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.

Resident status:

Select Hunt Area

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.

Map Tools

GeoSpatial PDF

Public Access Summary

ArcGIS Open Data (Downloads)

View Mobile Map

Map Help

Hunt Area 98

 Apply Now
Apply For Season Dates Archery Dates License Limitations
GENERAL Oct. 1 - Oct. 15 Sep. 1 - Sep. 19 Any elk
GENERAL Oct. 16 - Nov. 20 - Antlerless elk
098-1 Sep. 20 - Oct. 31 Sep. 1 - Sep. 19 Any elk
098-1 Nov. 1 - Nov. 30 - Antlerless elk
098-1 Dec. 1 - Jan. 31 - Antlerless elk valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River
098-4 Sep. 20 - Nov. 30 Sep. 1 - Sep. 19 Antlerless elk
098-4 Dec. 1 - Jan. 31 - Antlerless elk valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River
098-6 Sep. 20 - Nov. 30 Sep. 1 - Sep. 19 Cow or calf
098-6 Dec. 1 - Jan. 31 - Cow or calf valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River
* Difficult Public Access
huntarea-deer-sample

Approx. % of Public Land: 75%
Access to Public Land: Good
Access Notes: This hunt area is dominated by public lands, with U.S. Forest Service lands in the north and BLM and State lands in the mid and southern portions of the unit, with private holdings mostly along the East Fork River and smaller riparian corridors in the north-central portion of the area. The major access roads are the paved Boulder highway, with major U.S. Forest Service land access points at Boulder Creek, Scab Creek, Irish Canyon, Muddy Creek, Muddy Ridge and the Big Sandy Openings.
Mapping Resources: Pinedale

Additional Information: None
USFS Designated Wilderness Areas: The Bridger Wilderness Area comprises over 75% of the U.S. Forest Service lands in the this hunt area. NonResidents must have a guide (see Important Hunting Information- &ampldquoGuides Required Exceptions&amprdquo).
Hunting Access in Wyoming - Public Access Summary

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


Available Hunter Management Areas for this Hunt Area

Chimney Butte 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 Application^: $707.00
  • Full Price Landowner Application^: $707.00
  • Full Price Landowner Youth Application^**: $290.00
  • Full Price Youth Application^**: $290.00
  • Preference Point Only Youth***: $10.00
  • Preference Point Only: $52.00
  • Reduced Price Cow/Calf Application^: $303.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Doe/Fawn Application^: $303.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Youth Doe/Fawn Application^**: $115.00
  • Reduced Price Youth Cow/Calf Application^**: $115.00
  • Special Application^: $1,965.00
    • ^ A nonrefundable application fee of $15 is included in the amount to be remitted for each big game license applied for in the initial license drawing.
  • Resident Fees
  • Full Price Application^: $62.00
  • Full Price Landowner Application^: $62.00
  • Full Price Landowner Youth Application^**: $30.00
  • Full Price Youth Application^**: $30.00
  • Reduced Price Cow/Calf Application^: $48.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Doe/Fawn Application^: $48.00
  • Reduced Price Landowner Youth Doe/Fawn Application^**: $25.00
  • Reduced Price Youth Cow/Calf Application^**: $25.00
    • ^ A nonrefundable application fee of $5 is included in the amount to be remitted for each big game license applied for in the initial license drawing.

** 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.

Reduced Price Cow/Calf Licenses

2024 Drawing odds

Resident

Hunt Type Total Quota First choice Applicants First choice odds
6 252 268 94.03%

Full Price Licenses

2024 Drawing odds

Resident

Hunt Type Total Quota First choice Applicants First choice odds
1 294 329 89.36%
4 67 4 100.00%

Topography and Vegetation: This hunt area is bordered on the north by Boulder creek east to the Continental Divide along the crest of the Wind River range south to the Big Sandy river, downstream to 18 mile road west to the Green river, upstream to the New Fork river, upstream to Boulder creek. The highest elevations in the Wind River Range are dominated by rock and alpine habitats, leading down to mostly coniferous forests, followed lower by aspen forests, then rolling sagebrush foothills and mostly private agricultural grasslands near the major drainages in the bottoms of the valleys.
General Statement Regarding this Hunt Area: Consult the interactive hunt map planner for public lands available for hunting. There are plenty of water sources throughout the portion of the hunt area on National Forest and fishing opportunities are abundant throughout the Wind River Range. Elk are common in the upper basins of the Bridger Wilderness early in the hunting season and typically do not migrate to lower elevation habitats near the Forest boundary and on BLM and private properties until late in the season (late October-November) following significant snowfall. Hunting pressure typically pushes elk back up drainage in the absence of continued weather events. Use of horses is advantageous in this hunt area due to presence of few roads and distances from access points to elk herds, especially early in the hunting season. span style="color#FF0000"&gtem&gtLimited harvest opportunities exist for self guided non-resident hunters during the September and October portions of the hunting season./em&gt/span&gt Low densities of elk are opportunistically found in the far southwestern portion of the hunt area near Buckhorn and Eighteenmile Canyons off of the Green River.
Additional Hunting Opportunities: Deer and moose are present, but less common on U.S. Forest Service lands throughout this hunt area. Black Bear hunting also overlaps with the elk hunting season. Consult hunting regulations for other hunting opportunities in the area, license requirements and season dates. Dusky and ruffed grouse are locally abundant in forested regions in the area and sage grouse can be found in lower elevation sagebrush habitats in the hunt area. Consult the Upland Game Bird and Small Game Hunting Regulation for season dates, license requirements and bag/possession limits. Trophy game animals (mountain lions, wolves, and black bear) can be found in portions of this hunt area. Consult mountain lion, wolf, and black bear regulations for hunt areas, license requirements and season dates.
Herd Unit Job Completion Report: See the EL108 (Pinedale) Job Completion Report for more detailed information on the management of this elk 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: 7.73%

 

For More Information: Resident Guide Information


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

Area 98 - General
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 98
# Days Hunted 2651
Days/Hunter 16.8
Total Area Harvest 158
Hunter Success 33.50%
View Full Harvest Report
Area 98 - Type 1
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 98
# Days Hunted 2444
Days/Hunter 15.7
Total Area Harvest 156
Hunter Success 52.00%
View Full Harvest Report
Area 98 - Type 4
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 98
# Days Hunted 620
Days/Hunter 36.5
Total Area Harvest 17
Hunter Success 25.80%
View Full Harvest Report
Area 98 - Type 6
2023 HARVEST REPORT
Hunt Area 98
# Days Hunted 1555
Days/Hunter 21.3
Total Area Harvest 73
Hunter Success 38.20%
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

Pinedale Regional Office
432 East Mill Street
Pinedale, WY 82941
(307) 367-4353

select another species

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.

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.

General Hunting Information

What do I need to go hunting in Wyoming
Guide to Hunting Access in Wyoming

Application Information

Wyoming Application Process
Hunting License Application

FAQs

Big Game License Applications
General Hunting and Trapping
General Wildlife