Can a hunter use a general elk licence to hunt area 36?

A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter with no draw or points required. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to hunt here on general rules; that licence is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region only.

What land restriction applies to the general licence hunt here?

The general licence allows hunting of antlered elk on the Bighorn National Forest and any elk off national forest. Hunters on a general licence cannot hunt antlered elk on private land or state ground in this hunt area. Limited-quota drawn seasons offer broader animal options and area access for those who draw them.

When does the archery season run in area 36?

Type 9 archery hunting runs September 1–September 30 for any elk. Once the general licence season opens in October, hunters holding archery tags for other licence types can also hunt during the archery windows: September 15–September 30 for Type Gen, Type 4, and Type 6 cow-or-calf hunts valid area-wide.

How much of area 36 can a hunter walk onto without asking permission?

About 67% of the hunt area is public land—roughly 141 square miles of national forest, state trust land and state wildlife areas. The Johnson County Walk-In Area 11 allows entry without permission during its open period. Motorized access on the national forest is limited, and trails are unimproved, favoring hunters on foot.

Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general licence for area 36?

Nonresidents applying for a Region W general licence compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by preference points, with the remaining quarter awarded randomly. A nonresident without points is not shut out but faces longer odds; preference points significantly improve draw success.

Wyoming Hunt Area 36 (Rock Creek) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

67%

Elevation

4,600–12,900 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Elk region

Hunt area 36 spreads across 209 square miles from the higher elevations of the Bighorn Mountains down through the foothills to sagebrush grassland. The national forest portion is heavily timbered with lodgepole pine and scattered grassy openings; the foothills below it transition to grassland and sagebrush with patches of timber. Terrain is moderate overall, with 49% gentle ground and 41% moderate slopes. Elevation runs from 4,600 feet up to 12,900 feet, with typical country around 6,900 feet. Lower elevations are dominated by sagebrush, grass and meadow; mid elevations mix conifer and sagebrush; the higher reaches turn heavily to conifer.

About 67% of the area is public land a hunter can dependably reach—roughly 141 square miles of national forest, state trust land and state wildlife areas. Private land makes up 32% of the hunt area. Roads and trailheads on the national forest are limited, and motorized access to the interior is constrained; the unimproved trail network and backcountry opportunity mean hunters willing to go on foot can find space away from the main access corridors. The Johnson County Walk-In Area 11 sits within the hunt area boundaries. Nonresidents hunting the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide, as Wyoming law requires.

The general licence hunt here faces a land restriction: antlered elk are valid only on national forest; any elk off national forest. Limited-quota drawn seasons offer cow-or-calf or any-elk tags with broader area access. Early archery (Type 9) opens September 1–15 before the general season begins; once the general licence opens in October, additional hunters enter the field, creating substantial density at the main access points. Late-season hunts switch to antlerless-only tags, drawing fewer hunters. October snowfall can reach 3 inches monthly and temperatures cool steadily; November brings heavier snow and significantly colder conditions.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 36 (Rock Creek) 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 W, 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 · Antlered elk valid on national forest; any elk off national forest
Archery September 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – November 5
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – December 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Rock Creek
Regular October 1 – October 9
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid in the entire area
Archery September 15 – September 30Regular October 10 – November 5
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 Gen — Antlered elk valid on national forest; any elk off national forest (September–November)

General-licence hunters during the archery phase (September 15–30) find elk in the early primary rut. Temperatures are mild, averaging highs near 68°F, with minimal snow. Archery access to the national forest runs into the constraints that define this area: motorized entry is limited and trails unimproved, but backcountry opportunity rewards hunters willing to move on foot. A general licence here allows antlered elk on national forest only; any elk off national forest—a meaningful restriction that leaves private ground unavailable for antlered bulls.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

The main general-licence season (October 10–November 5) runs through the late rut and early post-rut, then into post-rut recovery and fall migration. Temperatures drop from the mid-50s in October to the low 40s in November; October snowfall averages 3 inches monthly, climbing to nearly 6 inches in November. This period coincides with heavy hunter pressure. Motorized access remains limited, and hunters compete for the main access points, though backcountry routes spread the pressure. The general licence's antlered-elk restriction on national forest and its any-elk allowance off it shape where a hunter concentrates effort—a narrower option than the drawn cow-or-calf or any-elk seasons offer on the same ground.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid off national… (October)

Hunters holding Type 6 tags valid only off national forest north of Rock Creek during the October 1–9 window hunt the tail end of the late rut. Early October weather brings highs around 54°F and lows in the upper 20s, with roughly 3 inches of snow typical for the month. This hunt targets cow or calf only, with an area restriction: the animal is not valid on national forest or south of Rock Creek, meaningfully concentrating the hunt. Pressure is lower than the general season.

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

The Type 6 hunt valid across the entire area spans both archery and regular seasons (archery September 15–30, regular October 10–November 5). During the archery window, elk are in the primary rut and temperatures remain mild; the regular season overlaps the late rut, post-rut recovery and migration period as temperatures cool from the 50s to the low 40s and snow accumulation increases through October and November. This drawn hunt allows cow or calf, with no land restriction—it reaches national forest and off-forest ground alike, offering broader area access than the general licence.

Type 9 — Any elk, archery only (September)

Type 9 archery hunting (September 1–30) opens earliest and catches the rut from its onset through the primary phase, when elk are actively moving and calling. September temperatures are mild, averaging highs near 68°F with virtually no snow, making conditions pleasant and archery-friendly. This hunt is any elk, archery only, and is typically the least crowded season on the area. Motorized access limitations mean the main access points are still the focus, but fewer hunters pursue this tag, and nonmotorized hunters find the best opportunity to reach backcountry.

Land and access

National Forest53%

Generally open to public hunting

private land32%

Private

State Trust Land8%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas6%

Generally open to public hunting

About 67% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 141 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.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 80% public land for this hunt area. That counts public ownership; the figure above counts ground a hunter can depend on getting onto. They answer different questions, so both are shown rather than blended.

This hunt area has 1 enrolled walk-in area. 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.

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 Range47%

used in summer

Winter Range21%

used in winter

Parturition Areas12%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range11%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range10%

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

Sagebrush52%

Grass and meadow23%

Other cover18%

Riparian5%

Aspen1%

Mid elevations

Conifer45%

Sagebrush35%

Grass and meadow18%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer78%

Sagebrush18%

Grass and meadow3%

Other cover1%

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	35°F	12°F	7.9 in
February	36°F	12°F	8.8 in
March	45°F	20°F	7.6 in
April	51°F	26°F	5.4 in
May	59°F	36°F	0 in
June	69°F	44°F	0 in
July	79°F	50°F	0 in
August	78°F	49°F	0 in
September	68°F	40°F	0.1 in
October	54°F	29°F	3 in
November	43°F	19°F	5.8 in
December	34°F	12°F	7.9 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a general elk licence to hunt area 36?: A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter with no draw or points required. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to hunt here on general rules; that licence is valid across the general-licence hunt areas of that region only.
What land restriction applies to the general licence hunt here?: The general licence allows hunting of antlered elk on the Bighorn National Forest and any elk off national forest. Hunters on a general licence cannot hunt antlered elk on private land or state ground in this hunt area. Limited-quota drawn seasons offer broader animal options and area access for those who draw them.
When does the archery season run in area 36?: Type 9 archery hunting runs September 1–September 30 for any elk. Once the general licence season opens in October, hunters holding archery tags for other licence types can also hunt during the archery windows: September 15–September 30 for Type Gen, Type 4, and Type 6 cow-or-calf hunts valid area-wide.
How much of area 36 can a hunter walk onto without asking permission?: About 67% of the hunt area is public land—roughly 141 square miles of national forest, state trust land and state wildlife areas. The Johnson County Walk-In Area 11 allows entry without permission during its open period. Motorized access on the national forest is limited, and trails are unimproved, favoring hunters on foot.
Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general licence for area 36?: Nonresidents applying for a Region W general licence compete in a draw where three quarters of the licences go to applicants ranked by preference points, with the remaining quarter awarded randomly. A nonresident without points is not shut out but faces longer odds; preference points significantly improve draw success.

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