Can a hunter use a region license to hunt this area?

No. Hunt area 62 is a limited-quota area and requires a license drawn for this area specifically. A region license is valid only in general-license areas of that region and does not cover this ground.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in this hunt area?

Wyoming residents do not earn or use preference points for elk at all. The resident elk draw is random; there is no point cutoff for any Wyoming hunt area. Nonresidents, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of licenses go to applicants with the most preference points and a quarter to a random draw.

What does a hunter need to know about hunting in the wilderness within this area?

Designated wilderness lies within hunt area 62. Wyoming law requires any nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide while hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt this area should confirm whether their hunt will cross wilderness ground and arrange a guide accordingly.

How much of the area does a hunter actually have access to?

About 83 percent of hunt area 62 is public land (National Forest, state trust land, state wildlife areas and BLM) where hunting access is generally open, though roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still apply. The Pitchfork Hunter Management Area on private land is open by annual enrollment and requires printed permission. The remaining private ground is closed.

When do the seasons run in this hunt area?

Type 1 (any elk) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–21. Type 4 (antlerless elk) also runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–21. Type 5 (antlerless elk) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 22–December 21.

Wyoming Hunt Area 62 (South Greybull River) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

83%

Elevation

6,000–13,200 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Hunt area 62 spans rugged high country in and around the Shoshone National Forest, with elevations from 6,000 feet in the foothills to 13,200 feet in the alpine. Typical ground sits around 8,600 feet. The terrain grades rugged overall, with steep slopes making up roughly a third of the area; lower elevations are dominantly sagebrush foothill and grassland, while the mid and higher elevations transition to conifer forest and alpine meadow. The country is mountainous and demanding to cover on foot, and access requires careful planning.

About 83 percent of the area is public land a hunter can generally count on—National Forest, state trust land, state wildlife areas and BLM—roughly 212 square miles. The remaining 17 percent is private. The Shoshone National Forest holds good access for foot traffic and holds elk reliably through the seasons, though roads, trailheads and seasonal closures all apply. Designated wilderness within the area requires a nonresident to hunt with a licensed guide or a resident guide; that is a legal requirement any nonresident needs to know before planning a hunt here. The Pitchfork Hunter Management Area is private ground enrolled for hunting access, though permission is required annually and cannot be assumed. Outside these pockets, much ground is private and closed.

Type 1 and Type 4 licenses run a three-week window in October on public land, where most of the harvest concentrates. The Type 5 license extends the antlerless hunt from late October through December and shifts the focus to later-season elk movement and winter-range tactics. Archery hunting here benefits from good National Forest access and elk spread across the country early in the season.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 62 (South Greybull River) 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
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 21
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 21
Type 5 · Antlerless elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 22 – December 21

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 (September–October)

Early-season archery from September 1–30 coincides with the rut's onset and early primary phase, when bulls move actively and respond to calling. Early October's regular hunting (October 1–21) falls into the late rut and early post-rut recovery, when elk are still concentrated and somewhat predictable but growing wary as the season progresses. September weather is mild—highs near 57°F and lows around 35°F—making foot travel and glassing feasible, while October cools sharply, with highs dropping to around 43°F and lows to 25°F; snow begins to accumulate, averaging about 10 inches for the month and making higher ground increasingly difficult. National Forest access is good throughout; most harvest with Type 1 licenses occurs on National Forest public land. This hunt is for any elk—bulls or cows—and the archery phase relies on the rut to bring bulls within bow range.

Type 4 — Antlerless elk (September–October)

Antlerless elk hunting during the archery phase (September 1–30) and regular window (October 1–21) overlaps the rut's onset and early primary phase through the late rut and early post-rut period, following cow movement and taking advantage of bull activity to locate herds. September conditions are mild with temperatures around 57°F highs and 35°F lows, while October cools rapidly to highs near 43°F and lows near 25°F, with roughly 10 inches of snow accumulating through the month. Access is good on National Forest where most October harvest occurs; this timing allows hunters to target antlerless animals during the concentrated period when elk are most active and accessible. Type 4 licenses are limited to antlerless elk—cows and calves only—and do not allow bull harvest.

Type 5 — Antlerless elk (September–December)

Type 5 antlerless hunting spans archery (September 1–30) into a long regular window (October 22–December 21), covering the late rut through post-rut recovery, migration transition and deep winter. The archery phase (September 1–30) runs with mild weather—highs near 57°F, lows near 35°F—while the regular season extends through sharply colder months; October brings highs around 43°F and roughly 10 inches of snow, while December drops to highs near 26°F with about 9 inches of additional snow accumulation. This extended timeline allows hunters to adjust tactics as elk transition to winter range and settle into late-season patterns; the long season makes it possible to hunt when conditions and access align. The hunt is limited to antlerless elk—cows and calves.

Land and access

National Forest61%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land18%

Generally open to public hunting

private land17%

Private

State Wildlife Areas3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 83% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land, State Wildlife Areas and BLM, roughly 212 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 75% 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.

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

Winter Range59%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range34%

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

Summer Range31%

used in summer

Parturition Areas16%

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

Sagebrush77%

Other cover9%

Conifer8%

Riparian4%

Grass and meadow2%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush50%

Conifer44%

Grass and meadow5%

Other cover1%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush48%

Grass and meadow22%

Other cover22%

Conifer9%

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	28°F	10°F	7.1 in
February	29°F	9°F	10.3 in
March	37°F	15°F	13.3 in
April	42°F	20°F	18.4 in
May	50°F	29°F	5.6 in
June	59°F	36°F	0.1 in
July	68°F	43°F	0 in
August	66°F	42°F	0 in
September	57°F	35°F	1.8 in
October	43°F	25°F	10 in
November	32°F	16°F	10.1 in
December	26°F	9°F	9.3 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a region license to hunt this area?: No. Hunt area 62 is a limited-quota area and requires a license drawn for this area specifically. A region license is valid only in general-license areas of that region and does not cover this ground.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in this hunt area?: Wyoming residents do not earn or use preference points for elk at all. The resident elk draw is random; there is no point cutoff for any Wyoming hunt area. Nonresidents, however, compete in a draw where three quarters of licenses go to applicants with the most preference points and a quarter to a random draw.
What does a hunter need to know about hunting in the wilderness within this area?: Designated wilderness lies within hunt area 62. Wyoming law requires any nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide while hunting in designated wilderness. A nonresident planning to hunt this area should confirm whether their hunt will cross wilderness ground and arrange a guide accordingly.
How much of the area does a hunter actually have access to?: About 83 percent of hunt area 62 is public land (National Forest, state trust land, state wildlife areas and BLM) where hunting access is generally open, though roads, trailheads and seasonal closures still apply. The Pitchfork Hunter Management Area on private land is open by annual enrollment and requires printed permission. The remaining private ground is closed.
When do the seasons run in this hunt area?: Type 1 (any elk) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–21. Type 4 (antlerless elk) also runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–21. Type 5 (antlerless elk) runs archery September 1–30 and regular October 22–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