Access Notes: Much of Elk Hunt Area 28 is public land, with good access. Most private lands are found along the lower elevations of the Lander Foothills. Public access to these private lands is very limited, although the Lander Regional Office maintains a list of landowners which allow access during the season.
Mapping Resources: Lander

Additional Information: None
USFS Designated Wilderness Areas: The Popo Agie Wilderness Area is within the boundaries of the hunt area.
Hunting Access in Wyoming - Public Access Summary

Parcels of land where Game and Fish facilitates management of hunters for access to hunt.


Available Walk in Hunting for this Hunt Area

Fremont County Walk In Area 26 More Info

Parcels of land where Game and Fish facilitates management of hunters for access to hunt. 


Available Public access Areas for this Hunt Area

Mexican Creek More Info
Mud Springs More Info

Parcels of land where Game and Fish facilitates management of hunters for access to hunt. SW TEST


Available Wildlife Habitat Management areas for this Hunt Area

Red Canyon More Info
Sinks Canyon More Info

  • Nonresident Deadlines
  • Applications Open: January 2, 2025
  • Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
  • Modify & Withdrawal Deadline: May 8, 2025
  • Tentative Draw Results Available: May 22, 2025
  • Preference Point Only***: July 1, 2025 - October 31, 2025
  • Resident Deadlines
  • Applications Open: January 2, 2025
  • Application Deadline: June 2, 2025
  • Modify & Withdrawal Deadline: June 2, 2025
  • Tentative Draw Results Available: June 19, 2025

  • Nonresident Fees
  • Full Price Landowner License: $692.00
  • Full Price Landowner Youth License**: $275.00
  • Full Price License: $692.00
  • Full Price Youth License**: $275.00
  • Preference Point Only Youth***: $10.00
  • Preference Point Only: $52.00
  • Reduced Price Cow/Calf License: $288.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Doe/Fawn License: $288.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Youth Doe/Fawn License**: $100.00
  • Reduced Price Youth Cow/Calf License**: $100.00
  • Special License: $1,950.00
  • Resident Fees
  • Full Price Landowner License: $57.00
  • Full Price Landowner Youth License**: $25.00
  • Full Price License: $57.00
  • Full Price Youth License**: $25.00
  • Reduced Price Cow/Calf License: $43.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Doe/Fawn License: $43.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Youth Doe/Fawn License**: $20.00
  • Reduced Price Youth Cow/Calf License**: $20.00

** An applicant may apply for any big game license if he/she is eleven (11) years of age and has not attained eighteen (18) years of age at the time of application. Any person may take a big or trophy game animal at eleven (11) years of age if the person will attain twelve (12) years of age by the end of that calendar year. Persons who are less than eighteen (18) years of age and at least eleven (11) years of age at the time of application may apply for a youth license and remit youth fees. Applicants must be at least fourteen (14) years of age prior to September 15 of the application year in order to hunt wild bison. Applicants under the age of eighteen (18) may have their parent or legal guardian submit an application on their behalf.

Full Price Licenses

2024 Drawing odds

Resident

Hunt Type Total Quota First choice Applicants First choice odds
4 147 178 82.58%

Topography and Vegetation: Elk Hunt Area 28 encompasses a diverse range of habitats, from forested lands of the Shoshone National Forest, to rolling sagebrush-covered foothills, down to sagebrush steppe and agricultural lands in the eastern end. Ephemeral streams, creeks, and rivers cut through the hunt area from the forest down to the Popo Agie Rivers, providing good water sources throughout.
General Statement Regarding this Hunt Area: Elk may be found in good densities throughout the Shoshone National Forest and into the adjacent foothills.Weather may vary from dry and windy with temperatures in the 70s and 80s to freezing cold with significant snowfall. Fall snowstorms can initiate migration for many of these elk, particularly out of higher elevations. Much of Hunt Area 28 is remote, far from services or cell coverage, and carrying extra fuel, water, food and spare tires is advised. Most roads in this hunt area become muddy and nearly impassable when wet. Rut for elk in this area typically peaks in late September.
Additional Hunting Opportunities: Cottontail rabbits are typically abundant in sagebrush foothills of this hunt area. Ruffed and blue (dusky) grouse opportunities are good on the Shoshone and Bridger National Forests. Chukar and gray partridge opportunities are decent, but numbers fluctuate from year to year. Consult the Chapter 11 Upland Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulation for season dates, license requirements and bag/possession limits. Several lakes on the Shoshone National Forest and the Popo Agie Rivers offer opportunities for trout fishing and some waterfowl hunting.
Herd Unit Job Completion Report: Hunt Area 28 is one of four hunt areas making up the South Wind River elk herd, along with Hunt Areas 25, 27, and 99. See the EL637 (South Wind River) Job Completion Report for more detailed information on management of this herd.

Wyoming state law requires nonresidents to hunt with a resident guide in designated wilderness areas. This does not mean the entire Hunt Area, only within the boundaries of the wilderness area.

 

The resident guide does not have to be a professional; a Wyoming resident who holds a big game or trophy game hunting license is able to obtain a Resident Guide License to guide two nonresident hunters a year in wilderness areas. Resident guides simply need to register at any Game and Fish office.

 

Percentage of this Hunt Area with Designated Wilderness: 29.54%

 

For More Information: Resident Guide Information


Contact: ph: (307) 777-4600
Regional Offices

Area 28 - General
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 28
# Days Hunted 7692
Days/Hunter 21.9
Total Area Harvest 351
Hunter Success 31.80%
View Full Harvest Report
Area 28 - Type 4
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 28
# Days Hunted 1002
Days/Hunter 15.4
Total Area Harvest 65
Hunter Success 43.60%
View Full Harvest Report

Hunter Education Requirements

No person born on or after January 1, 1966, may take any wildlife by the use of firearms on land other than that of his own family, unless the person possesses or can demonstrate they have obtained a certificate of competency and safety in the use and handling of firearms.

All Elk Hunt Area 75 and 79 (Grand Teton National Park) hunters, regardless of age, must possess and exhibit a valid hunter safety certificate.

Compliance will be checked in the field.

Hunter Education Exemptions

If you meet the Armed Forces/Wyoming Peace Officer exemption requirements or you have obtained special 1 year authorization through the Hunter Mentor Program, you are exempt from hunter education.

Hunter Mentor Program

Any person born on or after January 1, 1966, who has not received a certificate of competency and safety in the use and handling of firearms, may apply to the Department for a special authorization to take wildlife with the use of a firearm while being accompanied by a mentor. A special authorization issued to an individual shall be valid for one (1) year from the date of issue and shall be in the possession of the recipient at all times while in the field.

Animal carcasses must be disposed of properly at designated sites that allow for it. Please click on this link to locate an area near you and check with the disposal site for details regarding your carcass disposal.

Carcass Disposal Sites in Wyoming

Lander Regional Office
260 Buena Vista
Lander, WY 82520
(307) 332-2688

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About Elk Hunting in Wyoming

Applying for a License

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

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.

Grand Teton National Park and National Elk Refuge

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.

Annual Fishing

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.

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