Can a hunter on a general licence hunt elk in this area?

Wyoming residents can hunt this area with a general elk licence purchased over the counter with no draw. Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid in hunt area 104 and other general-licence areas in that region. The nonresident draw includes preference points—three quarters of licences go to applicants ranked by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.

What share of the hunt area is open to public hunting?

About 71% of the area—approximately 482 square miles—is publicly owned ground (BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land) that hunters can generally access. An additional 2% is public but closed to hunting. Private land comprises 25% of the area and requires landowner permission to cross, even when heading to public land beyond it.

Is this hunt area difficult to access on foot?

The area offers ample opportunity for hiking and stock access to good elk country on BLM and USFS lands, but roads become difficult or impassable when conditions turn snowy, wet or muddy. Walk-in areas and hunter management areas provide designated access, though enrollment can change year to year. Much of the best habitat requires leaving the road and hiking into foothills and mountain terrain.

When do the rifle seasons run in this area?

General-licence rifle hunts run from October 15–October 24 (any elk) and October 25–November 30 (antlerless only). Cow-and-calf seasons on other licence types extend into December and January. Type 6 archery and rifle combined spans September 1–December 7, and Type 7 cow-and-calf runs as late as January 31 depending on the specific season.

Where are most elk found in this hunt area?

Elk are generally most numerous in the central and northern parts of the area, occupying mountain shrub, aspen forest and mountain meadows. Fossil Butte National Monument attracts large herds during the hunting season and serves as a refuge from hunting pressure. The southern portions tend to hold fewer animals, making the northern country the primary focus for most hunters.

Wyoming Hunt Area 104 (Lincoln) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

71%

Elevation

6,100–10,300 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Elk region

Hunt area 104 spans sagebrush flats and broken hills in its southern reaches, transitioning to mountain foothills, ridges and high forest to the north. The country climbs from around 6,100 feet in the lower sections to above 10,300 feet in the highest peaks, with typical hunting ground sitting near 7,400 feet. Mountain mahogany, aspen and serviceberry cover slopes and ridgelines throughout. The terrain is moderate—just over half of the area is gentle, more than a third is moderate in slope, and steep ground makes up the remainder. Sagebrush dominates the landscape at 65% coverage, conifer forest accounts for a fifth, and riparian areas, grass and meadow make up the balance. Private irrigated land clusters mostly along rivers and larger creeks.

Elk occupy the central and northern portions of the area most heavily, favoring mountain shrub, aspen and forest meadows. Public land—primarily BLM in the south and U.S. Forest Service in the north—covers about 71% of the hunt area, roughly 482 square miles, interspersed with private holdings and state trust lands. About 72% of the area maps as either winter or summer range, meaning seasons and weather shape where elk hold through the year. Access to much of the BLM and Forest Service ground exists but demands hiking or stock, as most roads become difficult or impassable during wet, snowy or muddy conditions. Walk-in areas and hunter management areas provide designated public access, though these are renegotiated annually and hunters must verify current enrollment. Fossil Butte National Monument, which does not allow hunting, sits within the hunt area and attracts large concentrations of elk during the hunting seasons; while the Monument itself is closed, drivers can cross it to reach public lands beyond. Landowner permission is required to cross all private land, even if it leads to public ground.

Seasons span the full calendar year here, with opportunities from August through January. Early-season hunts in August and September encounter warm days and animals still responding to summer patterns, while archery in September coincides with the rut's onset and primary phase. The rifle seasons from October through November cool down and bring increasing snow as the rut winds down and animals transition toward winter range. January's cow-and-calf hunt arrives in deep cold and heavy snowfall, concentrating what elk remain.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 104 (Lincoln) is a general-licence hunt area, and how a hunter gets a licence for it depends on where they live.

A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter — unlimited statewide, on sale from mid-July. No draw, no application, no preference points.
A nonresident cannot buy one. They must draw a Region general licence — for this hunt area, elk region W, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region and nowhere else.

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 Gen — general licence · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – October 24
Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless elk
Regular October 25 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf; also valid in Area 105 in Lincoln County
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 15 – December 7
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Regular August 15 – August 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf; also valid in Area 105 in Lincoln County
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular December 15 – December 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid on private land or west of U.S. Highway 30 or east of Rock Creek within the Twin Creek drainage
Regular January 1 – January 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 7 — Cow or calf valid on private land… (January)

Hunters pursuing the January cow-and-calf season (Type 7, valid on private land or west of U.S. Highway 30 or east of Rock Creek within the Twin Creek drainage) encounter deep winter with highs around 29°F, lows near 9°F, and roughly 18 inches of snowfall through the month. Snow and cold concentrate remaining elk, but difficult travel conditions and restricted access on private land mean hunting is confined to specific zones. This hunt is valid only where specified—private land in the zone, or public ground west of the highway or east of Rock Creek in the Twin Creek drainage—making careful attention to boundaries essential.

Type Gen — Any elk (September–October)

The general-licence archery season (September 1–30, any elk) and rifle season (October 15–24, any elk) together span the rut's onset, peak, and early wind-down. September archery hunts warm days in the 60s with elk moving into calling range as they respond to the rut, while October rifle arrives cooler—highs dropping to around 51°F—with animals still responsive but post-rut recovery underway. About 2.5 inches of snow may fall in October. This hunt covers the entire area with no restrictions and requires a general licence.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk (October–November)

The general-licence rifle season (October 25–November 30, antlerless elk) follows the main rut through its late phase and into the winter migration. Temperatures drop steadily from around 51°F in early October to 37°F by November, and snowfall totals roughly 10 inches for the month, often concentrating animals in lower and more predictable country. Hunters are limited to cows and calves, and the hunt is valid throughout the area.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–December)

The Type 6 season spans archery (September 1–30) through regular rifle (October 15–December 7, cow or calf), running from the rut's onset in early September through winter range occupancy in December. September archery encounters September's conditions—highs in the 60s and minimal snow—with bulls responding to early calling as the rut builds. October rifle begins around 51°F and cools through November (dropping to 37°F) as snowfall accumulates, eventually placing animals in winter pattern by December. This hunt is valid in both hunt area 104 and hunt area 105, and only cows and calves are legal.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid on or within… (August)

The August cow-and-calf season (Type 7, valid on or within one-half mile of irrigated land, August 15–31) hunts late summer with highs around 75°F and lows near 44°F, with no snow expected. Elk are found on higher ground and in summer habitats before the rut shifts behavior, and this hunt is restricted to private irrigated land and public ground within a half-mile of it, meaning hunters must map irrigation infrastructure carefully and stay within the boundary.

Type 7 — Cow or calf (September–December)

The Type 7 archery season (September 1–30) and regular seasons (December 15–31) together span the rut's primary phase in early September and deep winter in December, hunting the same animals under different conditions. September archery encounters warm days (highs ~65°F) with elk responsive to calling, while December rifle arrives in cold (highs ~28°F) with heavy snow—roughly 18 inches for the month—concentrating animals but requiring travel through deep snow. This hunt is valid in both hunt area 104 and hunt area 105, and only cows and calves may be taken.

Land and access

BLM39%

Generally open to public hunting

private land25%

Private

National Forest25%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land7%

Generally open to public hunting

National Park Service2%

Public land closed to hunting

unclassified ownership2%

Ownership unclassified

About 71% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land, roughly 482 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.

Where elk are mapped

Winter Range50%

used in winter

Summer Range50%

used in summer

Crucial Winter Range28%

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

Parturition Areas26%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range10%

the only layer that means year-round use

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

Sagebrush65%

Conifer20%

Other cover7%

Riparian4%

Grass and meadow3%

Aspen1%

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	29°F	9°F	17.7 in
February	31°F	10°F	14.5 in
March	40°F	17°F	11.5 in
April	48°F	23°F	5 in
May	57°F	32°F	0.6 in
June	67°F	38°F	0 in
July	76°F	45°F	0 in
August	75°F	44°F	0 in
September	65°F	36°F	0 in
October	51°F	27°F	2.5 in
November	37°F	17°F	10.5 in
December	28°F	9°F	18 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter on a general licence hunt elk in this area?: Wyoming residents can hunt this area with a general elk licence purchased over the counter with no draw. Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid in hunt area 104 and other general-licence areas in that region. The nonresident draw includes preference points—three quarters of licences go to applicants ranked by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.
What share of the hunt area is open to public hunting?: About 71% of the area—approximately 482 square miles—is publicly owned ground (BLM, National Forest and State Trust Land) that hunters can generally access. An additional 2% is public but closed to hunting. Private land comprises 25% of the area and requires landowner permission to cross, even when heading to public land beyond it.
Is this hunt area difficult to access on foot?: The area offers ample opportunity for hiking and stock access to good elk country on BLM and USFS lands, but roads become difficult or impassable when conditions turn snowy, wet or muddy. Walk-in areas and hunter management areas provide designated access, though enrollment can change year to year. Much of the best habitat requires leaving the road and hiking into foothills and mountain terrain.
When do the rifle seasons run in this area?: General-licence rifle hunts run from October 15–October 24 (any elk) and October 25–November 30 (antlerless only). Cow-and-calf seasons on other licence types extend into December and January. Type 6 archery and rifle combined spans September 1–December 7, and Type 7 cow-and-calf runs as late as January 31 depending on the specific season.
Where are most elk found in this hunt area?: Elk are generally most numerous in the central and northern parts of the area, occupying mountain shrub, aspen forest and mountain meadows. Fossil Butte National Monument attracts large herds during the hunting season and serves as a refuge from hunting pressure. The southern portions tend to hold fewer animals, making the northern country the primary focus for most hunters.

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