Can a hunter use a general elk licence in hunt area 78?

A Wyoming resident can buy a general elk licence over the counter and hunt the general-licence seasons in this area with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to access the general-licence hunts here; within that draw, three quarters of the licences are awarded by preference points (highest first) and a quarter by random draw.

Which seasons in hunt area 78 are open to any elk versus cow and calf only?

Type Gen and Type 1 and Type 2 hunts are any-elk seasons, though with area or land-type restrictions. Type 6 hunts are cow or calf only. The Type Gen any-elk hunt is restricted to private land, while Type 1 and Type 2 any-elk hunts reach the entire area or off-national-forest ground respectively. Type 6 cow-or-calf hunts run area-wide or off-national-forest depending on the season.

How much of hunt area 78 is dependably open to public access?

About 36% of the area—roughly 26 square miles—is public ground (National Forest, State Trust Land, and BLM) that a hunter can generally count on. The remaining 63% is private land, where access is severely limited and most landowners do not allow hunting. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings still apply to public land; public ownership alone does not guarantee entry.

What is the National Elk Refuge access rule in hunt area 78?

The National Elk Refuge is enrolled as a Hunter Management Area. A printed permission slip from Wyoming Game and Fish is required before hunting there. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so a hunter should verify current status before planning a hunt.

When do the early-season hunts in hunt area 78 start?

Archery seasons for any-elk and cow-or-calf hunts begin September 1. Type 1 and Type 2 any-elk regular seasons on private land and off-national-forest ground start August 15, as does the Type Gen antlerless hunt on private land. Type 6 cow-or-calf regular seasons off national forest also begin August 15.

Wyoming Hunt Area 78 (Wilson) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

36%

Elevation

6,100–10,900 ft

Terrain

Moderate

Elk region

Hunt area 78 is dominated by private land, with steep sagebrush and grass hillsides, agricultural ground, and riparian forests along the Snake and Gros Ventre Rivers rising toward mixed conifer and aspen at higher elevations. About 36% of the area—roughly 26 square miles—is public ground a hunter can generally count on, mostly National Forest on the western side; the remaining 63% is private. The country runs from 6,100 feet at its lowest to over 10,900 feet, with moderate overall slope averaging 12.1 degrees. The western public lands include forest trails, alpine and subalpine meadows, and active recreation pressure from mountain bikers and hikers, which makes hunting there difficult and narrows where elk concentrate.

Private land is where most elk spend spring, summer, and fall before migrating to the National Elk Refuge for winter. Access to that private ground is severely limited—most landowners do not allow hunting, and those who do typically cap their numbers and often charge fees. Securing written permission before applying is essential, not optional. Public access on the western National Forest side is fair to good in terms of roads and trailheads, but elk densities there are relatively low and the recreation pressure complicates hunting. Grizzly bear densities are moderate on the public lands, and a hunter should be prepared for encounters.

The area sits in region W for licensing purposes. A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter with no draw and no points involved. A nonresident must draw a Region general licence to hunt the general-licence seasons; within the nonresident draw, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point pool (awarded by points, highest first) and a quarter to a random pool. Limited-quota Type 1, Type 2, and Type 6 hunts are drawn separately and have their own point requirements for nonresidents.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 78 (Wilson) 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 · Antlerless elk valid on private land
Regular August 15 – October 31
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 25
Type 1 · Any elk valid off national forest
Regular August 15 – September 25
Type 1 · Any elk valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 25Regular September 26 – January 31
Type 2 · Any elk valid on private land
Regular August 15 – October 31
Type 2 · Any elk valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 25
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid off national forest
Regular August 15 – September 25
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid in the entire area
Archery September 1 – September 25Regular September 26 – January 31

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 6 — Cow or calf valid in the entire area (September–January)

Archery hunting for cow and calf across the entire area runs September 1–25, during rut onset and the primary rut when bulls are bugles and cows are moving in response. Temperatures start around 70 degrees and cool gradually through the month. Most elk are still on private land, and access there is restrictive and often requires paid permission; some cows and calves use the western public lands, where trails and recreation pressure make hunting competitive. This hunt allows only cow and calf, regardless of what passes through.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk valid on private land (August–October)

The general-licence antlerless hunt on private land runs August 15–October 31 under a region W general licence (nonresidents draw, residents buy over the counter). Hunting spans late summer through early post-rut recovery, starting with warm August highs near 80 degrees and cooling to the mid-50s by October; October averages just over 1 inch of snow. Private-land access remains the limiting factor—most landowners do not allow hunting, and those who do often charge fees and limit hunter numbers. This hunt is restricted to private land only and allows antlerless elk only.

Type Gen — Any elk valid in the entire area (September)

The general-licence any-elk season runs September 1–25 with archery under a region W general licence. The hunt coincides with rut onset and the primary rut when bulls are vocal and elk are active; temperatures range from around 70 degrees early in the month to the upper 60s by late September. Elk are primarily on private land, where access is limited and often requires paid permission. This hunt is open across the entire area but carries no restriction on animal type.

Type 1 — Any elk valid off national forest (August–September)

Type 1 any-elk regular hunting runs August 15–September 25, spanning late summer through the primary rut. Temperatures drop from warm August highs near 80 degrees to the upper 60s by late September. Type 1 licences are drawn separately (nonresidents apply with preference points; residents draw randomly). This hunt is restricted to ground off national forest—it does not include private land. While public access on the western National Forest side is fair to good by road and trailhead, elk densities are relatively low there and mountain biking and hiking trails create pressure.

Type 1 — Any elk valid in the entire area (September–January)

Type 1 any-elk hunting with archery from September 1–25 and regular from September 26–January 31 spans one season open across the entire area. The archery window covers rut onset and the primary rut when bulls are active; the regular window extends through late post-rut recovery, migration transition, and winter range occupation, with temperatures falling from the upper 60s in September to freezing by January and January snowfall averaging nearly 20 inches. Type 1 licences are drawn separately (nonresidents with preference points; residents randomly). The any-elk designation applies across both the archery and regular periods.

Type 2 — Any elk valid on private land (August–October)

Type 2 any-elk regular hunting on private land runs August 15–October 31, from late summer through post-rut recovery. Temperatures start near 80 degrees in August, cool to the mid-50s by October, and October sees just over 1 inch of snow on average. Type 2 licences are drawn separately (nonresidents with preference points; residents randomly). Private-land access is the primary constraint—most landowners do not allow hunting, and those who do often charge fees and limit numbers. This hunt is restricted to private land only.

Type 2 — Any elk valid in the entire area (September)

Type 2 archery any-elk hunting runs September 1–25 across the entire area, during rut onset and the primary rut when bulls are bugling and cows are active. Temperatures range from around 70 degrees early in the month to the upper 60s by late September. Type 2 licences are drawn separately (nonresidents with preference points; residents randomly). This hunt allows any elk across the full hunt area with no land restriction.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid off national… (August–September)

Type 6 cow-or-calf regular hunting off national forest runs August 15–September 25, from late summer through the primary rut. Temperatures fall from warm August highs near 80 degrees to the upper 60s by late September. This hunt is restricted to ground off national forest and does not include private land. Public access on the western National Forest side is fair to good, but elk densities are relatively low there and the presence of mountain biking and hiking trails creates difficulty. Only cow and calf are legal.

Land and access

private land63%

Private

National Forest32%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land3%

Generally open to public hunting

BLM1%

Generally open to public hunting

About 36% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land and BLM, roughly 26 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 10% 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.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range92%

used in summer

Winter Range8%

used in winter

Parturition Areas1%

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

Other cover42%

Sagebrush27%

Riparian27%

Conifer3%

Mid elevations

Sagebrush48%

Conifer25%

Other cover16%

Riparian7%

Aspen3%

Higher elevations

Sagebrush43%

Conifer41%

Grass and meadow13%

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	29°F	8°F	19.8 in
February	33°F	10°F	13.9 in
March	42°F	18°F	9.7 in
April	51°F	26°F	2.6 in
May	62°F	33°F	0.1 in
June	71°F	39°F	0 in
July	81°F	45°F	0 in
August	80°F	43°F	0 in
September	70°F	36°F	0 in
October	55°F	28°F	1.1 in
November	39°F	18°F	10.2 in
December	29°F	9°F	19.5 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a general elk licence in hunt area 78?: A Wyoming resident can buy a general elk licence over the counter and hunt the general-licence seasons in this area with no draw and no preference points involved. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to access the general-licence hunts here; within that draw, three quarters of the licences are awarded by preference points (highest first) and a quarter by random draw.
Which seasons in hunt area 78 are open to any elk versus cow and calf only?: Type Gen and Type 1 and Type 2 hunts are any-elk seasons, though with area or land-type restrictions. Type 6 hunts are cow or calf only. The Type Gen any-elk hunt is restricted to private land, while Type 1 and Type 2 any-elk hunts reach the entire area or off-national-forest ground respectively. Type 6 cow-or-calf hunts run area-wide or off-national-forest depending on the season.
How much of hunt area 78 is dependably open to public access?: About 36% of the area—roughly 26 square miles—is public ground (National Forest, State Trust Land, and BLM) that a hunter can generally count on. The remaining 63% is private land, where access is severely limited and most landowners do not allow hunting. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings still apply to public land; public ownership alone does not guarantee entry.
What is the National Elk Refuge access rule in hunt area 78?: The National Elk Refuge is enrolled as a Hunter Management Area. A printed permission slip from Wyoming Game and Fish is required before hunting there. Enrollment is renegotiated annually, so a hunter should verify current status before planning a hunt.
When do the early-season hunts in hunt area 78 start?: Archery seasons for any-elk and cow-or-calf hunts begin September 1. Type 1 and Type 2 any-elk regular seasons on private land and off-national-forest ground start August 15, as does the Type Gen antlerless hunt on private land. Type 6 cow-or-calf regular seasons off national forest also begin August 15.

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