Can a hunter access this hunt area on a general elk licence?

Yes. Hunt area 80 is a general-licence area, and hunters can obtain a general elk licence to hunt here. Wyoming residents buy a general licence over the counter with no draw. Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence to hunt here, though that licence is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in Region W.

Does a nonresident need preference points to draw here?

Preference points matter for nonresidents drawing a Region W general licence. Within the nonresident pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded to those with the highest points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants regardless of points. Residents have no elk preference points in Wyoming; the resident elk draw is random.

How much of hunt area 80 can a hunter actually get onto?

Ninety-nine percent of the area is public land on the National Forest, state wildlife areas, and state trust land—about 88 square miles. However, public ownership does not guarantee straightforward entry: roads, trailheads, private inholdings, and seasonal closures all apply. A nonresident hunting in the designated wilderness that covers much of the high country must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide.

Which seasons run when on hunt area 80?

The general (any elk) season runs archery from September 1 to September 25, then regular September 26 to October 31. The cow-or-calf season runs archery from September 1 to September 25, then regular October 15 to November 30. Both are general-licence hunts.

What is the country like to hunt on foot?

Hunt area 80 is steep and timbered, requiring foot or horseback travel across most of the area; only scattered roads allow motorized access. The terrain grades Rugged, with more than a quarter steep or rugged slopes and numerous large canyons with vertical walls. Large drainages dominate the topography and make route-finding a major part of the hunt.

Wyoming Hunt Area 80 (Sheep Creek) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

99%

Elevation

6,300–11,200 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 80 is a steep, timbered landscape stretching from sagebrush hillsides in the 6,300-foot valleys up through heavy conifer slopes and cirque basins above 11,000 feet. Spruce and fir dominate the high country. Lower slopes and drainages host aspen and mixed timber along timbered ridges. Large canyon drainages cut through the area with vertical walls that reach above timberline. The terrain grades Rugged, with less than a quarter gentle ground and more than a quarter steep or rugged slopes; most of the area sits at moderate pitch, and typical ground runs around 8,600 feet.

Ninety-nine percent of the hunt area is public land on the National Forest, state wildlife areas, and state trust land—about 88 square miles accessible to hunters. The remaining private land is interspersed. Designated wilderness covers much of the higher country and requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide. A Hunter Management Area on the National Elk Refuge lies within the hunt area and requires printed permission to hunt.

Access flows primarily on foot or horseback; motorized roads reach only limited pockets. The main entry routes come through Curtis Canyon and Flat Creek via the National Elk Refuge and up the Cache Creek drainage. Elk often move back and forth between this hunt area and the refuge to the west. In September and early October, scattered elk hold the higher elevations. Heavy snow in the late fall and early winter triggers a substantial migration into the area—numbers and timing hinge on snowfall patterns. Grizzly bears use this ground at moderate density and should be expected.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 80 (Sheep Creek) 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 25Regular September 26 – October 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 25Regular October 15 – November 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–October)

Archery opens September 1 as the rut begins to onset and holds through the primary rut's peak around mid-September, a window offering aggressive bull movement and herd activity. The regular season from September 26 to October 31 spans the peak rut into the post-rut recovery phase as bulls drop into less active patterns. September weather sees highs near 59 degrees and minimal snow, making early-season foot travel straightforward across open slopes; October turns colder with highs around 45 degrees and snowfall averaging 6 inches, which aids hunting as elk shift and become more visible. Scattered elk hold higher elevations early in the season; by late September and October, pushing snow can drive migration onto lower ground. Access is foot and horseback throughout; some motorized entry exists but remains limited. A general elk licence permits hunting any elk here.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–November)

The cow-or-calf season opens archery with the early rut from September 1 to September 25, catching the onset and primary rut phases when herds move actively and bulls are engaged with cows. The regular season from October 15 to November 30 bridges the late rut and post-rut recovery into the migration-transition phase, as elk begin their late-fall movement triggered by snow accumulation. September offers clear conditions with highs near 59 degrees; October turns to near-freezing nights and 6-inch monthly snowfall; November temperatures drop to 33-degree highs and 25 inches of snow typically falls, driving elk off high country into the area. The arrival of significant snow can shift elk numbers substantially week to week depending on timing. Foot and horseback remain the primary means of access, with limited motorized roads. This hunt is restricted to cow or calf only.

Land and access

National Forest96%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas2%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land1%

Generally open to public hunting

About 99% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Land, roughly 88 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 Range62%

used in summer

Winter Range38%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range33%

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

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

Sagebrush49%

Conifer49%

Other cover2%

Mid elevations

Conifer81%

Sagebrush16%

Grass and meadow3%

Higher elevations

Conifer40%

Sagebrush32%

Grass and meadow26%

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	26°F	5°F	39.4 in
February	29°F	6°F	32.9 in
March	38°F	14°F	23 in
April	45°F	21°F	12.9 in
May	53°F	30°F	1.9 in
June	61°F	36°F	0 in
July	71°F	42°F	0 in
August	69°F	41°F	0 in
September	59°F	34°F	0.1 in
October	45°F	25°F	6.1 in
November	33°F	14°F	24.9 in
December	24°F	5°F	39.8 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter access this hunt area on a general elk licence?: Yes. Hunt area 80 is a general-licence area, and hunters can obtain a general elk licence to hunt here. Wyoming residents buy a general licence over the counter with no draw. Nonresidents must draw a Region W general licence to hunt here, though that licence is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in Region W.
Does a nonresident need preference points to draw here?: Preference points matter for nonresidents drawing a Region W general licence. Within the nonresident pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded to those with the highest points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants regardless of points. Residents have no elk preference points in Wyoming; the resident elk draw is random.
How much of hunt area 80 can a hunter actually get onto?: Ninety-nine percent of the area is public land on the National Forest, state wildlife areas, and state trust land—about 88 square miles. However, public ownership does not guarantee straightforward entry: roads, trailheads, private inholdings, and seasonal closures all apply. A nonresident hunting in the designated wilderness that covers much of the high country must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide.
Which seasons run when on hunt area 80?: The general (any elk) season runs archery from September 1 to September 25, then regular September 26 to October 31. The cow-or-calf season runs archery from September 1 to September 25, then regular October 15 to November 30. Both are general-licence hunts.
What is the country like to hunt on foot?: Hunt area 80 is steep and timbered, requiring foot or horseback travel across most of the area; only scattered roads allow motorized access. The terrain grades Rugged, with more than a quarter steep or rugged slopes and numerous large canyons with vertical walls. Large drainages dominate the topography and make route-finding a major part of the hunt.

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