Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt this area?

No. Hunt area 16 is limited-quota and must be drawn for specifically—a region licence applies only to general-licence areas within its region and does not cover hunt area 16. A nonresident must draw this area individually by preference-point tier or random draw; a resident must enter the random resident draw for this area.

How much public land is actually accessible in hunt area 16?

About 905 square miles of the 1,758-square-mile area is BLM and State Trust Land where hunters can generally count on access. However, public ownership is not simple entry—roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still control where a hunter can actually reach. Access is rated as good.

What do hunters need to know about Hunter Management Areas here?

Six HMAs are enrolled in the Access Yes program on private land in hunt area 16. Permission slips must be obtained in advance of hunting; for some HMAs they are issued on a limited draw basis for elk. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability is not guaranteed.

When do nonresident preference points matter for drawing hunt area 16?

Nonresidents face a split draw: three-quarters of available licences go to the preference-point tier, awarded top-down by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. Points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents. Wyoming residents, by contrast, enter a purely random draw with no preference points at all.

Where should a hunter expect to find elk through the seasons?

Early-season elk are typically concentrated in the Shirley Mountain area and more accessible on public land. As pressure mounts and November arrives, elk shift toward winter range in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains around the Leo area. Many animals move onto private land as the season progresses, particularly when public roads become muddy and impassable.

Wyoming Hunt Area 16 (Shirley Mountain) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

51%

Elevation

5,300–9,100 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 16 spans 1,758 square miles of diverse country across the Shirley, Bennett, Freezeout, Chalk, and Pedro Mountains, with elevation ranging from 5,300 to 9,100 feet. The landscape shifts from broad, rolling sagebrush plains and grasslands in the Shirley Basin and the I-80 corridor to more broken terrain in the mountains, including canyons, draws, and rimrock along the Medicine Bow River. Sagebrush dominates the area at 81% of the ground cover, followed by grass and meadow at 14%, with small amounts of conifer, riparian, and other cover. The terrain grades gentle overall, though the mountains do offer dramatic topographic relief in pockets where elk can find escape terrain and hiding cover.

Getting onto public land in hunt area 16 requires navigating a complex checkerboard of ownership. About half the area is publicly accessible BLM and State Trust Land—roughly 905 square miles—but roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings still apply. The southern half of the hunt area contains significant private holdings interspersed with public ground. Six Hunter Management Areas here—including Hanna Draw, Hanna Draw West, and Shirley Basin—are enrolled in the Access Yes program, though permission slips must be obtained in advance and are issued on a limited draw basis for some HMAs. The northern half is more openly accessible via county roads including Hanna Leo Draw Road, Leo Shirley Basin Road, Dry Creek Road, and Shirley Ridge Road, as well as Highways 77 and 487. Many roads in the hunt area become difficult to impassable when wet and muddy, particularly during fall and winter weather.

Elk movement through hunt area 16 follows a predictable seasonal pattern tied to mountain topography and pressure. Many elk summer in the Shirley Mountains and smaller herds in the Bennett and Pedro Mountains; during fall they typically concentrate in the Shirley Mountain area, though the established road network there displaces animals onto private lands as pressure builds. Beginning in November, elk transition to winter range in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains around the Leo area. Early-season hunts offer the best access to public-land elk, while later seasons often require more persistence as animals shift to private ground or more remote terrain.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 16 (Shirley Mountain) is limited quota. A licence for it must be drawn for this hunt area specifically, by resident and nonresident alike. A region licence does not reach it — a region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, so there is no fallback for this hunt.

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 1 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 31
Type 1 · Antlerless elk
Regular December 1 – January 31
Type 2 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 2 · Antlerless elk
Regular December 1 – January 31
Type 4 · Antlerless elk valid on private land; also valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Regular August 15 – September 30
Type 4 · Antlerless elk valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – January 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid on private land; also valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land
Regular August 15 – September 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid in the entire area
Regular October 1 – November 30
Type 7 · Cow or calf
Regular December 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 (December–January)

Hunting cow or calf under a Type 7 licence from December through January targets elk on winter range in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains around the Leo area. Temperatures drop sharply through the period—highs fall from 25°F in December to 26°F in January, with lows around 10°F and monthly snowfall between 9 and 11 inches. Access to public land becomes increasingly difficult as roads freeze and snow accumulates. The hunt is valid only for cow or calf, not bull elk.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–October)

Type 1 archery from September 1 through 30 coincides with rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are vocal and more responsive to calls. Early-season temperatures average highs near 61°F and lows around 39°F, with roughly 1.6 inches of snow possible late in the month. Elk are typically accessible on public lands in the Shirley Mountain area during this window. From October 1 through 31, the regular season arrives in late rut and post-rut recovery as temperatures cool sharply—highs drop to 46°F, lows to 28F, and snowfall averages 9.1 inches—pushing some elk toward private land. Both phases allow any bull or cow.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (December–January)

Antlerless elk under a Type 1 licence from December through January targets cows and calves on winter range in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains. Temperatures average highs around 25–26°F with lows near 10°F, and monthly snowfall reaches 9 to 11 inches, making road access uncertain. The licence is valid for cow or calf only, not bull.

Type 2 — Any elk (September–November)

Type 2 archery from September 1 through 30 capitalizes on rut onset and primary rut when bulls are active and responsive. Early-season weather features highs near 61°F, lows around 39°F, and roughly 1.6 inches of snow possible as the month progresses. Elk are typically more accessible on public lands in the Shirley Mountain area. The regular-season window from November 1 through 30 coincides with migration transition as animals move toward winter range; temperatures cool to highs around 33°F and lows 18°F, with 11.2 inches of snowfall, and access becomes more difficult. Both seasons allow any bull or cow.

Type 2 — Antlerless elk (December–January)

Antlerless elk under a Type 2 licence from December through January targets cows and calves during winter range occupation in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains. Temperatures drop to highs around 25–26°F with lows near 10°F, and snowfall averages 9 to 11 inches per month, making road travel unreliable. The hunt is valid for cow or calf only.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk valid on private land (August–September)

Type 4 early-season hunts for antlerless elk valid on private land and within one-half mile of irrigated land run from August 15 through September 30. This window spans late summer velvet, the pre-rut transition, rut onset, and primary rut. August weather is warm with highs around 71°F and lows 47°F, but September temperatures cool sharply—highs drop to 61°F, lows to 39°F—and roughly 1.6 inches of snow may fall late in the month. This hunt is restricted to private land and areas adjacent to irrigated cropland, not the entire area.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk valid in the entire… (September–January)

Type 4 antlerless elk valid throughout hunt area 16 offers two hunting windows: archery from September 1 through 30 during rut onset and primary rut, and regular season from October 1 through January 31 spanning late rut, post-rut recovery, migration transition, and winter range. Archery hunting coincides with highs near 61°F and lows around 39°F in September. Regular season temperatures fall steeply—October highs reach 46°F with lows at 28°F and 9.1 inches of snow—and by January highs average 26°F with lows near 10°F and 9.1 inches of monthly snowfall. Elk are typically more accessible on public land early in the season and shift toward private ground and remote terrain as pressure builds and weather deteriorates.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid on private land (August–September)

Type 6 early-season hunts for cow or calf valid on private land and within one-half mile of irrigated land run from August 15 through September 30. This window spans late summer velvet through primary rut. August brings warm highs around 71°F and lows 47°F; September cools to highs near 61°F, lows 39°F, with roughly 1.6 inches of possible snowfall. This hunt is restricted to private land and areas near irrigated cropland, not the entire area.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid in the entire area (October–November)

Type 6 cow or calf hunting valid throughout hunt area 16 from October 1 through November 30 targets late-rut and post-rut elk before they fully settle on winter range, plus animals during migration transition. October temperatures start with highs at 46°F and lows at 28°F, averaging 9.1 inches of snowfall, then cool through November to highs around 33°F, lows 18°F, and 11.2 inches of snow. Elk are typically more accessible on public lands early in this window, though as weather worsens and animals shift behavior, access becomes more difficult. The hunt is valid for cow or calf only.

Land and access

private land46%

Private

BLM45%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land7%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership3%

Ownership unclassified

About 51% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 905 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.

It also holds 6 Hunter Management Areas. That is 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. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.

Where elk are mapped

Yearlong Range57%

the only layer that means year-round use

Winter Range22%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range11%

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

Summer Range5%

used in summer

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

Sagebrush81%

Grass and meadow14%

Other cover2%

Conifer1%

Riparian1%

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	26°F	10°F	9.1 in
February	28°F	11°F	10.6 in
March	36°F	18°F	13.1 in
April	43°F	23°F	18.7 in
May	53°F	32°F	4 in
June	64°F	41°F	0 in
July	73°F	48°F	0 in
August	71°F	47°F	0 in
September	61°F	39°F	1.6 in
October	46°F	28°F	9.1 in
November	33°F	18°F	11.2 in
December	25°F	10°F	10.9 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt this area?: No. Hunt area 16 is limited-quota and must be drawn for specifically—a region licence applies only to general-licence areas within its region and does not cover hunt area 16. A nonresident must draw this area individually by preference-point tier or random draw; a resident must enter the random resident draw for this area.
How much public land is actually accessible in hunt area 16?: About 905 square miles of the 1,758-square-mile area is BLM and State Trust Land where hunters can generally count on access. However, public ownership is not simple entry—roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still control where a hunter can actually reach. Access is rated as good.
What do hunters need to know about Hunter Management Areas here?: Six HMAs are enrolled in the Access Yes program on private land in hunt area 16. Permission slips must be obtained in advance of hunting; for some HMAs they are issued on a limited draw basis for elk. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability is not guaranteed.
When do nonresident preference points matter for drawing hunt area 16?: Nonresidents face a split draw: three-quarters of available licences go to the preference-point tier, awarded top-down by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. Points therefore matter significantly for nonresidents. Wyoming residents, by contrast, enter a purely random draw with no preference points at all.
Where should a hunter expect to find elk through the seasons?: Early-season elk are typically concentrated in the Shirley Mountain area and more accessible on public land. As pressure mounts and November arrives, elk shift toward winter range in the Pedro, Chalk, and Freezeout Mountains around the Leo area. Many animals move onto private land as the season progresses, particularly when public roads become muddy and impassable.

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