Wyoming Hunt Area 124 (Powder Rim) elk hunting

Hunting for cow or calf from late October through January is limited to ground south and east of Standard Road/West Hangout Road within Carbon County. Elk in early November are entering the migration transition from the rut, beginning to shift toward winter range, and later in the season through January they settle into winter patterns. Early-season weather remains cool with average highs around 42°F in November; by December and January, conditions turn cold, with highs dropping to the low 30s and snowfall increasing from 3.4 inches in November to 4.4 in December and 4.9 in January. Access to public land is generally better in the southern half of the hunt area, and the southern and western edges' badland terrain offers cover and moisture-holding aspects where elk concentrate. This hunt is restricted by geography and does not cover the entire hunt area.

The August-through-October antlered-elk hunt for bulls with four points or fewer on either antler is confined to private land south of Sand Creek Road and Poison Buttes Road within Carbon County, running from mid-August through late October. The season opens during late summer and the pre-rut transition, when bulls are still in velvet or hardening antlers, and carries through the rut onset and primary rut into the post-rut recovery phase. Weather is mild in August, with highs near 81°F, then cools steadily through September and October as highs drop from 71°F to 57°F; snow becomes possible only in late October, averaging less than an inch. Access is restricted to private land south of the named roads, limiting where hunters can legally pursue this hunt, and hunters must secure permission or access arrangements in advance.

Hunting antlered bulls with four points or fewer on either antler from late October through November covers the entire hunt area without area restriction, running through the late-rut and post-rut recovery phases into the migration transition. October temperatures drop from the mid-50s at the month's start to the low 40s by month's end, while November highs average 42°F; snowfall increases from under an inch in October to 3.4 inches in November, raising water availability and pushing elk toward lower elevations and cover. Public-land access is better in the southern half of the hunt area and the badlands along the southern and western edges, where terrain folds and moisture-holding aspects concentrate elk despite limited cover.

Antlerless hunting runs from early September through late November and splits into an archery-only phase from September 1–30 and a regular season from October 25–November 30. During archery season in September, elk are in the rut onset and primary-rut phases, temperatures are mild with highs near 71°F, and hunters work on foot across sagebrush plains and badlands where water sources at higher elevations draw animals. The regular season continues through the late rut and post-rut recovery into the migration transition, with October temperatures dropping into the 50s and November cooling to the low 40s; November snowfall of 3.4 inches improves water availability and pushes elk toward cover and lower ground. Access varies across the hunt area, and hunters should scout water sources and terrain folds where elk concentrate on available forage.

Antlerless hunting in December is limited to ground east of Sweetwater County Road 19 and north and east of BLM roads 4409 and 4411, and west of BLM Road 3310 and Sweetwater County Road 23S—a specific portion of the hunt area's eastern reaches. By December, elk are on winter range with normal rut cycling complete; temperatures drop to a high of 31°F and low of 12°F, with 4.4 inches of snow typical for the month. Access to public land in this defined area requires careful navigation around private inholdings, particularly in the north where the public-private checkerboard is complex. This hunt does not cover the entire hunt area and requires verification of road and county boundaries before hunting.

Antlerless hunting from December through January covers ground south and east of Standard Road/West Hangout Road within Carbon County, overlapping with the Type 7 cow-or-calf season in the same geography. Winter conditions dominate the hunt, with December highs averaging 31°F and January highs in the low 30s; snowfall is heaviest in this span, at 4.4 inches in December and 4.9 in January, improving water availability across the typically dry landscape. Elk are on winter range, concentrated in terrain folds, near springs, and in cover. Access is generally better in the southern half of the hunt area, and the badlands along the southern and western edges provide terrain features and cover where elk shelter from weather.

The any-elk hunt runs from September 1–30 on archery only, then shifts to regular season from October 15–November 30, combining the rut onset and primary-rut phases in early autumn with the late rut, post-rut recovery, and migration-transition phases in late fall. Archery season in September offers mild weather, with highs around 71°F, and hunters work the sagebrush plains and badlands targeting elk in the rut. The regular season begins in mid-October with temperatures dropping from the mid-50s toward the low 40s by late November; October snowfall averages under an inch, but November snow climbs to 3.4 inches, improving water availability and shifting elk toward cover and migration corridors. This hunt covers the entire hunt area without geographic restriction, giving hunters the freedom to pursue water and cover across public land, walk-in areas, and enrolled private ground where access is available.