Can a hunter draw this area on a region licence?

No. Hunt area 38 is a limited-quota area drawn specifically for this ground. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region and does not cover hunt area 38.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 38 elk licences?

No. Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points. The resident elk draw for hunt area 38 is random, with no points system at all. Nonresidents do compete on preference points—three quarters of nonresident licences go to the points draw, with the highest-point applicants awarded first.

When does early-season access typically close on hunt area 38?

Early snows can close key roads unpredictably throughout September and October. A hunter should check Bighorn National Forest travel conditions close to the season and expect access to vary week to week.

What private land is available to hunt on this area?

Access to private land is limited. Much of it is available only through outfitters. A hunter planning to hunt private ground should contact landowners or outfitters well before the season.

Can a hunter archery hunt and regular rifle hunt in the same season on hunt area 38?

Yes, but only on the September archery season (Type 9) and the October any-elk season (Type 1). A hunter must draw the correct licence for each hunt they plan.

Wyoming Hunt Area 38 (Tongue) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

79%

Elevation

3,800–10,300 ft

Terrain

Steep

Hunt area 38 spans 564 square miles across the Bighorn Mountains, from 3,800 feet in the foothills to 10,300 feet in the high country, with typical ground around 7,800 feet. The terrain is predominantly gentle to moderate—47% gentle and 38% moderate slopes—but steep terrain makes up 14% and a hunter on foot will encounter it. The lower elevations hold open grassland and sagebrush mixed with scattered conifers, while the mid and higher elevations transition to dense lodgepole pine and mixed conifer forest interspersed with mountain meadows and parks. Elk occupy the full span from high basins down to foothills benches, and the season a hunter draws determines which elevation bands hold the most concentrated animals.

Public land—primarily the Bighorn National Forest, plus State Wildlife Areas, State Trust Land and BLM—covers about 445 square miles, roughly 79% of the hunt area. Private land makes up the remaining 21%, often in the foothills and along the mountain face. Roads and trailheads on National Forest land provide access, and two state wildlife habitat management areas—Amsden Creek near Dayton and Kerns near the Wyoming-Montana border—offer additional entry points. However, early-season snowfall regularly closes key mountain roads and cuts off large portions of the area, unpredictably narrowing the hunting ground available in September and early October. A hunter planning this area should check current National Forest travel conditions before the season and be prepared for access to shift as snow accumulates.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 38 (Tongue) 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
Regular October 10 – October 31
Type 1 · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – November 15
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Regular October 1 – November 15
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid off national forest and off the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission’s Amsden Creek and Kerns Wildlife Habitat Management Areas
Regular September 15 – 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 season overlaps the rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are increasingly vocal and responding to calls. September temperatures run from highs near 59°F to lows around 40°F, and snowfall averages less than an inch, so the weather favors early-morning and evening hunts at high and mid elevations where bulls concentrate. Access via National Forest roads is usually open early in the month but may close as snows arrive, forcing hunters to adjust their planned country. This hunt allows any elk, and a hunter must draw the Type 9 archery-only licence specifically.

Type 1 — Any elk (October)

October any-elk hunting spans the late rut and early post-rut as bulls move toward recovery, then the post-rut itself, when they begin drifting toward winter ground. High temperatures drop to the mid-40s Fahrenheit by late October and lows fall to around 29°F; snowfall increases markedly to an average of 10.2 inches for the month, and snow-packed trails and closed roads can significantly limit access to higher elevations. Early October can still offer fair conditions, but a hunter planning late October needs to anticipate that large portions of the area may become unreachable. This hunt allows any elk and requires the Type 1 any-elk licence.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (November)

November antlerless hunting falls during the migration transition, as elk move toward winter range and concentrate on lower foothills and open ground. Early November can still see moderate snow, but temperatures drop further—highs near 35°F and lows around 19°F—with an average of 12 inches of snow for the month. Hunting pressure typically decreases sharply from October, and access to lower elevations is more reliable than earlier in the season. This hunt is restricted to antlerless elk and requires the Type 1 antlerless licence.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (October–November)

The October–November antlerless season runs from the late rut through early post-rut recovery and into the migration transition, offering a long window as elk behavior shifts from rut to movement toward winter ground. October brings moderate snow and temperatures dropping from the mid-40s to the high 30s, while November transitions to sustained cold with lows around 19°F and heavy snow averaging 12 inches; the extended window lets a hunter target either early October's concentrations or late-season movements to lower elevations as conditions permit. Access early in the season may be limited by snow at higher elevations, but lower-ground hunting becomes more viable as the season progresses. This hunt allows only antlerless elk and requires the Type 4 licence.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid off national… (September–December)

The September–December cow-or-calf season spans rut onset through winter range, beginning during the primary rut in September and extending into cold, snowy December as elk settle onto winter ground—a long option that lets a hunter target early-season bulls or late-season cow-calf groups depending on draw success. Temperatures cool from September highs near 59°F to December lows around 13°F, and snowfall accumulates from under an inch in September to an average of 13.9 inches by December. Critically, this hunt is not valid on the Bighorn National Forest or on the Amsden Creek and Kerns wildlife habitat management areas, restricting it to private land and other ground outside those boundaries. Access requires prior arrangement with private landowners, and the restriction narrows available hunting ground significantly. This hunt allows only cow or calf and requires the Type 6 licence.

Land and access

National Forest74%

Generally open to public hunting

private land21%

Private

State Wildlife Areas2%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land2%

Generally open to public hunting

About 79% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas, State Trust Land and BLM, roughly 445 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.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range63%

used in summer

Parturition Areas17%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Winter Range7%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range4%

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

Yearlong Range3%

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

Grass and meadow41%

Sagebrush21%

Conifer17%

Other cover11%

Riparian6%

Aspen4%

Mid elevations

Conifer70%

Sagebrush15%

Grass and meadow12%

Other cover1%

Aspen1%

Higher elevations

Conifer61%

Sagebrush19%

Grass and meadow19%

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	29°F	13°F	14.8 in
February	29°F	12°F	14.7 in
March	37°F	18°F	16.5 in
April	43°F	24°F	16 in
May	51°F	33°F	2.7 in
June	61°F	41°F	0 in
July	70°F	49°F	0 in
August	70°F	48°F	0 in
September	59°F	40°F	0.8 in
October	46°F	29°F	10.2 in
November	35°F	19°F	12 in
December	28°F	13°F	13.9 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter draw this area on a region licence?: No. Hunt area 38 is a limited-quota area drawn specifically for this ground. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region and does not cover hunt area 38.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points to draw hunt area 38 elk licences?: No. Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points. The resident elk draw for hunt area 38 is random, with no points system at all. Nonresidents do compete on preference points—three quarters of nonresident licences go to the points draw, with the highest-point applicants awarded first.
When does early-season access typically close on hunt area 38?: Early snows can close key roads unpredictably throughout September and October. A hunter should check Bighorn National Forest travel conditions close to the season and expect access to vary week to week.
What private land is available to hunt on this area?: Access to private land is limited. Much of it is available only through outfitters. A hunter planning to hunt private ground should contact landowners or outfitters well before the season.
Can a hunter archery hunt and regular rifle hunt in the same season on hunt area 38?: Yes, but only on the September archery season (Type 9) and the October any-elk season (Type 1). A hunter must draw the correct licence for each hunt they plan.

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