Can a hunter get into area 60 on foot?

The hunt area is steep, forested, and drained by deep canyon systems that make foot hunting impractical for most hunters. Horses or mules are the standard way to reach productive ground and to pack out an elk if one is taken.

How much of hunt area 60 is open to public hunting?

The entire 331 square miles is National Forest public land. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy or straightforward entry; access depends on finding usable trailheads and routes through private inholdings and seasonal closures that still apply.

Can a resident buy a general elk licence for area 60?

Yes. Residents can purchase a general elk licence over the counter in mid-July with no draw and no preference points involved, and that licence is valid in hunt area 60.

What do nonresidents need to hunt area 60?

Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence. That draw awards three quarters of licences by preference points (top-down by points held) and a quarter by random draw, so nonresident preference points are important. Most nonresidents hire outfitters to hunt this area, as the steep terrain and distance from access points make independent hunting difficult.

How do elk numbers shift through the season in area 60?

The area holds a mix of resident elk and migratory animals from the Yellowstone country. Snow and cold weather will move migratory herds in or out of the hunt area, so the number of elk present is not constant through the fall and depends significantly on weather patterns.

Wyoming Hunt Area 60 (Thorofare) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

100%

Elevation

7,800–12,200 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 60 is a high, mountainous country of steep drainages and dense forest that climbs from 7,800 feet to over 12,000 feet, with typical ground around 9,400 feet. The terrain runs steep—43% of it is moderately inclined and 29% steep—and the mix of cover changes with elevation: lower slopes hold conifer and sagebrush in equal measure with some riparian ground, mid-elevations shift toward denser conifer with sagebrush still prevalent, and the higher country opens to sagebrush and grass meadows. The entire area is National Forest, but public ownership here does not mean straightforward access; roads and trailheads require scouting, and the terrain itself is the real barrier to foot hunting.

Getting into this country successfully demands horses or mules—the steep, timbered drainages are nearly impossible to hunt without them. A resident can buy a general elk licence over the counter in mid-July and hunt the area on that licence. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to hunt here; that draw is not random—three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point pool, awarded top-down by points held, and a quarter go to a random draw—so nonresident preference points matter significantly. Most nonresidents hire outfitters for this area, as the terrain and distance from trailheads make independent access and packing elk out impractical. The area sits on a mix of resident and migratory elk range; severe weather will move migratory animals in or out, so hunter success fluctuates with snow and temperature rather than staying predictable through the season.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 60 (Thorofare) 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 19
Type Gen — general licence · Antlered elk
Regular September 20 – October 27
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 Gen — Any elk (September)

Archery hunting for any elk runs through September 1–19, opening as bulls transition from velvet into early rut. September weather averages highs near 55 degrees and lows in the low 30s, with about 1.6 inches of snow typical for the month, so conditions remain relatively mild early in the season. Access is available through the full period, though trailheads may still be wet. Hunters can take any elk on this licence, meaning cows and calves are legal alongside bulls.

Type Gen — Antlered elk (September–October)

The regular season for antlered elk extends from September 20 through October 27, covering the peak of the rut and its decline into early recovery. This long hunt spans two very different weather windows: September begins relatively warm but October turns sharply colder, with highs dropping from 55 degrees to 42 degrees and lows falling to the mid-20s, while October snowfall typically totals 12 inches. Early in the season elk remain concentrated and vocal in the rut; as it progresses and weather cools, animals may shift to winter range or move off the area entirely depending on snow. Only bulls with antlers are legal; cows and calves cannot be taken.

Type 9 — Any elk, archery only (September)

Archery for any elk runs September 1–30, opening in early rut and running through peak breeding. This season captures both the September mild-weather window (highs ~55 degrees, lows ~33 degrees, light snow) and the transition into early October cooling. Hunters can legally take any elk—bulls, cows and calves are all valid—but must use archery equipment only.

Land and access

National Forest100%

Generally open to public hunting

About 100% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, roughly 331 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

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 Range100%

used in summer

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

Conifer45%

Sagebrush45%

Riparian8%

Other cover2%

Mid elevations

Conifer49%

Sagebrush42%

Grass and meadow7%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush52%

Grass and meadow20%

Other cover18%

Conifer10%

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	24°F	7°F	39.6 in
February	27°F	7°F	36.6 in
March	35°F	12°F	36.2 in
April	41°F	18°F	25.1 in
May	49°F	27°F	6.8 in
June	56°F	34°F	0.8 in
July	65°F	41°F	0 in
August	64°F	40°F	0 in
September	55°F	33°F	1.6 in
October	42°F	23°F	12.1 in
November	30°F	13°F	33.9 in
December	22°F	6°F	44 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter get into area 60 on foot?: The hunt area is steep, forested, and drained by deep canyon systems that make foot hunting impractical for most hunters. Horses or mules are the standard way to reach productive ground and to pack out an elk if one is taken.
How much of hunt area 60 is open to public hunting?: The entire 331 square miles is National Forest public land. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy or straightforward entry; access depends on finding usable trailheads and routes through private inholdings and seasonal closures that still apply.
Can a resident buy a general elk licence for area 60?: Yes. Residents can purchase a general elk licence over the counter in mid-July with no draw and no preference points involved, and that licence is valid in hunt area 60.
What do nonresidents need to hunt area 60?: Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence. That draw awards three quarters of licences by preference points (top-down by points held) and a quarter by random draw, so nonresident preference points are important. Most nonresidents hire outfitters to hunt this area, as the steep terrain and distance from access points make independent hunting difficult.
How do elk numbers shift through the season in area 60?: The area holds a mix of resident elk and migratory animals from the Yellowstone country. Snow and cold weather will move migratory herds in or out of the hunt area, so the number of elk present is not constant through the fall and depends significantly on weather patterns.

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