Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in this area?

No. Wyoming residents have no elk preference-point system at all. The resident elk draw is purely random. Only nonresidents compete in a preference-point draw here, where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by points and a quarter are awarded randomly.

When do the archery and regular seasons run?

Type 1 (any elk) archery runs September 1–30 and regular October 9–31. Type 2 (any elk near the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project) runs September 1–October 19 during regular season. Type 2 restricted to antlered bulls (four points or less) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 20–November 9. Type 4 (antlerless) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 16–November 9. Type 5 (antlerless) runs archery September 1–30 and regular November 10–December 31. Type 7 (cow or calf east of Highway 191) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–31.

How much of this area can a hunter actually get onto?

Roughly 70% is public land (BLM and State Trust Land) that hunters can generally count on, though roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures still apply. The southern checkerboard has mixed access; larger western landowners often allow crossing to public sections, while eastern private access varies. Fremont County Walk-In Area 22 and Sweetwater County Walk-In Area 3 provide additional foot access during their open seasons.

Wyoming Hunt Area 100 (Steamboat) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

70%

Elevation

6,100–8,700 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 100 sprawls across open sagebrush flats punctuated by broken country—mesas, buttes, and hilly terrain in the north-central and southern reaches. The Green River forms riparian habitat along the western edge. Elk in this area inhabit the sagebrush year-round in a nontraditional pattern, relying on distance rather than dense cover for security. The largest concentrations gather in the Steamboat Mountain and Jack Morrow Hills region in the hunt area's center, though elk range throughout. Important hunting areas include the Alkali Draw and South Pinnacles Wilderness Study Areas, Joe Hay and Bush Rims, Jack Morrow Creek, Freighter's Gap, and the flats east and southeast of Steamboat Mountain. In recent years, hunting pressure has pushed some elk eastward toward the Honeycomb Buttes and the Bar X Ranch country. The terrain is overwhelmingly gentle, with slope averaging 3.2 degrees, and elevation runs from 6,100 to 8,700 feet, with typical ground around 6,800 feet. Sagebrush dominates the cover at 92%, with grass and meadow at 4% and other cover filling the remainder.

Public land covers roughly 70% of the area, about 2,603 square miles of BLM and State Trust Land. The southern portion presents a checkerboard of alternating public and private sections; larger landowners in the west commonly grant crossing access to public ground, while eastern private access is more variable. Most roads become nearly impassable when wet and muddy due to clay soil. Most elk and most hunting occurs north of the checkerboard zone. Access is rated good overall, though roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures still apply. Fremont County Walk-In Area 22 and Sweetwater County Walk-In Area 3 are open to foot hunters during their posted seasons without application or permission slip.

This is a limited-quota hunt area. The resident draw is random with no preference-point system. Nonresidents compete in a draw where three quarters of licences go to those ranking highest by preference points, and a quarter are awarded randomly to all applicants regardless of points—points therefore matter significantly for nonresident hunters.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 100 (Steamboat) 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 elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 9 – October 31
Type 2 · Any elk valid within two (2) miles of the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project
Regular September 1 – October 19
Type 2 · Antlered elk four (4) points or less on either antler; any elk valid within two (2) miles of the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 20 – November 9
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 16 – November 9
Type 5 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 10 – December 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid east of U.S. Highway 191, south of Sweetwater County Road 17 and Sweetwater County Road 15, and west of Sweetwater County Road 19
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 31

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–October)

Type 1 hunting (any elk) opens with archery from September 1–30 when elk are entering and moving through the primary rut, and continues with regular season October 9–31 as the rut winds down and post-rut recovery begins. Early September hunting favors high ground and water sources where bulls congregate; weather is mild, with highs near 71°F and minimal snow. October sees cooling conditions with highs falling to 57°F and occasional snowfall around 1.1 inches for the month, pushing elk toward lower elevations and familiar range. Roads generally remain passable through October, though clay soils limit access during wet spells. This is the only hunt here allowing any bull in the area-wide region.

Type 2 — Any elk valid within two (2) miles… (September–October)

Type 2 hunting (any elk valid within two miles of the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project) runs the full rut cycle from September 1–October 19, covering rut onset through post-rut recovery. This is not an area-wide hunt but restricted to a two-mile corridor around the irrigation project, concentrating effort on a specific zone where year-round access to water draws reliable elk presence. The rut and early cooling season favor active calling and glassing, while September brings warm, dry conditions and October turns cooler with highs around 57°F and minor snowfall. Any elk are legal here regardless of sex or antler configuration.

Type 2 — Antlered elk four (4) points or less on either antler; any elk valid within two (2) miles… (September–November)

Type 2 hunting (antlered elk four points or less; any elk valid within two miles of the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project) spans archery September 1–30 and regular October 20–November 9, following the rut onset and primary rut into late rut and post-rut recovery. The two-mile zone around the irrigation project concentrates activity on reliable water and the elk that use it. Archery hunters face warm early September (highs ~71°F) and the rut's peak activity, while the regular season (October 20 onward) encounters post-rut movement and the onset of migration, with cooling from highs of 57°F in October to 42°F in November and increasing snowfall. The four-point restriction on bulls significantly narrows the legal bull field.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–November)

Type 4 hunting (antlerless elk) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 16–November 9, spanning rut onset and primary rut in early season, then post-rut recovery and migration as cold weather arrives. September archery hunts warm, dry conditions with highs near 71°F when antlerless elk are actively moving in the rut. The regular season from October 16 onward finds elk shifting as temperatures fall (highs 57°F in October dropping to 42°F in November) and snowfall increases to 1.1 inches in October and 3.4 inches in November, pushing animals into migration. This hunt allows any cow or calf and has no antler restriction.

Type 5 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

Type 5 hunting (antlerless elk) archery runs September 1–30 during rut onset and primary rut, while the extended regular season November 10–December 31 covers migration through the winter range. Early archery hunters find elk actively moving in warm conditions (highs ~71°F) and light snow. The November and December regular season pursues migration and winter-range behavior in hardening conditions—highs drop from 42°F in November to 31°F in December, with snowfall building from 3.4 inches in November to 5.5 inches in December. This extended hunt allows hunters to pursue antlerless elk deeper into the season as animals settle winter patterns.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid east of U.S.… (September–October)

Type 7 hunting (cow or calf valid east of U.S. Highway 191, south of Sweetwater County Roads 17 and 15, and west of Sweetwater County Road 19) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–31, covering the rut onset and primary rut into early post-rut recovery. This geographically restricted hunt focuses on the eastern and southeastern portions of the area where elk have increasingly concentrated under hunting pressure. September archery encounters the rut's peak with warm conditions (highs ~71°F), while October regular season (highs ~57°F, snowfall ~1.1 inches) hunts the transition to post-rut movement. The restriction to cows and calves and the defined boundary make this hunt distinct from the area-wide any-elk options.

Land and access

BLM67%

Generally open to public hunting

private land27%

Private

unclassified ownership4%

Ownership unclassified

State Trust Land3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 70% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 2,603 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

State trust land counts toward the open figure above. Wyoming extends hunting on legally accessiblestate trust land to the public unless a parcel is specifically closed — the catch is the access itself, since crossing private ground to reach it still needs the landowner’s permission. Camping, fires and off-road vehicles are not allowed on it.

This hunt area has 2 enrolled walk-in areas. 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

Yearlong Range35%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range23%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range12%

the part of Winter Range considered essential to the herd — inside Winter Range, not added to it

Summer Range8%

used in summer

Parturition Areas5%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

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

Across the unit

Sagebrush92%

Grass and meadow4%

Other cover3%

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	31°F	10°F	4.4 in
February	34°F	12°F	3.9 in
March	44°F	21°F	2.8 in
April	53°F	27°F	1.6 in
May	63°F	35°F	0 in
June	75°F	43°F	0 in
July	83°F	50°F	0 in
August	81°F	49°F	0 in
September	71°F	40°F	0.2 in
October	57°F	29°F	1.1 in
November	42°F	19°F	3.4 in
December	31°F	10°F	5.5 in

Snowfall is the monthly total, not depth lying on the ground.

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt this area?: No. This is a limited-quota hunt area drawn specifically for this ground. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, never in limited-quota areas. Hunters must draw a licence for hunt area 100 itself.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in this area?: No. Wyoming residents have no elk preference-point system at all. The resident elk draw is purely random. Only nonresidents compete in a preference-point draw here, where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by points and a quarter are awarded randomly.
When do the archery and regular seasons run?: Type 1 (any elk) archery runs September 1–30 and regular October 9–31. Type 2 (any elk near the Farson-Eden Irrigation Project) runs September 1–October 19 during regular season. Type 2 restricted to antlered bulls (four points or less) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 20–November 9. Type 4 (antlerless) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 16–November 9. Type 5 (antlerless) runs archery September 1–30 and regular November 10–December 31. Type 7 (cow or calf east of Highway 191) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–31.
How much of this area can a hunter actually get onto?: Roughly 70% is public land (BLM and State Trust Land) that hunters can generally count on, though roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures still apply. The southern checkerboard has mixed access; larger western landowners often allow crossing to public sections, while eastern private access varies. Fremont County Walk-In Area 22 and Sweetwater County Walk-In Area 3 provide additional foot access during their open seasons.
Where are the most elk found in this hunt area?: The largest concentrations are in the Steamboat Mountain and Jack Morrow Hills region in the central portion. Other important areas include the Alkali Draw and South Pinnacles Wilderness Study Areas, Joe Hay and Bush Rims, Jack Morrow Creek, and Freighter's Gap. In recent years, increased hunting pressure has pushed some elk eastward toward the Honeycomb Buttes and the Bar X Ranch.

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.

All Wyoming elk hunt areas