Wyoming Hunt Area 1 (Black Hills) elk hunting
Hunt area 1 is a rolling to steep country of roughly 101 square miles, rising from 3,800 feet to 6,700 feet with typical ground around 5,600 feet. Ponderosa pine and birch dominate the lower and mid elevations, with aspen and conifer taking over higher up; forest opens occasionally into meadow and sagebrush. Some sections break into cliff bands. The terrain is moderate overall — half gentle slopes and 42 percent moderate ground, with only 8 percent steep—meaning foot travel is feasible across most of it, though the hills are rolling enough to make distance wearing. Nearly the entire area sits on National Forest, with a walk-in area enrolled as well, and about 86 square miles of ground a hunter can generally count on.
Access to the National Forest ground requires a travel management map from the Bearlodge Ranger District to read which roads are open to which vehicles; dispersed camping and limited off-road elk retrieval are permitted where the map allows. The Crook County Walk-In Area 1 can be entered without permission during its open season, subject to posted rules. The area's small size means that when hunting pressure builds, elk do shift off portions of the ground, particularly as the season progresses. Private land makes up the remaining 14 percent, and while it lies scattered in among the public, it breaks continuity and narrows the ground a hunter can move through freely.
Licence and how this hunt area is drawn
Hunt Area 1 (Black Hills) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. A region licence does not reach it — a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, so there is no fallback for this hunt.
Wyoming residents have no preference points for elk — the resident elk draw is random, and no resident point cutoff exists for any hunt area in the state. For nonresidents points matter a great deal: Wyoming awards 75% of each nonresident pool through the preference-point draw, top-down by points, and the remaining 25% at random. Nonresidents also choose between the Regular and Special pools — the same hunts at two price points, competing separately.
Seasons (2026)
- Type 1 · Any elkArchery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – November 30
- Type 4 · Antlerless elkArchery September 1 – September 30Regular October 25 – November 30
The wording of each hunt is the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s and is legally exact — a “cow or calf” hunt is not a elk hunt in general, and a hunt limited to part of the area is not valid across it. Confirm every hunt in the current regulations before applying.
Hunting each season
Type 1 — Any elk (September–November)
The September archery window opens during rut onset and runs into the primary rut, when bulls are vocal and pursuing cows across the rolling country. Temperatures stay mild, with highs around 69 degrees and virtually no snow, making foot travel pleasant and visibility good. Most of the National Forest is accessible by road and trail, and the walk-in area offers additional opportunity. Any elk may be taken, and this archery season draws heavy pressure—some years half or more of the bulls are harvested before October arrives. The regular rifle season from mid-October through the end of November spans the tail of the rut and the weeks of post-rut recovery, when bulls have finished chasing and are feeding heavily. October temperatures drop to highs around 54 degrees with average snowfall of 2.3 inches per month, while November turns cold with highs in the low 40s and snowfall averaging 6.9 inches per month. As the season ages and snow accumulates, access becomes variable depending on forest-road conditions and the map's seasonal designations; most rifle harvest happens after general deer season closes. Any elk may be taken in this window as well.
Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–November)
The September archery window for antlerless elk opens as bulls begin to rut in earnest. Mild weather—highs near 69 degrees with no snow—favors foot hunting through the rolling pine and birch country. The licence allows cows and calves only, narrowing the legal game but often making for a more predictable hunt. The regular rifle season from late October through November shifts to post-rut timing when bulls have moved on and cows and calves concentrate more predictably on feeding areas. October snowfall averages 2.3 inches and November as much as 6.9 inches, and as the season progresses and snow deepens, forest roads and trailheads become more challenging; access conditions depend on both the road map and weather. Antlerless elk may be taken throughout—cows and calves—and the majority of antlerless rifle harvest typically falls outside the general deer season window.
Land and access
About 86% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, roughly 86 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.
the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 97% public land for this hunt area. That counts public ownership; the figure above counts ground a hunter can depend on getting onto. They answer different questions, so both are shown rather than blended.
This hunt area has 1 enrolled walk-in area. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Walk-In Area needs no permission slip — a hunter may walk in during the open period, subject to its posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.
Where elk are mapped
Each figure is the share of the hunt area that layer covers. It says where elk are mapped, not where inside the area they are, and not when they move.
Habitat and cover
Lower elevations
Mid elevations
Higher elevations
Shares are of each elevation band, not of the whole hunt area — they describe what grows up there, not how much of the area sits at that elevation.
Weather through the season
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Snowfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F | 12°F | 9.4 in |
| February | 35°F | 13°F | 9.4 in |
| March | 44°F | 21°F | 6.6 in |
| April | 51°F | 28°F | 5.4 in |
| May | 61°F | 37°F | 0.1 in |
| June | 71°F | 46°F | 0 in |
| July | 80°F | 53°F | 0 in |
| August | 79°F | 51°F | 0 in |
| September | 69°F | 43°F | 0 in |
| October | 54°F | 31°F | 2.3 in |
| November | 42°F | 21°F | 6.9 in |
| December | 34°F | 13°F | 8.3 in |
Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.
Common questions
- Can a hunter draw a general licence in this hunt area?
- No. Hunt area 1 is a limited-quota area drawn individually; neither a general elk licence nor a region licence covers it. A hunter must draw a licence specifically for this hunt area.
- What preference points does a nonresident need for this hunt area?
- Within the nonresident pool, three quarters of licences go to the preference-point draw, ranked by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to everyone. A nonresident with higher points has better odds in the preference tier, but the random quarter offers a chance regardless of points accumulated.
- Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw this hunt area?
- No. Wyoming residents' elk draw is random; there is no preference-point system or point cutoff for residents. A resident's draw odds are the same regardless of whether they have ever applied before.
- How much of hunt area 1 is public land a hunter can count on?
- About 86 square miles, or 86 percent of the area, is on National Forest or enrolled in the walk-in programme. A hunter will need a travel management map from the Bearlodge Ranger District to know which roads are open, and private land still breaks the ground into smaller accessible blocks.
- When does the rifle season run in this hunt area?
- The rifle season dates vary by licence type: a Type 1 (any elk) rifle season runs October 15 to November 30, while a Type 4 (antlerless elk) rifle season runs October 25 to November 30. Both also offer archery seasons from September 1 to September 30.
Sources
- Wyoming Game & Fish — Hunting & Trapping — licence types, general and limited-quota hunts, and season structure
- WGFD Hunt Planner — hunt-area boundaries, season dates and the unit descriptions
- WGFD — Draw results and odds — how the resident random draw and the nonresident preference-point draw work
- WGFD — Regulations — the legal limitations on each hunt, and the statewide licence rules
- USGS National Land Cover Database (NLCD 2021) and 3DEP elevation — land cover and terrain by elevation band
Seasons, licence types and boundaries change. Confirm every detail with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before applying or hunting.