Can a hunter take any elk on a general licence in hunt area 59?

Yes, a Wyoming resident with a general elk licence can hunt any elk in hunt area 59. A nonresident must draw a Region general licence to hunt here; that licence is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in region W and allows any elk. Several limited-quota seasons also run on the same ground and require a separate draw.

Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general-licence hunt in this area?

Nonresidents who draw a Region general licence compete in a pool where three quarters of the licences go by preference point rank, highest points first, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. Preference points therefore matter substantially for nonresidents. Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all; the resident elk draw is random.

How much of hunt area 59 is actually accessible to a hunter?

About 91 percent of the area is public land—roughly 358 square miles—where hunters can generally count on access. However, the steep terrain, limited road and trailhead systems, and significant wilderness designation mean that accessing elk outside the wilderness early in the season is challenging. Private inholdings and terrain still constrain where a hunter can reach.

What wilderness rules apply to nonresidents hunting here?

Hunt area 59 contains designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires any nonresident to be accompanied by either a licensed guide or a resident guide when hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt alone cannot legally hunt the wilderness portion of this area and should plan accordingly.

How do the elk seasons differ on this area?

Type 9 is archery-only in September during the rut onset and primary rut phases, when bulls are vocal and active. Type Gen runs archery in September (early rut) and regular rifle in October (late rut and post-rut recovery), allowing flexibility for different hunting styles. Type 1 spans archery in September (early rut) and rifle in November (migration transition), offering a long season for any elk. Type 6 and Type 7 are cow-or-calf-only hunts with different windows: Type 6 runs archery through rifle September–January, while Type 7 is archery in September or rifle in October–November within the Washakie Wilderness only.

Wyoming Hunt Area 59 (Boulder Basin) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

91%

Elevation

5,700–12,500 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 59 is high, steep, mountainous country laced with forests and drainages, with some open sagebrush slopes lower down. Elevations span 5,700 to 12,500 feet, with most ground around 9,400 feet. The terrain is genuinely rugged: 43 percent of the area is steep, 13 percent is in the steepest grade, and the mean slope runs 26.1 degrees. At lower elevations, sagebrush dominates but conifer forest covers roughly a third of the ground. Higher up, the forest thickens and sagebrush retreats, with substantial meadow and grass breaking the timber. Much of the country is designated wilderness, which adds to the challenge of access but also means less developed pressure on elk.

About 91 percent of the hunt area is public ground—National Forest, State Trust Land, and BLM—giving hunters a large foundation to work from. However, public ownership does not mean easy access. Roads and trailheads are limited by terrain and seasonal conditions, and private inholdings still create constraints. The Carter Mountain Hunter Management Area offers additional opportunity on private land, but entry requires a printed permission slip obtained in advance; enrollment is annual. Access overall is rated good by the agency, but the steep, forested country and significant wilderness combined mean that finding elk outside the designated wilderness early in the season can be difficult. Elk here are a mix of residents and migrants from Yellowstone National Park and the Thorofare country, so snow and weather drive how many animals move through the hunt area and when.

Hunt area 59 sits in Wyoming elk region W. The hunt area is a general-licence zone, so Wyoming residents purchase a standard general elk licence over the counter with no draw. Nonresidents must draw a Region general licence to hunt here, valid only across the general-licence hunt areas of region W. A nonresident who draws must also note that this hunt area includes designated wilderness: nonresidents are required by Wyoming law to be accompanied in wilderness by either a licensed guide or a resident guide, a requirement that shapes what nonresidents can pursue alone versus with hired help.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 59 (Boulder Basin) 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
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – January 15
Type 7 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid within the Washakie Wilderness
Regular October 1 – November 30
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 elk hunting in September catches the rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are actively seeking and elk move according to traditional breeding patterns. Early September often brings comfortable temperatures with highs near 57 degrees Fahrenheit and minimal snow, making foot travel and glassing productive. Weather cools through the month but remains generally clear, though precipitation picks up toward month's end. Access is open across public land, and hunters can use the full hunt area, but finding elk outside the wilderness early in the season can be demanding—many animals stay deep in the mountains. The archery tag allows any elk, giving hunters flexibility to pursue bulls or cows depending on what they encounter.

Type Gen — Any elk (September–October)

This hunt spans two distinct phases of elk behavior and weather. Archery hunting in September coincides with rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are bugling and elk are responsive to calls; early temperatures run around 57 degrees, and snow is light. The rifle season shifts to October, covering late rut and early post-rut recovery as bulls become less vocal and begin consolidating. October highs drop to 44 degrees and snowfall averages 9.6 inches, changing the character of both elk behavior and hunter mobility. Access remains open across public land, but as the rut winds and snow increases, finding elk outside the wilderness becomes somewhat easier, especially later in October. A general-licence hunter can take any elk and has the option to switch tactics between archery and rifle seasons.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–November)

This long any-elk season runs from archery in September through rifle in November, adapting to two major phases of elk movement and weather. In September, the rut onset and primary rut concentrate bulls, and highs near 57 degrees allow hunters to range widely on foot; snow is minimal. The rifle season starts November 1 as the rut ends and elk begin shifting toward winter range in response to cooling—highs fall to 33 degrees and snowfall increases markedly to 14.3 inches monthly. Early November hunting often requires dealing with fresh snow, but elk are more predictable as they settle into migration patterns. Access is open across public land throughout, though snow depth and weather will determine where a hunter can effectively hunt. Any elk may be taken, and the long window lets hunters adjust tactics and seasons to their schedule and conditions.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–January)

This cow-or-calf season runs through the archery phase (September rut onset and primary rut) and the entire rifle window from early October through mid-January, providing a flexible timeline for antlerless hunting. Archery in September begins when bulls are rutting but the hunt targets cows and calves; early-season conditions favor foot travel with highs around 57 degrees. When the rifle season opens in October, the rut is fading and cows become the focus; October brings 9.6 inches of snow monthly and temperatures dropping to 44 degrees highs, while late autumn and winter conditions intensify cold and snow (14.3 inches in November, 14.1 in January, with January highs near 27 degrees). Elk generally become easier to locate outside the wilderness once the rut ends and seasons progress. Hunters can pursue antlerless elk across the full hunt area and may adjust tactics and timing across the long window to match their circumstances.

Type 7 — Cow or calf (September)

This archery-only hunt targets cows and calves during the September rut onset and primary rut phases when bulls dominate the landscape and draw attention. Temperatures run highs around 57 degrees with minimal snowfall, supporting hunters who prefer to spot-and-stalk on foot across open and timbered ground. The rut creates opportunity to locate bands and smaller groups where cows are accessible, though as WGFD notes, finding elk outside the wilderness early in the season can be difficult. This tag allows only antlerless elk and is available across the full hunt area, giving archery hunters a September window without the pressure and competition of the longer seasons.

Type 7 — Cow or calf valid within the… (October–November)

This cow-or-calf rifle hunt is restricted to the Washakie Wilderness—a significant limitation—and runs from October through November as the rut ends and elk shift toward winter range. October temperatures drop to 44 degrees with 9.6 inches of monthly snowfall, while November highs fall to 33 degrees and snowfall reaches 14.3 inches, making travel increasingly demanding but weather-driven consolidation more predictable. Access to the wilderness requires that any nonresident hunter be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide under Wyoming law. Only cows and calves may be taken, and the hunt is valid only within the wilderness boundary—making this a specialized option suited to hunters who are prepared for wilderness hunting and can arrange proper accompaniment or have resident partners.

Land and access

National Forest91%

Generally open to public hunting

private land9%

Private

About 91% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land and BLM, roughly 358 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.

It also holds 1 Hunter Management Area. That is 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. 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 Range59%

used in summer

Winter Range24%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range22%

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

Yearlong Range17%

the only layer that means year-round use

Parturition Areas9%

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

Sagebrush59%

Conifer31%

Grass and meadow6%

Other cover3%

Riparian2%

Mid elevations

Conifer54%

Sagebrush34%

Grass and meadow11%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush39%

Conifer22%

Grass and meadow21%

Other cover18%

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	27°F	11°F	14.1 in
February	29°F	9°F	14.9 in
March	37°F	15°F	18.1 in
April	43°F	20°F	17.8 in
May	51°F	29°F	3.8 in
June	59°F	36°F	0 in
July	68°F	43°F	0 in
August	67°F	42°F	0 in
September	57°F	35°F	1.2 in
October	44°F	26°F	9.6 in
November	33°F	16°F	14.3 in
December	26°F	10°F	17.8 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter take any elk on a general licence in hunt area 59?: Yes, a Wyoming resident with a general elk licence can hunt any elk in hunt area 59. A nonresident must draw a Region general licence to hunt here; that licence is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in region W and allows any elk. Several limited-quota seasons also run on the same ground and require a separate draw.
Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general-licence hunt in this area?: Nonresidents who draw a Region general licence compete in a pool where three quarters of the licences go by preference point rank, highest points first, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. Preference points therefore matter substantially for nonresidents. Wyoming residents have no elk preference points at all; the resident elk draw is random.
How much of hunt area 59 is actually accessible to a hunter?: About 91 percent of the area is public land—roughly 358 square miles—where hunters can generally count on access. However, the steep terrain, limited road and trailhead systems, and significant wilderness designation mean that accessing elk outside the wilderness early in the season is challenging. Private inholdings and terrain still constrain where a hunter can reach.
What wilderness rules apply to nonresidents hunting here?: Hunt area 59 contains designated wilderness. Wyoming law requires any nonresident to be accompanied by either a licensed guide or a resident guide when hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt alone cannot legally hunt the wilderness portion of this area and should plan accordingly.
How do the elk seasons differ on this area?: Type 9 is archery-only in September during the rut onset and primary rut phases, when bulls are vocal and active. Type Gen runs archery in September (early rut) and regular rifle in October (late rut and post-rut recovery), allowing flexibility for different hunting styles. Type 1 spans archery in September (early rut) and rifle in November (migration transition), offering a long season for any elk. Type 6 and Type 7 are cow-or-calf-only hunts with different windows: Type 6 runs archery through rifle September–January, while Type 7 is archery in September or rifle in October–November within the Washakie Wilderness only.

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