Can a hunter draw this area on a general or region licence?

No. Hunt area 19 is a limited-quota area and requires a specific draw permit for that area alone. A region licence is valid only in general-licence areas of its region and does not cover hunt area 19.

How many preference points does a resident need to draw hunt area 19?

Residents do not use preference points for elk in Wyoming. The resident elk draw is random. Nonresidents, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded top-down by points) and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.

What is the Muddy Mountain Hunter Management Area and how does a hunter use it?

The Muddy Mountain HMA is private ground enrolled in WGFD's access program. A hunter with a permit for that HMA must obtain a printed permission slip from the landowner before hunting on it. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability is never guaranteed.

How much of hunt area 19 is actually accessible to a hunter?

About 45 percent of the area—roughly 336 square miles—is public land (BLM, State Trust Land, and National Forest) that hunters can generally count on reaching. The remaining 54 percent is private, though some is enrolled in the Muddy Mountain HMA. Roads and weather can restrict access in parts of the public land.

When do the different seasons in this hunt area run?

Hunt area 19 has seven different season types with different dates. Archery runs September 1–30 for most types. Regular seasons vary: some run October 1–December 14 or 31, others November 1–30, and some December 15–January 31. Each licence type has its own dates and legal animal, so a hunter must check the specific season drawn.

Wyoming Hunt Area 19 (Muddy Mountain) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

45%

Elevation

5,000–8,800 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 19 sits in broken, rolling country between 5,000 and 8,800 feet, with most ground in the 6,500-foot range. The terrain is predominantly gentle—slopes average just over 8 degrees—and the landscape is a mix of sagebrush at lower elevations and conifer or aspen stands mixed with meadows higher up. Elk here use both cover types but concentrate in the transition zones where timber meets grass, especially as the season progresses and groups consolidate. Access is split between public land—roughly 45 percent of the area, mainly BLM, State Trust Land, and National Forest—and private ground. The public land does offer hunting, but road conditions can deteriorate rapidly in wet weather, and private inholdings mean a hunter needs to navigate carefully to stay legal.

The Muddy Mountain Hunter Management Area provides the most dependable access for those who draw a permit to hunt it. This is private ground where hunters must obtain a printed permission slip before hunting, and enrollment is renegotiated annually. Outside the HMA, the mix of public and private land creates uneven hunting pressure; elk on accessible public ground see more pressure and can shift to adjacent private ranches that receive little hunting. This dynamic means reading maps and understanding the boundaries is essential. Services—gas, food, lodging—are close; Casper is adjacent to the hunt area. Primitive camping is available on accessible BLM and National Forest land, though not on State Trust Land.

Seasons here are split into two separate licence types, and drawing odds vary between them. Early-season archery tags (September and into November depending on type) hit the rut, while regular seasons run into January. The fall months cool rapidly: September averages highs near 68 degrees and lows near 42, with almost no snow, but by November lows are dropping to the low 20s and snow climbs toward 6 inches monthly. December snow averages around 10 inches monthly, with January bringing 8 inches and cold that brings highs near freezing.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 19 (Muddy 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 – December 14
Type 1 · Antlerless elk
Regular December 15 – January 31
Type 2 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 2 · Antlerless elk
Regular December 15 – January 31
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – January 31
Type 5 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – January 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 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 6 — Cow or calf (September–January)

Hunting cow or calf begins with archery September 1–30, overlapping the rut onset and primary rut phases when bulls are active and responsive. September weather brings mild temperatures—highs near 68 degrees and lows near 42—and almost no snow, making travel on foot manageable but requiring the hunter to stay mobile and call to locate animals. After September 30, the regular season runs through the end of January, carrying the hunt deep into the post-rut recovery phase and into winter range. By October, temperatures drop sharply (highs around 53, lows around 30) and snow begins in earnest—roughly 4 inches in October alone. November brings heavier snow and cold (highs near 40, lows in the low 20s, 6+ inches of snow), making foot travel harder but concentrating elk in more predictable areas. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–December)

Hunting any elk with archery opens September 1–30 during rut onset and the primary rut, when bulls are most vocal and visible and vulnerabilities peak. September offers mild conditions—highs near 68 degrees, lows near 42, minimal snow—allowing longer days afoot and better calling response. The regular season then runs October 1–December 14, taking the hunter through the late rut and post-rut recovery phases and into the migration transition. October cools rapidly (highs dropping to 53, lows around 30) with roughly 4 inches of snow, while November stays cold and adds 6+ inches of snow monthly. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area and allows bulls until mid-December.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (December–January)

Hunting antlerless elk begins December 15 and continues through January 31, coinciding entirely with the winter range phase when elk are in their coldest-weather patterns. By mid-December, temperatures drop near or below freezing (highs around 31, lows around 13) and snow totals roughly 10 inches monthly, followed by January with similar cold and 8 inches of snow. This season is valid throughout the hunt area.

Type 2 — Any elk (September–November)

Hunting any elk with archery opens September 1–30 during rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are active and respond to calling. September brings mild temperatures—highs near 68, lows near 42, scant snow—supporting longer hunting days and mobility on foot. The regular season runs November 1–30, jumping past the post-rut recovery phase and into the migration transition, when elk movement is increasing. November temperatures are cold (highs near 40, lows in the low 20s) and snowfall heavy (6+ inches monthly), which can hamper access but tends to concentrate elk in more predictable terrain. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area and allows bulls only in November.

Type 2 — Antlerless elk (December–January)

Hunting antlerless elk runs December 15–January 31 under winter range conditions, when elk concentrate in response to snow and cold. December brings freezing temperatures (highs around 31, lows around 13) and heavy snow—roughly 10 inches monthly—while January remains cold with 8 inches of snow. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–January)

Hunting antlerless elk spans archery September 1–30 and regular hunting October 1–January 31. Archery season overlaps rut onset and primary rut, when September weather is mild (highs near 68, lows near 42, minimal snow) and bulls are vocal. The regular season carries through the late rut, post-rut recovery, and migration transition into winter range. October cools and brings 4 inches of snow, while November gets substantially colder (highs near 40, lows in the low 20s) with 6+ inches of snow. December and January are winter conditions—freezing highs and lows, 10 and 8 inches of snow respectively—and elk are in their most predictable winter patterns. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area.

Type 5 — Antlerless elk (September–January)

Hunting antlerless elk begins with archery September 1–30 during rut onset and primary rut, when September brings mild temperatures (highs near 68, lows near 42) and minimal snow, supporting mobility and calling. The regular season then runs November 1–January 31, taking the hunter from the migration transition through the full winter range phase. November is cold (highs near 40, lows in the low 20s) with heavy snow around 6 inches monthly; December drops to freezing (highs around 31, lows around 13) with 10 inches of snow, and January stays frozen with 8 inches of snow. This licence is valid throughout the hunt area.

Land and access

private land54%

Private

BLM22%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land21%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest2%

Generally open to public hunting

About 45% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, State Trust Land and National Forest, roughly 336 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 1 Hunter Management Area. 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

Summer Range23%

used in summer

Winter Range5%

used in winter

Yearlong Range4%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range1%

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

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

Sagebrush63%

Grass and meadow20%

Other cover13%

Riparian4%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush72%

Grass and meadow13%

Conifer12%

Riparian2%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush66%

Conifer20%

Grass and meadow12%

Riparian1%

Aspen1%

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	32°F	13°F	7.9 in
February	33°F	13°F	9.6 in
March	43°F	21°F	9.1 in
April	50°F	27°F	7.2 in
May	60°F	36°F	0.4 in
June	72°F	45°F	0 in
July	80°F	52°F	0 in
August	79°F	50°F	0 in
September	68°F	42°F	0.2 in
October	53°F	30°F	4 in
November	40°F	21°F	6.2 in
December	31°F	13°F	10 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw this area on a general or region licence?: No. Hunt area 19 is a limited-quota area and requires a specific draw permit for that area alone. A region licence is valid only in general-licence areas of its region and does not cover hunt area 19.
How many preference points does a resident need to draw hunt area 19?: Residents do not use preference points for elk in Wyoming. The resident elk draw is random. Nonresidents, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw (awarded top-down by points) and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants.
What is the Muddy Mountain Hunter Management Area and how does a hunter use it?: The Muddy Mountain HMA is private ground enrolled in WGFD's access program. A hunter with a permit for that HMA must obtain a printed permission slip from the landowner before hunting on it. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so availability is never guaranteed.
How much of hunt area 19 is actually accessible to a hunter?: About 45 percent of the area—roughly 336 square miles—is public land (BLM, State Trust Land, and National Forest) that hunters can generally count on reaching. The remaining 54 percent is private, though some is enrolled in the Muddy Mountain HMA. Roads and weather can restrict access in parts of the public land.
When do the different seasons in this hunt area run?: Hunt area 19 has seven different season types with different dates. Archery runs September 1–30 for most types. Regular seasons vary: some run October 1–December 14 or 31, others November 1–30, and some December 15–January 31. Each licence type has its own dates and legal animal, so a hunter must check the specific season drawn.

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