Can a hunter use a general elk licence on hunt area 126?

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 draw a Region E general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in that region. General licences are subject to seasonal restrictions—the September hunt in Weston County is not valid area-wide, and the November–December antlerless hunt does not allow bulls.

How much of hunt area 126 is open to public hunting?

About 21% of the area—roughly 1,146 square miles—is dependably open BLM, State Trust Land, or National Forest. The remaining 79% is private land. Six walk-in areas offer additional access during their open periods, though enrollment is renegotiated annually and may change from year to year.

Can a nonresident hunter draw a general licence for this hunt area?

Nonresidents enter a random-draw pool for Region E general licences, which are valid across all general-licence hunt areas in the region. Three quarters of those licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded top-down by points, while a quarter go to a random draw open to everyone in the pool. Preference points matter significantly for nonresidents in this draw.

Does a walk-in area on hunt area 126 require permission?

No—walk-in areas are open access during their posted open periods and require no permission slip or application. A hunter may simply walk in and hunt subject to the area's posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated each year, so availability may vary.

When do the general elk seasons run on hunt area 126?

The first general hunt runs September 1–30 and is valid only in Weston County. A second general season runs September 1–30 for archery (valid area-wide) and October 1–31 for rifle (valid area-wide). An antlerless-only general hunt runs November 1–December 31 across the entire area.

Wyoming Hunt Area 126 (Lost Springs) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

21%

Elevation

3,600–5,800 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Elk region

Hunt area 126 spans 5,496 square miles of rolling prairie and draws terrain across northeastern Wyoming, from 3,600 to 5,800 feet in elevation. The country is predominantly gentle—ground slopes at a mean of 4.2 degrees, with 93% of it classified as gentle rolling terrain. Lower elevations are dominated by grass and meadow with scattered sagebrush; mid and higher elevations add more sagebrush and patches of conifer. The landscape is cut by deeply incised drainages and buttes rising from flats, with riparian corridors along watercourses and agricultural land interspersed throughout. Elk use varies widely across the mix of prairie, sagebrush flats, forested ridges and draws. The area is managed for minimal elk populations due to the prevalence of private ownership and low landowner tolerance for the species.

About 21% of hunt area 126 is dependably open public land—roughly 1,146 square miles of BLM, State Trust Land and National Forest scattered throughout the area. The remaining 79% is private. Roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still govern access to public ground, and private inholdings fragment what remains. Six walk-in areas are enrolled across the hunt area, though enrollment is renegotiated annually and availability may change. Elk presence on public land is variable and constantly shifting, since the terrain lacks the major topographical features that would concentrate animals in predictable places. Hunting success here depends heavily on private land permission and where elk happen to be.

Seasons differ markedly. Early September's first general hunt opens only in Weston County, a restriction that affects how much ground becomes legally available. Mid-September through October brings general hunting across the entire area, with archery in September and rifle in October, spanning the rut's heaviest phase into early recovery. An antlerless-only hunt in November and December opens the whole area but is limited to cows and calves. Type 8 hunts—which require drawing—begin with private-land-only cow and calf hunting in August through mid-October, then shift to cow or calf across the entire area from mid-October through January.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 126 (Lost Springs) 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 E, 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 valid in Weston County
Regular September 1 – September 30
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 31
Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – December 31
Type 8 · Cow or calf valid on private land
Regular August 1 – October 15
Type 8 · Cow or calf valid in the entire area
Regular October 16 – 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 valid in Weston County (September)

The September general hunt in Weston County is open to any elk and runs rifle-only from September 1–30, spanning the rut's onset and primary phases when bulls are vocal and active. September weather is mild, with highs near 76°F and lows near 44°F, and snow is not a factor. The restriction to Weston County means this hunt does not open the entire area—a hunter must know which portion qualifies. Public land is scattered and elk presence there is unpredictable; success depends heavily on access to private ground.

Type Gen — Any elk valid in the entire area (September–October)

Archers can hunt from September 1–30, then rifle hunters take over October 1–31, making this a two-month hunt across the entire area valid wherever the boundary lies. Archery coincides with rut onset and primary phases; October rifle hunting continues into the late rut and early post-rut recovery as bulls become less vocal but remain active. Temperatures cool from September highs near 76°F to October highs near 61°F, with October bringing its first real snow—roughly 0.6 inches—that can settle higher ground. Elk are legal anywhere within the hunt area boundaries, but finding them on public land remains the main obstacle.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk (November–December)

This hunt accepts only cows and calves and opens November 1–December 31 across the full hunt area. November spans the migration transition as elk shift to winter range and groups consolidate; December and into winter brings the coldest, snowiest conditions, with November averaging 1.6 inches of snow and December 2.9 inches. Temperatures drop sharply—November highs average 47°F and December highs 37°F. The restriction to antlerless animals means bulls cannot be taken, but access and elk unpredictability remain the limiting factors.

Type 8 — Cow or calf valid on private land (August–October)

Type 8 permits allow hunters to take cow or calf on private land only, running August 1–October 15 and spanning late summer through the rut's primary phase and into early post-rut. The private-land-only restriction concentrates hunting pressure where elk are more predictable than on fragmented public land. August and early September are warm (highs near 86°F in August, 76°F in September) and dry; late September and October cool steadily and bring minimal snow. Private land access is the prerequisite—a hunter without it cannot legally hunt this season.

Type 8 — Cow or calf valid in the entire area (October–January)

Type 8 permits for cow or calf valid across the entire hunt area run October 16–January 31, beginning in the post-rut recovery phase and extending deep into winter range. October and November remain relatively mild and dry, but December and January bring snow and cold—December averages 2.9 inches of snow with highs near 37°F, and January nearly 2 inches with similar temperatures. Unlike the private-land-only August–October window, this season opens the full hunt area, including public land, though elk remain variable in availability and much of the accessible ground is private.

Land and access

private land79%

Private

BLM9%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest4%

Generally open to public hunting

About 21% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, State Trust Land and National Forest, roughly 1,146 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 6 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 Range1%

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

Grass and meadow87%

Sagebrush9%

Other cover2%

Riparian2%

Mid elevations

Grass and meadow77%

Sagebrush20%

Other cover2%

Conifer1%

Higher elevations

Grass and meadow68%

Sagebrush26%

Other cover4%

Conifer2%

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	37°F	12°F	2 in
February	39°F	14°F	3.2 in
March	50°F	22°F	2.3 in
April	57°F	30°F	1.7 in
May	67°F	40°F	0 in
June	79°F	50°F	0 in
July	87°F	56°F	0 in
August	86°F	54°F	0 in
September	76°F	44°F	0 in
October	61°F	32°F	0.6 in
November	47°F	21°F	1.6 in
December	37°F	12°F	2.9 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a general elk licence on hunt area 126?: 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 draw a Region E general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in that region. General licences are subject to seasonal restrictions—the September hunt in Weston County is not valid area-wide, and the November–December antlerless hunt does not allow bulls.
How much of hunt area 126 is open to public hunting?: About 21% of the area—roughly 1,146 square miles—is dependably open BLM, State Trust Land, or National Forest. The remaining 79% is private land. Six walk-in areas offer additional access during their open periods, though enrollment is renegotiated annually and may change from year to year.
Can a nonresident hunter draw a general licence for this hunt area?: Nonresidents enter a random-draw pool for Region E general licences, which are valid across all general-licence hunt areas in the region. Three quarters of those licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded top-down by points, while a quarter go to a random draw open to everyone in the pool. Preference points matter significantly for nonresidents in this draw.
Does a walk-in area on hunt area 126 require permission?: No—walk-in areas are open access during their posted open periods and require no permission slip or application. A hunter may simply walk in and hunt subject to the area's posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated each year, so availability may vary.
When do the general elk seasons run on hunt area 126?: The first general hunt runs September 1–30 and is valid only in Weston County. A second general season runs September 1–30 for archery (valid area-wide) and October 1–31 for rifle (valid area-wide). An antlerless-only general hunt runs November 1–December 31 across the entire area.

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