Can a hunter use a Wyoming general elk licence to hunt area 12?

A Wyoming resident can buy a general elk licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident cannot buy a general licence and must instead draw a Region S general licence, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region. Both licences are valid in hunt area 12.

How much of hunt area 12 is public land a hunter can count on?

About 60% of the area—roughly 266 square miles—is public ground including National Forest, BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 40% is private, much of it large ranches with limited or no public access. Roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures all affect what ground is actually reachable.

What are the walk-in areas in hunt area 12?

Carbon County Walk-In Areas 3 and 7 are enrolled for public hunting and may be entered during their posted open periods without permission. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so these areas are not guaranteed to be open in any coming season.

Does hunt area 12 require a permission slip to hunt?

Walk-in areas do not require permission. Harrison Creek is a Hunter Management Area and does require a printed permission slip before hunting. Public lands require no permission slip.

When does the primary rut occur in hunt area 12, and which hunts overlap it?

The rut in this area typically peaks between the third and last week of September. The general archery season (September 1–30) and Type 6 archery season (September 1–30) both overlap the rut's onset and peak. The regular general season (October 15–31) and Type 6 regular season (October 1–December 31) occur after the peak rut.

Wyoming Hunt Area 12 (Kennaday Peak) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

60%

Elevation

6,500–12,000 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Elk region

Hunt area 12 spans from the North Platte River at 6,500 feet to Kennaday Peak at 12,000 feet, with gentle terrain that rarely exceeds a 6.6-degree average slope. The country divides into three distinct zones. Irrigated meadows and cottonwood bottoms line the river and major creeks on the western side; beyond them lie sagebrush plains. The eastern half rises into the Snowy Range Mountains, where conifer forest dominates, though extensive pine beetle mortality has created large areas of standing deadfall. Elk use this range from alpine tundra down through forest and into agricultural ground and riparian habitat, shifting elevation seasonally. Winter Range covers 47% of the hunt area and Crucial Winter Range 13%, with Summer Range at 33%; these layers map where elk are found in those periods but say nothing about movement or timing within the autumn hunt seasons.

About 60% of the hunt area is public land a hunter can depend on—roughly 266 square miles of National Forest, BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas. The northwestern portion is a checkerboard of alternating ownership, and ranches here tend to be large blocks, many closed to public hunting or available only through outfitters. Walk-in access is available at Carbon County Walk-In Areas 3 and 7, open during posted seasons and entered without permission. Harrison Creek is a Hunter Management Area that requires a printed permission slip before hunting. Public ownership does not guarantee simple entry; roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures all apply, and private inholdings fragment the available ground.

Elk summer at higher elevations on National Forest and typically winter at lower elevations near or below timberline, with severe fall and winter weather pushing more animals onto private lands. During autumn hunts, elk concentrate in heavily timbered areas and deadfall as security cover, particularly in dry years. A significant population winters west of Highway 130 north of the Pick Bridge Road in a landscape with very limited public access; these animals likely migrate from higher ground, so hunters who locate them before they reach those inaccessible ranches have a better chance. Pressure on public land and dispersed recreational activity can push elk toward private ground; conversely, hunting pressure on the North Platte River meadows can scatter elk into nearby cedar breaks.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 12 (Kennaday Peak) 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 S, 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 31
Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – November 7
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid on private land
Regular August 15 – 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 Gen — Any elk (September–October)

The general archery season from September 1–30 and the regular general season from October 15–31 together span the rut's onset and peak in early September through the rut's tail end in mid-October. Early archery season places elk in higher timber and parks as rut activity builds; early September offers temperatures around 70 degrees with minimal snow, but as the season advances into October, highs fall to the mid-50s and October snowfall averages 2.4 inches monthly. Regular season arrives after the rut's peak, when bugling slows and bulls grow wary, though cows remain concentrated. Access to public lands is consistent, but severe October and November weather can push elk onto inaccessible private ranches, particularly in the Emigrants Crossing area west of Highway 130. Any elk can be taken on both the archery and regular seasons under the general licence.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk (November)

Antlerless hunting from November 1–7 occurs as weather collapses rapidly—November highs average 43 degrees and snowfall jumps to 6.4 inches monthly. Elk move toward areas mapped as winter range, though the shift between seasons does not correspond to a single location or elevation within the hunt area. Heavy snow can accelerate movement onto lower private lands, especially ranches along the North Platte River where public access is minimal. Access to public land remains possible but can be difficult in snow, and the Emigrants Crossing area remains largely inaccessible. Only antlerless elk may be taken.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–December)

Type 6 cow-or-calf hunts run from September 1–30 on archery and October 1–December 31 on regular season, spanning from rut onset through the post-rut period and into the winter range phase. The archery portion mirrors the general archery hunt in timing and conditions, with early September temperatures near 70 degrees and minimal snow, but the long regular season window carries hunters from October cool (highs in the mid-50s, 2.4 inches of snow) through November cold (43-degree highs, 6.4 inches of snow) and into December winter (highs near 34 degrees, 10.3 inches of snow). As the season lengthens into winter, pressure and snow increase the likelihood of elk moving to private land. Public lands remain accessible under normal conditions, though heavy snow can restrict travel. Only cows or calves may be taken.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid on private land (August–January)

Type 7 hunts valid on private land run from August 15 through January 31, a longer window that allows hunting outside the general areas and at times when public-land hunting has ended. This hunt begins in mid-August before rut onset and extends deep into winter, covering weather that ranges from August highs near 79 degrees with no snow through January lows near 13 degrees and 8.8 inches of monthly snow. Elk using private lands—particularly along the North Platte River and in the Emigrants Crossing area—are especially available during severe fall and winter weather when public-land elk move to lower, more sheltered ground. Access depends entirely on private-land permission and cannot be assumed. Only cows or calves may be taken, and only on private land within the hunt area boundaries.

Land and access

private land40%

Private

National Forest31%

Generally open to public hunting

BLM19%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land6%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 60% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM, State Trust Land and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 266 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.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 53% 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 2 enrolled walk-in areas. It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. Both are private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip from the Wyoming Game & Fish Department before hunting it. 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

Winter Range47%

used in winter

Summer Range33%

used in summer

Crucial Winter Range13%

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

Parturition Areas9%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range2%

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

Lower elevations

Sagebrush85%

Other cover9%

Riparian5%

Grass and meadow1%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush80%

Other cover9%

Riparian6%

Grass and meadow3%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer71%

Sagebrush16%

Aspen8%

Grass and meadow3%

Riparian2%

Other cover1%

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	13°F	8.8 in
February	36°F	14°F	9 in
March	45°F	21°F	8 in
April	53°F	26°F	4.7 in
May	63°F	34°F	0.4 in
June	74°F	42°F	0 in
July	81°F	48°F	0 in
August	79°F	46°F	0 in
September	70°F	39°F	0.1 in
October	56°F	29°F	2.4 in
November	43°F	20°F	6.4 in
December	34°F	13°F	10.3 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a Wyoming general elk licence to hunt area 12?: A Wyoming resident can buy a general elk licence over the counter with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident cannot buy a general licence and must instead draw a Region S general licence, which is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region. Both licences are valid in hunt area 12.
How much of hunt area 12 is public land a hunter can count on?: About 60% of the area—roughly 266 square miles—is public ground including National Forest, BLM, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 40% is private, much of it large ranches with limited or no public access. Roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures all affect what ground is actually reachable.
What are the walk-in areas in hunt area 12?: Carbon County Walk-In Areas 3 and 7 are enrolled for public hunting and may be entered during their posted open periods without permission. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so these areas are not guaranteed to be open in any coming season.
Does hunt area 12 require a permission slip to hunt?: Walk-in areas do not require permission. Harrison Creek is a Hunter Management Area and does require a printed permission slip before hunting. Public lands require no permission slip.
When does the primary rut occur in hunt area 12, and which hunts overlap it?: The rut in this area typically peaks between the third and last week of September. The general archery season (September 1–30) and Type 6 archery season (September 1–30) both overlap the rut's onset and peak. The regular general season (October 15–31) and Type 6 regular season (October 1–December 31) occur after the peak rut.

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