Does a Wyoming resident need preference points to draw an elk licence for hunt area 54?

No. Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all, and the resident draw for hunt area 54 is random—there is no resident point cutoff for any hunt area in the state. Each resident applicant enters a random draw pool regardless of any prior applications.

When does the archery season run in hunt area 54?

The any-elk archery season runs September 1 through September 30. This early-season window comes as bulls transition into the rut and become more responsive to calling.

Can a hunter take a bull in the cow-or-calf seasons in hunt area 54?

The cow-or-calf seasons (October 1–31 and August 15–December 21 in the north and west) are antlerless only—a hunter with a cow-or-calf permit may take only a cow or calf, never a bull.

Wyoming Hunt Area 54 (Bald Ridge) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

66%

Elevation

4,000–12,200 ft

Terrain

Steep

Hunt area 54 is a mountainous landscape split between steep-sided drainages and open sagebrush basins, ranging from 4,000 feet in the lower valleys to 12,200 feet on the high ridges. The terrain runs steep overall—mean slope 14.7 degrees—with about 43% gentle ground, 37% moderate, 17% steep, and 3% rugged. Lower elevations are dominated by sagebrush with scattered riparian pockets; higher country mixes sagebrush with conifer stands. Foot travel is the standard in the steep drainages that cut through the hunt area, and elk hunters here spend more time on foot than on roads.

About 344 square miles of the hunt area is public ground—National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land—though roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still constrain where a hunter can actually get. The western portion contains the Park County Walk-In Area 4, which a hunter can access during its open period without permission. Private land makes up 31% of the area. Elk densities tend to be higher on private holdings than on adjacent public ground, so hunters who can arrange access to private land often find more opportunity. The Two Dot Ranch offers fee hunting for antlerless elk during seasons that allow cow or calf harvest.

The seasons here span from early September through November, with one long season that runs from mid-August through late December. Early-season archery (September) comes during the transition into the rut, when bulls are becoming vocal and responsive. October brings three separate seasons—two any-elk hunts divided by the Clark's Fork River and Wyoming Highway 120, and one cow-or-calf season. November is an any-elk hunt across the whole area. A year-round cow-or-calf season valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Highway 120 begins in August and runs through December, offering antlerless hunters a long window to work.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 54 (Bald Ridge) 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 valid south of the Clark's Fork River; also valid in Area 65
Regular October 1 – October 31
Type 2 · Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120
Regular October 1 – October 31
Type 3 · Any elk
Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Regular October 1 – October 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120; also valid within the North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage
Regular August 15 – December 21
Type 9 · Any elk, archery only; also valid in Area 65
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)

Archery hunters pursue elk during the transition into the rut, when bulls are beginning to bugle and respond to calls, giving bowhunters a genuine advantage in the early days of September. The weather starts warm—highs around 68 degrees, lows in the low 40s—and stays dry, with only 0.1 inches of snowfall typical for the month. Foot travel through the steep drainages is where most of the hunting happens, and public-land access in the western portion is available, though entry roads and trailheads require checking. This permit allows any bull or cow.

Type 1 — Any elk valid south of the Clark's… (October)

October opens three separate hunts, and the any-elk season south of the Clark's Fork River arrives as bulls are in the tail end of the rut and moving into recovery, making them less vocal but still concentrated. Temperatures drop steadily—highs fall from the mid-50s to the low 40s as the month advances—and snow begins: expect around 1.2 inches for October as a whole. Bulls are usually available on public lands, though densities tend higher on private ground. This hunt is valid only south of the river and does not extend to areas north of it.

Type 2 — Any elk valid north of the Clark's… (October)

The any-elk season north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 also begins in October, covering the post-rut period when bulls are recovering and less responsive. Weather tracks the calendar—cooling from the mid-50s to the low 40s, with snow averaging 1.2 inches through the month. Access to public land in the western portion remains available, though hunters need to respect the river and highway boundaries. This hunt applies only to the designated area and is not valid elsewhere in the hunt area.

Type 3 — Any elk (November)

November's any-elk hunt takes place during the migration transition phase, when elk movement shifts toward winter range. The month brings significant cooling and snow: highs average 41 degrees, lows 21, and snowfall totals around 3.6 inches, which can change how accessible the high country remains. Elk are on the move, and public-land hunters must be prepared for variable conditions and steeper terrain. This permit allows any bull or cow across the entire hunt area.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (October)

October's cow-or-calf season arrives during the post-rut period, when bulls are recovering and bulls' interest in cows fades. Weather cools through the month—highs dropping from the mid-50s toward the low 40s—and snow averages 1.2 inches. Hunters seeking antlerless elk can access public land in the western portion or pursue fee access on private holdings like the Two Dot Ranch, where opportunity for antlerless elk is often better. This permit allows only cow or calf, not bulls.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid north of the… (August–December)

The extended cow-or-calf season valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 spans from August 15 through December 21, running through multiple rut phases and into winter. Early autumn brings warm weather—highs around 78 degrees in August, dropping to the low 30s by December, while snowfall climbs from zero in August to 4.7 inches in December—so hunters must be ready for a full range of conditions. Foot travel in the steep drainages remains standard, and access works the same way for the entire season, though the later months may restrict travel at higher elevations. This permit allows only cow or calf in the designated area north of the river and west of Highway 120, plus within the North Fork of the Shoshone River drainage.

Land and access

National Forest42%

Generally open to public hunting

private land31%

Private

BLM19%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land5%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership3%

Ownership unclassified

About 66% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 344 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 60% 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.

Where elk are mapped

Winter Range50%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range42%

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

Parturition Areas23%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Summer Range21%

used in summer

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

Sagebrush80%

Other cover12%

Grass and meadow4%

Riparian4%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush79%

Conifer15%

Grass and meadow4%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush59%

Conifer34%

Grass and meadow5%

Other cover2%

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	34°F	14°F	4.2 in
February	36°F	14°F	5.5 in
March	45°F	22°F	2.6 in
April	51°F	28°F	1.7 in
May	60°F	37°F	0 in
June	70°F	44°F	0 in
July	79°F	51°F	0 in
August	78°F	49°F	0 in
September	68°F	41°F	0.1 in
October	54°F	31°F	1.2 in
November	41°F	21°F	3.6 in
December	33°F	14°F	4.7 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter in hunt area 54 use a region licence instead of drawing specifically for this area?: No. Hunt area 54 is a limited-quota area and requires a specific draw for this ground. A region licence is valid only in the general-licence areas of its region, never in a limited-quota area, so a hunter must draw a permit for hunt area 54 itself.
Does a Wyoming resident need preference points to draw an elk licence for hunt area 54?: No. Wyoming residents do not have elk preference points at all, and the resident draw for hunt area 54 is random—there is no resident point cutoff for any hunt area in the state. Each resident applicant enters a random draw pool regardless of any prior applications.
How much of hunt area 54 can a hunter dependably access on public land?: About 344 square miles of the area—roughly 66% of the total—is National Forest, BLM or State Trust Land. However, roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all affect actual entry, so this is the ground a hunter can generally count on, not guaranteed access everywhere.
When does the archery season run in hunt area 54?: The any-elk archery season runs September 1 through September 30. This early-season window comes as bulls transition into the rut and become more responsive to calling.
Can a hunter take a bull in the cow-or-calf seasons in hunt area 54?: The cow-or-calf seasons (October 1–31 and August 15–December 21 in the north and west) are antlerless only—a hunter with a cow-or-calf permit may take only a cow or calf, never a bull.

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