Can a hunter on a nonresident general licence hunt area 56?

A nonresident cannot buy a general elk licence in Wyoming. A nonresident wanting to hunt area 56 under a general licence must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid in this hunt area and throughout the general-licence hunt areas of the region.

Does a nonresident elk draw in Wyoming work on a points system?

Wyoming's nonresident elk draw divides available licences so that three quarters go to the preference-point draw, awarded to applicants with the most points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool. A nonresident wanting to improve odds should build points, but preference points do not guarantee a tag.

What must a nonresident do to hunt the wilderness in area 56?

Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide when hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident cannot legally hunt the wilderness alone and must arrange professional or resident accompaniment before the hunt.

When are early-season elk most likely to be found outside the wilderness here?

Early-season hunts (September archery) typically find elk difficult to locate outside the wilderness, since most animals are migratory and snow has not yet driven them from higher ground. Antlerless hunts later in the fall and through winter are more likely to have elk available on accessible ground outside the wilderness.

Wyoming Hunt Area 56 (Wapiti Ridge) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

86%

Elevation

5,400–12,200 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 56 is a high-country mountainous terrain cut by steep drainages, ranging from 5,400 feet to 12,200 feet with typical elevations around 8,100 feet. The terrain averages 23.2 degrees of slope and is graded rugged overall, with 40% steep ground and only 18% gentle. At lower elevations, sagebrush dominates; at mid elevations, conifer forest takes over; at higher elevations the country opens into a mixed landscape of sagebrush, conifer, and grass. Recent wildfires have burned nearly 12,400 acres across the area in the last two years, creating pockets of new vegetation. The terrain is substantially forested, and hunting outside of the designated wilderness without horses or pack animals presents real difficulty.

Roughly 86% of the area—about 408 square miles—is public land: National Forest, BLM, and State Trust Land. Private ground makes up 12% and is largely inaccessible to hunters. Access to public land is generally available but still subject to roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures. Park County Walk-In Area 18 opens during its posted season without requiring permission. Bear Creek Hunter Management Area provides limited access for antlerless harvest, though it requires a printed permission slip before hunting. A nonresident hunting in the designated wilderness here must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide by Wyoming law.

The elk population on this hunt area moves substantially with snow and weather: most animals are migratory, shifting in and out from higher elevations and adjacent country as conditions drive them. Early in the season, finding elk outside the wilderness is very difficult, which creates a major challenge for nonresidents hunting without an outfitter. Later seasons, particularly those hunting antlerless elk, may see animals available on more accessible ground outside the wilderness. This weather-driven dynamic shapes which seasons offer realistic opportunities for a hunter on foot without pack stock.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 56 (Wapiti Ridge) 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 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 21
Type 1 · Any elk; also valid in Area 55
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 5 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 21
Type 7 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid off national forest
Regular September 1 – December 21
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid off national forest south of the North Fork of the Shoshone River
Regular January 1 – January 15
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)

Archery-only hunting in September reaches elk during rut onset and the primary rut, when bulls are actively calling and seeking cows across high country and drainages. September weather brings highs around 62°F and lows around 38°F, with light snowfall averaging 0.5 inches for the month, so conditions remain relatively benign for foot travel. However, most elk here are migratory, and finding them outside the wilderness is extremely difficult early in the season without horses or pack animals. This hunt is open to any elk and requires a Type 9 licence.

Type Gen — Any elk (September–October)

This hunt runs archery in September and rifle in October, spanning the transition from rut onset and primary rut into the early post-rut phase. September archery conditions are mild (highs ~62°F, lows ~38°F, minimal snow), while October rifle hunting faces cooling temperatures (highs ~48°F, lows ~29°F) and increasing snow to around 5.1 inches for the month—conditions that typically trigger elk movement. A nonresident hunter here must draw a Region W general licence to participate. Early archery success depends on hunting at higher elevations or in wilderness, where most animals concentrate before weather pushes them down. Any elk may be taken under this licence.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–November)

Archery runs September through early October during rut onset and primary rut, then rifle hunting extends into late November during migration transition—a span covering the pre-rut movement and the later migration of animals down to winter grounds. September archery occurs in mild weather (highs ~62°F, lows ~38°F), while October rifle continues in cooling conditions with around 5.1 inches of snowfall, and November rifle (highs ~36°F, lows ~20°F, ~15.3 inches of snow) sees heavier precipitation and cold that typically accelerates elk movement from high country. Type 1 is also valid in adjacent hunt area 55. Early archery focuses on higher country and wilderness; November hunting occurs during migration transition but elk remain weather-dependent. Any elk may be harvested under this licence.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–December)

Archery in September coincides with rut onset and primary rut among cows and calves, while rifle hunting extends from October through late December, spanning the late-rut and early post-rut phases, recovery, migration transition, and into winter range. September archery conditions are favorable (highs ~62°F, lows ~38°F, minimal snow), but October through December grow progressively colder and snowier—October around 5.1 inches, November around 15.3 inches, and December around 20.5 inches—pushing animals through elevation changes. Antlerless elk become more accessible outside the wilderness as the season progresses and animals redistribute to winter grounds, making later rifle seasons more feasible for hunters without pack stock. This hunt allows only cows and calves.

Type 7 — Cow or calf (September)

September archery for antlerless elk runs during rut onset and primary rut, reaching cows and calves in high-country and wilderness terrain where they concentrate before snow moves them. September conditions are mild (highs ~62°F, lows ~38°F, ~0.5 inches snowfall), but as with other early seasons, finding antlerless elk outside the wilderness during this phase is very challenging without horses or extensive backcountry access. This hunt is archery only and allows only cows and calves.

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

This hunt is valid only off national forest and allows antlerless elk, running from September archery through December rifle. Archery in September opens during rut onset and primary rut (highs ~62°F, lows ~38°F, minimal snow), while rifle continues through late December as the rut ends and animals move toward winter range, with October at 5.1 inches of snow, November at 15.3 inches, and December at 20.5 inches. The off-national-forest restriction limits this hunt to private land and non-national-forest public ground—predominantly lower-elevation terrain where antlerless elk may concentrate later in the season as animals redistribute. Hunters should verify which ground qualifies before selecting this licence. Only cows and calves may be taken.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid off national… (January)

This hunt is valid only off national forest south of the North Fork of the Shoshone River and runs January through mid-month, occurring as elk occupy winter range. January weather is cold (highs ~30°F, lows ~13°F) with heavy snowfall averaging 18.3 inches, conditions that can either concentrate animals on accessible lower ground or create difficult travel depending on snowpack. The geographic and seasonal restriction targets antlerless elk in a specific lower-elevation corridor during deep winter. Only cows and calves may be harvested under this licence.

Land and access

National Forest78%

Generally open to public hunting

private land12%

Private

BLM7%

Generally open to public hunting

unclassified ownership2%

Ownership unclassified

State Trust Land2%

Generally open to public hunting

About 86% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 408 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 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

Parturition Areas54%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Summer Range48%

used in summer

Winter Range48%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range36%

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

Yearlong Range9%

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

Sagebrush64%

Conifer19%

Other cover9%

Grass and meadow8%

Mid elevations

Conifer60%

Sagebrush36%

Grass and meadow4%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush37%

Conifer36%

Other cover14%

Grass and meadow13%

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	30°F	13°F	18.3 in
February	32°F	13°F	17 in
March	40°F	19°F	14.7 in
April	46°F	24°F	10.1 in
May	55°F	32°F	1.2 in
June	63°F	39°F	0 in
July	73°F	46°F	0 in
August	72°F	45°F	0 in
September	62°F	38°F	0.5 in
October	48°F	29°F	5.1 in
November	36°F	20°F	15.3 in
December	29°F	13°F	20.5 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter on a nonresident general licence hunt area 56?: A nonresident cannot buy a general elk licence in Wyoming. A nonresident wanting to hunt area 56 under a general licence must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid in this hunt area and throughout the general-licence hunt areas of the region.
Does a nonresident elk draw in Wyoming work on a points system?: Wyoming's nonresident elk draw divides available licences so that three quarters go to the preference-point draw, awarded to applicants with the most points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool. A nonresident wanting to improve odds should build points, but preference points do not guarantee a tag.
What must a nonresident do to hunt the wilderness in area 56?: Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide when hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident cannot legally hunt the wilderness alone and must arrange professional or resident accompaniment before the hunt.
How much public ground can a hunter count on in area 56?: Roughly 86% of the area is public land—National Forest, BLM, and State Trust Land—but public ownership does not guarantee easy entry. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all restrict where a hunter can actually reach, and access conditions should be confirmed before the season.
When are early-season elk most likely to be found outside the wilderness here?: Early-season hunts (September archery) typically find elk difficult to locate outside the wilderness, since most animals are migratory and snow has not yet driven them from higher ground. Antlerless hunts later in the fall and through winter are more likely to have elk available on accessible ground outside the wilderness.

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