Do nonresidents need preference points to hunt area 129 on a general licence?

For nonresidents, preference points matter significantly. A nonresident must draw a Region E general licence; within that draw pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded by points from highest to lowest, and a quarter go to a random draw. A nonresident with no points can still draw via the random quarter, but points increase the odds substantially. Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all—the resident general-licence draw is purely random.

What walk-in access is open in hunt area 129?

Three walk-in areas are enrolled here: Campbell County Walk-In Areas 6 and 9, and Sheridan County Walk-In Area 4. A hunter may walk into these areas during their posted open periods without permission or application, subject to their specific rules. Enrollment is renegotiated each year, so availability cannot be assumed for any coming season.

How much of hunt area 129 is private land?

Private land comprises 81% of area 129. Elk commonly use private ground, and access to it is very limited. A hunter considering a season here should secure private-land access before purchasing or drawing a licence, as public ground alone offers extremely limited opportunity.

Which seasons in hunt area 129 allow hunting the entire area?

Only the regular general season from September 15–October 31 allows any elk across the entire hunt area. The two earlier general seasons (September 1–14) split the area by land type—one valid only off private land, one only on private land. The November antlerless general season also covers the entire area but allows only antlerless elk. All other seasons have specific legal animals or land restrictions.

Wyoming Hunt Area 129 (Non-Herd Unit) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

19%

Elevation

3,300–6,100 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Elk region

Hunt area 129 is rolling plains and broken hills between 3,300 and 6,100 feet, mostly around 4,400 feet, covered in sagebrush and grass with scattered conifers. The terrain is gentle—83% of it grades at easier slopes—and the country hunts as footwork through open ground interspersed with low shrub and patches of timber. Elk scatter in small groups across the area and remain highly mobile, shifting between private and public ground as the season shifts them. The landscape offers little concealment; glassing and stalking are the working method.

Access is the central constraint. Nineteen percent of the area is public ground that a hunter can generally rely on—roughly 1,485 square miles of BLM, State Trust Land and National Forest—but roads, trailheads and seasonal closures all limit where that ground reaches. The state rates access here as poor. Three walk-in areas are enrolled in Campbell County (areas 6 and 9) and Sheridan County (area 4), and these need no permission; a hunter enters them during posted hours and hunts under their rules. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so their availability cannot be guaranteed in any coming season. Private land dominates at 81% of the area, and elk commonly use it; a hunter planning to hunt area 129 should plan to secure private access before drawing or purchasing a licence.

Early seasons here run during the rut and the transition out of it, when the weather is still mild and elk are concentrated and vocal. Later seasons extend into November and December, when temperatures drop and snowfall increases. The November antlerless season and the Type 6 cow-or-calf hunt that runs through December are the only options for those without private-land access to the early rut hunting.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 129 (Non-Herd Unit) 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 off private land
Archery September 1 – September 14
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk valid on private land
Regular September 1 – September 14
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk valid in the entire area
Regular September 15 – October 31
Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf; also valid in that portion of Area 2 within Johnson County
Regular September 1 – December 15
Type 8 · Cow or calf valid on private land
Regular September 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 8 — Cow or calf valid on private land (September–January)

The September–January Type 8 cow-or-calf hunt on private land is the only extended season here and the only option for a drawn hunter without public-ground opportunity. It runs from early September through the rut's full span and into the winter phase, beginning when bulls are establishing dominance and ending when the rut is complete and winter pressures are on. Weather starts mild in September—highs around 74 degrees—and cools steadily; by January highs average 36 degrees and snowfall reaches 3.7 inches per month. A hunter must access private land to use this season and should arrange that access before the hunt.

Type Gen — Any elk valid off private land (September)

The Type Gen any-elk archery season September 1–14 takes place off private land only, giving access-limited hunters a chance at early rut hunting but restricting them to public ground. Elk are beginning to shift toward the rut and are more reactive to calling and bugles; the weather remains warm, with highs around 74 degrees and negligible snow. Access to public land through roads and trailheads is the only option, and the state rates access here as poor—a hunter considering this season should scout public entry points carefully.

Type Gen — Any elk valid on private land (September)

The Type Gen any-elk season September 1–14 on private land hunts the opening of the rut on enrolled ground. Elk are entering dominance establishment and respond to calling; temperatures are still mild and favorable for hiking and stalking. This season requires private-land access; a hunter without it cannot use this option.

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

The regular general season September 15–October 31 allows any elk across the entire area and is the broadest opportunity for a general-licence holder. It opens during the primary rut when bulls are actively seeking cows and closes after the rut has peaked and begun to fade; by late October bulls are in recovery and elk are beginning to shift toward winter grounds. Weather cools from highs around 59 degrees in October to lows around 33 degrees, and snowfall increases from negligible in September to about 1 inch per month by October. Access remains poor on public land, and private holdings still comprise most of the area; a hunter without private access will hunt the margins of the public ground available through walk-in areas and road access.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk (November)

The Type Gen antlerless season in November hunts the migration and early winter period when elk are moving toward or establishing on winter grounds and females are scattered. Weather is cool and snow is beginning—highs average 46 degrees, snowfall around 2.2 inches per month—making longer days uncomfortable and tracking easier. The season covers the entire area but is limited to antlerless animals, restricting opportunity for bull hunters. Public-land access remains constrained, and private ground still holds most elk.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–December)

The Type 6 cow-or-calf season September 1–December 15 is the longest single hunt available here and runs from the rut through winter. It begins during rut onset when bulls are establishing dominance and extends through peak rut, post-rut recovery and into the full migration and winter phase. Weather spans the full transition from September highs around 74 degrees to December highs around 36 degrees, with snowfall growing from none to 3.7 inches per month. This season allows cow or calf and is also valid in a portion of hunt area 2 within Johnson County. A drawn Type 6 hunter has the advantage of area-wide access for cow-or-calf hunting—both private and public land—unlike the land-restricted general seasons.

Land and access

private land81%

Private

BLM11%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land7%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest1%

Generally open to public hunting

About 19% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, State Trust Land and National Forest, roughly 1,484 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 3 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 Range2%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range1%

used in winter

Parturition Areas1%

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

Sagebrush60%

Grass and meadow33%

Other cover4%

Riparian1%

Conifer1%

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	36°F	13°F	3.7 in
February	38°F	15°F	3.6 in
March	48°F	23°F	2.5 in
April	55°F	30°F	1.8 in
May	65°F	40°F	0 in
June	76°F	49°F	0 in
July	86°F	56°F	0 in
August	85°F	54°F	0 in
September	74°F	45°F	0 in
October	59°F	33°F	1 in
November	46°F	22°F	2.2 in
December	36°F	14°F	3.7 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter take any elk on a general licence in hunt area 129?: No—a general licence here is restricted by land type. Early-season general licences (September 1–14) allow any elk only off private land or only on private land, depending on which hunt a hunter draws. The regular general season (September 15–October 31) allows any elk across the entire area. The November antlerless general season allows only antlerless elk area-wide. These restrictions matter because private land holds the majority of the area.
Do nonresidents need preference points to hunt area 129 on a general licence?: For nonresidents, preference points matter significantly. A nonresident must draw a Region E general licence; within that draw pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded by points from highest to lowest, and a quarter go to a random draw. A nonresident with no points can still draw via the random quarter, but points increase the odds substantially. Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all—the resident general-licence draw is purely random.
What walk-in access is open in hunt area 129?: Three walk-in areas are enrolled here: Campbell County Walk-In Areas 6 and 9, and Sheridan County Walk-In Area 4. A hunter may walk into these areas during their posted open periods without permission or application, subject to their specific rules. Enrollment is renegotiated each year, so availability cannot be assumed for any coming season.
How much of hunt area 129 is private land?: Private land comprises 81% of area 129. Elk commonly use private ground, and access to it is very limited. A hunter considering a season here should secure private-land access before purchasing or drawing a licence, as public ground alone offers extremely limited opportunity.
Which seasons in hunt area 129 allow hunting the entire area?: Only the regular general season from September 15–October 31 allows any elk across the entire hunt area. The two earlier general seasons (September 1–14) split the area by land type—one valid only off private land, one only on private land. The November antlerless general season also covers the entire area but allows only antlerless elk. All other seasons have specific legal animals or land restrictions.

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