Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt area 35?

No. Hunt area 35 is a limited-quota area, drawn individually for both residents and nonresidents. A region licence is valid only in general-licence hunt areas and does not cover limited-quota areas.

What preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in this hunt area?

Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all. The resident elk draw is random, with no points required, banked, or considered. Preference points are a nonresident concept only.

What public land access works best here in September?

The Bighorn National Forest provides the best public access in September and early fall, with excellent motorized roads and trails. The State of Wyoming also enrolls 7,500 acres of Bull Creek property, though access there is non-motorized only. Once the season opens, elk increasingly move to private land, which is difficult for hunters to access.

When do the archery and rifle seasons run here?

Type 9 archery-only runs September 1–30. Type 1 archery runs September 15–30, with regular hunting October 10–November 5. Type 4 archery runs September 15–30, with regular hunting October 10–December 31. Cow/calf archery on Type 7 runs September 15–30 with regular hunting off national forest October 10–December 31. Type 7 valid on private land runs August 15–October 9 (regular only).

Wyoming Hunt Area 35 (Hunter Mesa) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

71%

Elevation

4,600–12,400 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Hunt area 35 spans 251 square miles across the Bighorn Mountains and foothills, from 4,600 feet to over 12,400 feet, with typical ground around 7,700 feet. The terrain is moderate and manageable — 54% gentle, 37% moderate, 8% steep, and 1% rugged. The National Forest portion is a mosaic of lodgepole pine timber and open grassland parks split by streams lined with willow and aspen. Lower foothills are predominantly sagebrush and grassland with scattered timber. The area is well-roaded, and the National Forest offers excellent motorized access; access to private land is difficult to secure. About 71% of the hunt area is publicly owned ground that a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land, and BLM — roughly 178 square miles. The remaining 29% is private, and pressure shifts dramatically once the season opens: elk move off public ground to private refuges where access is restricted or unavailable.

Hunting the public lands here is feasible in September and early October, when elk are still on the National Forest. The State of Wyoming provides access to 7,500 acres of State Trust Land on Bull Creek, though travel there is non-motorized. The Cloud Peak Wilderness lies within the hunt area; Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness. As the season progresses and hunting pressure increases, elk migrate to private holdings where they find refuge from hunters, and opportunity on public ground declines. The longer antlerless and cow/calf seasons extend into late fall and winter to provide hunting when and where elk become accessible again.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 35 (Hunter Mesa) 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 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – November 5
Type 1 · Antlerless elk
Regular November 15 – December 31
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – December 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid on private land
Regular August 15 – October 9
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid off national forest
Archery September 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – December 31
Type 9 · Any elk, archery only
Regular September 1 – September 30

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 9 — Any elk, archery only (September)

The September archery-only season runs through the rut onset and primary rut, when bull elk are increasingly vocal and responsive. September weather is generally mild, with highs near 63°F and lows near 38°F, and minimal snowfall, making foot travel and glassing feasible across most elevations. Access is excellent on the Bighorn National Forest, which is heavily roaded and provides motorized access to trailheads. Hunters with Type 9 licences are the only ones afield from September 1–15; other licence holders may join as archers from September 15–30. This licence allows any elk, so hunters can pursue bulls or cows as opportunity presents.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–November)

Elk are in the primary rut during the September 15–30 archery window, when bulls are at their most active and vulnerable to calling and stalking. October's rifle portion spans the late rut and early post-rut recovery phases, as bulls begin to back off their aggressive calling and shift to feeding; temperatures fall from near 50°F to the 40s, and snowfall can reach 4.8 inches, pushing elk onto higher ridges and into drainage systems. The Bighorn National Forest remains the primary access point, though roads may begin to show snow and require caution late in October. This any-elk hunt allows pursuit of bulls with visible antlers throughout both archery and rifle phases. By November, bulls are in full post-rut recovery and beginning to migrate to winter range; November highs drop to around 40°F and snowfall averages 6.5 inches. The any-elk licence remains valid, but hunting slows as temperature and snow increase.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (November–December)

By mid-November, elk are transitioning toward and entering winter range, with bulls in recovery and increasingly grouped with cows. November temperatures continue their decline toward 40°F highs and 18°F lows, with significant snowfall averaging 6.5 inches that month; December brings harder conditions with highs near 32°F, lows around 11°F, and 6.3 inches of snow. Access to the National Forest becomes more challenging as snow accumulates, though lower elevations remain more open. This licence allows antlerless elk — cows and calves — and is the season when herds concentrate on winter range and become more accessible on remaining open public ground. The antlerless restriction provides opportunity late in the season when other hunters have left and elk habit patterns stabilize.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

Archery hunting falls during the primary rut in mid-to-late September, when bulls are calling and responding to bugling and cow calls. Rifle hunting spans the late rut through winter range settlement, from the post-rut recovery phase in October through the full winter range occupation in December. October brings snow and cold to 50°F highs and 28°F lows with 4.8 inches of snowfall; November and December intensify that trend, with November at 40°F and 18°F lows plus 6.5 inches of snow, and December at 32°F and 11°F with 6.3 inches of snow. The Bighorn National Forest offers the most reliable access early in the season; as snow accumulates, lower-elevation public ground and accessible foothills become the focus. This antlerless licence allows cows and calves from September through the end of December, extending opportunity as conditions change and elk movements shift.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid on private land (August–October)

This hunt is valid on private land only, running through the pre-rut transition, rut onset, primary rut, and into the early post-rut phase from mid-August through early October. August is warm, with highs near 73°F and lows near 46°F and minimal snow; September cools to highs near 63°F with lows near 38°F and about 0.8 inches of snowfall; by early October highs fall to the 50s with lows near 28°F and snow approaching 4.8 inches. This season tests a hunter's ability to access private land, where elk increasingly shelter as public-land hunting pressure mounts. The licence allows cow or calf, not bulls, and is restricted to private property — access must be arranged before the hunt begins. This timing captures elk before their full migration to private refuge, making it useful for hunters who have secured private-land permission.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid off national… (September–December)

Archery hunting in mid-to-late September occurs during the primary rut, when bull and cow activity peaks; rifle hunting extends from early October through December, spanning post-rut recovery, the migration transition, and full winter range occupation. October weather transitions from mild early-month conditions near 50°F to late-month cold in the low 40s, with 4.8 inches of snow; November brings 40°F highs, 18°F lows, and 6.5 inches of snowfall; December settles into winter with 32°F highs, 11°F lows, and 6.3 inches of snow. This licence is valid off the Bighorn National Forest — on State Trust Land, BLM, and other non-National-Forest public ground — but not on National Forest itself. Access to these lower-elevation and foothills public lands improves as elk move there from higher forest ground in fall and winter, particularly as snow deepens in the mountains. The licence allows cow or calf, providing extended opportunity as herds consolidate into more accessible areas later in the season.

Land and access

National Forest64%

Generally open to public hunting

private land29%

Private

State Trust Land6%

Generally open to public hunting

About 71% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land and BLM, roughly 178 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 includes designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range54%

used in summer

Winter Range20%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range17%

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

Parturition Areas13%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range4%

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

Sagebrush60%

Grass and meadow19%

Other cover10%

Conifer8%

Riparian3%

Mid elevations

Conifer73%

Sagebrush13%

Grass and meadow11%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Conifer56%

Sagebrush39%

Other cover2%

Grass and meadow2%

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	33°F	11°F	6.9 in
February	33°F	11°F	8 in
March	42°F	18°F	9.1 in
April	47°F	24°F	9.6 in
May	55°F	33°F	1.3 in
June	65°F	41°F	0 in
July	74°F	48°F	0 in
August	73°F	46°F	0 in
September	63°F	38°F	0.8 in
October	50°F	28°F	4.8 in
November	40°F	18°F	6.5 in
December	32°F	11°F	6.3 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region licence to hunt area 35?: No. Hunt area 35 is a limited-quota area, drawn individually for both residents and nonresidents. A region licence is valid only in general-licence hunt areas and does not cover limited-quota areas.
What preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in this hunt area?: Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all. The resident elk draw is random, with no points required, banked, or considered. Preference points are a nonresident concept only.
What public land access works best here in September?: The Bighorn National Forest provides the best public access in September and early fall, with excellent motorized roads and trails. The State of Wyoming also enrolls 7,500 acres of Bull Creek property, though access there is non-motorized only. Once the season opens, elk increasingly move to private land, which is difficult for hunters to access.
Can a nonresident hunt the Cloud Peak Wilderness in this area alone?: No. Wyoming requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in designated wilderness. A nonresident hunting Cloud Peak must plan for a guide.
When do the archery and rifle seasons run here?: Type 9 archery-only runs September 1–30. Type 1 archery runs September 15–30, with regular hunting October 10–November 5. Type 4 archery runs September 15–30, with regular hunting October 10–December 31. Cow/calf archery on Type 7 runs September 15–30 with regular hunting off national forest October 10–December 31. Type 7 valid on private land runs August 15–October 9 (regular only).

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