Can a hunter use a region licence in hunt area 41?

No. Hunt area 41 is a limited-quota area that must be drawn individually by residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas within its region, never in a limited-quota hunt area like this one.

What preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in hunt area 41?

Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all. The resident elk draw for this hunt area is random, with no points system and no point cutoff. Preference points exist only for nonresidents, where three quarters of available licenses go to applicants ranked by points, and a quarter go to a random draw.

What happens if a nonresident wants to hunt designated wilderness in hunt area 41?

A nonresident is required by Wyoming law to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in the designated wilderness within this hunt area. A nonresident cannot hunt that ground alone.

What are the Type 3 and Type 7 seasons actually valid for in hunt area 41?

Type 3 and Type 7 are valid only off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek—they do not cover the entire hunt area. Hunters considering these limited-quota seasons should confirm they can access and hunt that specific zone before applying.

When do the different elk seasons run in hunt area 41?

Type 9 (archery only) runs September 1–30. Type 3 (any elk, off national forest north of Trapper Creek) runs September 1–October 14. Type 1 (any elk) runs October 15–November 4. Type 2 (any elk) runs November 5–20. Type 4 (antlerless elk) runs November 5–December 21. Type 6 (cow or calf) runs December 1–21. Type 7 (cow or calf, off national forest north of Trapper Creek) runs September 1–December 21.

Wyoming Hunt Area 41 (Medicine Lodge) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

87%

Elevation

3,800–11,500 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Hunt area 41 spans rolling sagebrush hills and flats across the Bighorn Basin alongside steep canyons and mountain country in the Bighorn Mountains proper, with ground ranging from 3,800 feet to 11,500 feet and a mean slope of 10.2 degrees. The terrain breaks into 61% gentle ground, 31% moderate, 6% steep, and 1% rugged. Lower elevations are dominated by sagebrush with meadow and grass openings, while foothills transition to mountain brush and curl-leaf mahogany, and conifers increase with elevation into the higher peaks. Hunting here is a mix of basin glassing and mountain foot work, and the sagebrush character of the lower country can mean long distances between cover.

About 87% of the area—roughly 583 square miles—is public ground a hunter can generally count on: BLM, National Forest, State Trust Land, and State Wildlife Areas. The remaining 13% is private. This public access is widespread throughout most of the hunt area, but roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still apply. The Spanish Point Hunter Management Area requires a printed permission slip from WGFD before hunting. The Big Horn County Walk-In Area 8 is open during its posted season and requires no permission. A nonresident hunting in the designated wilderness within this area must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide—a requirement that applies to no other ground here.

Elk hunting difficulty swings sharply with weather. When conditions are warm and dry, elk can be hard to locate across this terrain. If weather cools or storms arrive and forces elk to move to lower elevations, a significant portion may shift onto private land in the hunt area's northern end. Hunters pursuing the limited-quota Type 3 or Type 7 seasons—which are valid only off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek—should either secure private access before drawing or prepare for physically demanding hunts on public ground.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 41 (Medicine Lodge) 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 15 – November 4
Type 2 · Any elk
Regular November 5 – November 20
Type 3 · Any elk valid off national forest north of Trapper Creek
Regular September 1 – October 14
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Regular November 5 – December 21
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Regular December 1 – December 21
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Trapper Creek
Regular September 1 – December 21
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 1 — Any elk (October–November)

Type 1 hunting—any elk—starts October 15 and runs through November 4, opening in the late rut and early post-rut phase when bulls are beginning to separate and become more vulnerable to calling and stalking, then continuing into the post-rut recovery period when elk are scattered and less predictable. October temperatures average highs near 58 degrees Fahrenheit with about 1.3 inches of snow possible, easing into November's cooler regime with highs dropping to around 43 degrees and 2.6 inches of snowfall typical. Public access is widespread across the hunt area, though early-season success depends heavily on where elk have shifted with the changing weather. This season allows any elk—bulls, cows, or calves—and covers the entire hunt area.

Type 2 — Any elk (November)

Type 2 hunting—any elk—runs November 5–20, when elk are in the migration transition phase moving toward winter range and becoming more concentrated as they shift to lower ground. Temperatures drop further in November, with highs averaging 43 degrees and snowfall around 2.6 inches, conditions that accelerate elk movement and can push animals off the higher public ground onto lower private land in the hunt area's northern end. Access to public land remains widespread, but hunters should be prepared for the possibility that significant elk numbers have already transitioned to private ground by this date. This hunt allows any elk and covers the entire hunt area.

Type 3 — Any elk valid off national forest… (September–October)

Type 3 hunting—any elk valid off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek—opens September 1 and runs through October 14, spanning the rut onset phase and into the primary rut when bulls are actively calling and establishing dominance, then extending through the late rut as the peak breeding period winds down. September offers the warmest hunting with highs near 73 degrees and virtually no snow, but October cools rapidly with highs dropping to 58 degrees and 1.3 inches of snowfall possible, weather that can influence when elk move between higher and lower country. This season is restricted to ground off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek, a significant limitation that requires hunters to understand the boundary and have access secured before applying. The hunt allows any elk.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (November–December)

Type 4 hunting—antlerless elk only—runs November 5–December 21, opening during the migration transition phase and extending deep into the winter range period when elk concentrate on traditional wintering grounds. November brings highs around 43 degrees with 2.6 inches of typical snowfall, while December becomes winter proper with highs near 33 degrees and 4 inches of snow—conditions that concentrate elk and can shift animals to lower elevations and private land. Public access is available throughout the hunt area, but again the pressure of warm-weather seasons may have pushed significant numbers onto private ground by the time this season arrives. This hunt is limited to antlerless elk—cows and calves, not bulls—and covers the entire hunt area.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (December)

Type 6 hunting—cow or calf—runs December 1–21, taking place entirely within the winter range period when elk are on their primary wintering grounds and weather is cold and snow accumulation steady. December highs average 33 degrees with 4 inches of monthly snowfall, creating harsh conditions that hold elk in their winter concentration areas and can make them highly visible and vulnerable despite the difficult weather for hunters. Access to public land is available, though by December the distribution of elk between public and private ground reflects the entire season's pattern of movement and weather response. This hunt is limited to cows and calves, not bulls, and covers the entire hunt area.

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

Type 7 hunting—cow or calf valid off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek—runs September 1–December 21, the longest season on the area, spanning from rut onset through primary and late rut, post-rut recovery, migration transition, and finally winter range. This extended season tracks elk behavior across all phases: the September archery season begins with bulls in rut and temperatures mild near 73 degrees, October transitions to cooler highs near 58 degrees with 1.3 inches of snow, November descends to 43 degrees with 2.6 inches of snowfall as migration accelerates, and December settles into winter with highs near 33 degrees and 4 inches of snow. The hunt is restricted to ground off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek, a specific zone that hunters must understand and confirm access to before applying, and the longer season can include periods when elk have moved onto private land in the northern hunt area. This hunt allows cows and calves only, not bulls.

Type 9 — Any elk, archery only (September)

Type 9 hunting—any elk, archery only—runs September 1–30, coinciding with rut onset and the primary rut when bulls are calling and responding to bugles and competition. September temperatures average highs near 73 degrees with virtually no snow, providing long days and mild conditions ideal for calling and glassing, though the warm, dry weather of early season can also make elk difficult to locate if they have not yet concentrated. Access to public land is available throughout the hunt area, and the archery-only restriction adds a skill requirement that naturally limits pressure. This season allows any elk and covers the entire hunt area.

Land and access

BLM60%

Generally open to public hunting

National Forest21%

Generally open to public hunting

private land13%

Private

State Trust Land4%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 87% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — BLM, National Forest, State Trust Land and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 583 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 82% 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. It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. Both are 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. 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

Winter Range31%

used in winter

Summer Range23%

used in summer

Crucial Winter Range12%

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

Parturition Areas4%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

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

Sagebrush62%

Grass and meadow27%

Other cover9%

Riparian2%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush64%

Grass and meadow30%

Other cover3%

Conifer3%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush44%

Conifer36%

Grass and meadow20%

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	9°F	4.8 in
February	36°F	12°F	4.3 in
March	49°F	22°F	2.1 in
April	56°F	29°F	0.6 in
May	66°F	39°F	0 in
June	77°F	47°F	0 in
July	86°F	53°F	0 in
August	84°F	51°F	0 in
September	73°F	42°F	0 in
October	58°F	31°F	1.3 in
November	43°F	19°F	2.6 in
December	33°F	10°F	4 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region licence in hunt area 41?: No. Hunt area 41 is a limited-quota area that must be drawn individually by residents and nonresidents alike. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas within its region, never in a limited-quota hunt area like this one.
What preference points do Wyoming residents need for elk in hunt area 41?: Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all. The resident elk draw for this hunt area is random, with no points system and no point cutoff. Preference points exist only for nonresidents, where three quarters of available licenses go to applicants ranked by points, and a quarter go to a random draw.
What happens if a nonresident wants to hunt designated wilderness in hunt area 41?: A nonresident is required by Wyoming law to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide in the designated wilderness within this hunt area. A nonresident cannot hunt that ground alone.
What are the Type 3 and Type 7 seasons actually valid for in hunt area 41?: Type 3 and Type 7 are valid only off the National Forest north of Trapper Creek—they do not cover the entire hunt area. Hunters considering these limited-quota seasons should confirm they can access and hunt that specific zone before applying.
When do the different elk seasons run in hunt area 41?: Type 9 (archery only) runs September 1–30. Type 3 (any elk, off national forest north of Trapper Creek) runs September 1–October 14. Type 1 (any elk) runs October 15–November 4. Type 2 (any elk) runs November 5–20. Type 4 (antlerless elk) runs November 5–December 21. Type 6 (cow or calf) runs December 1–21. Type 7 (cow or calf, off national forest north of Trapper Creek) runs September 1–December 21.

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