Can a hunter legally take any elk in hunt area 85 on a general licence?

A Wyoming resident can hunt any elk during the archery season (September 1–25) and bulls only during the regular season (September 26–October 31) on a resident general licence purchased over the counter. A nonresident must draw a Region general licence for either season and cannot hunt bulls after September 25.

What preference points do nonresidents need for hunt area 85?

Three quarters of Region W's general-licence permits go to nonresidents ranked by preference points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. The number of points needed changes annually and is published before the draw opens.

What seasons run in hunt area 85 and when?

The area has four elk seasons: a cow-or-calf hunt restricted to private land and irrigated ground (August 15–January 31), a general any-elk archery season (September 1–25), a general bull-only regular season (September 26–October 31), and a cow-or-calf season (archery September 1–25, regular September 26–November 15).

How much of hunt area 85 is open public land a hunter can count on?

About 92% of the area, roughly 259 square miles, is National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM, or State Wildlife Areas. Roads are scarce on National Forest System land, and access still depends on trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings that may block entry.

Is hunt area 85 good country for foot hunters?

The area is characterized by very steep and rugged terrain with few motorized roads, making it ideal for backpack and horseback hunts but demanding for hunters on foot. Most successful hunters concentrate on the timbered north-facing slopes where elk move during the season, and preseason scouting is necessary because elk distribution is patchy across the drainages.

Wyoming Hunt Area 85 (Fall Creek) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

92%

Elevation

5,600–10,000 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 85 is a steep, high mountain country of aspen and conifer forest in the Snake River Range, ranging from 5,600 to 10,000 feet with typical ground around 7,400 feet. The terrain is demanding, with a mean slope of 21.9 degrees graded rugged — more than three-quarters of the area is moderate to steep ground, and the highest peaks exceed 10,000 feet. Conifer forest covers 56% of the area and sagebrush 35%, with the remainder aspen, grass, and meadow. This is backcountry elk country with very few roads open to motorized traffic on National Forest land. Most hunters here travel on foot or horseback, and preseason scouting is essential because elk are not evenly distributed across the area.

The highest elk numbers concentrate in specific drainages: Dog Creek, Mosquito Creek, Fall Creek, and Wolf Creek of the Snake River Range hold the most consistent populations, while Red Creek, Indian Creek, and other southern drainages support elk at lower densities. North-facing timbered slopes are critical during the hunting season as elk respond to pressure by moving into heavy cover. About 92% of the area — roughly 259 square miles — is public land: National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas. Access comes via Forest Service roads and trailheads on the western side and through Idaho trails in the Elk Creek and Indian Creek drainages on the eastern side. Private land comprises the remaining 8%, and seasonal closures and private inholdings still constrain where a hunter can actually reach on public ground.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 85 (Fall 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 7 · Cow or calf valid on private land in Area 84; also valid in that portion of Area 85 on or within 200 yards of irrigated land north of Fall Creek
Regular August 15 – January 31
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 25
Type Gen — general licence · Any elk, spikes excluded
Regular September 26 – October 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 25Regular September 26 – November 15

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 7 — Cow or calf valid on private land… (August–January)

The cow-or-calf hunt from August through January is restricted to private land and that portion of hunt area 85 within 200 yards of irrigated land north of Fall Creek, so it does not reach the general public hunting area. This hunt falls mostly outside the peak rut and into the post-rut and winter phases, when elk that have summered high move toward lower winter range. August brings warm temperatures (highs around 75 degrees) with no snow, making early-season access easy, but by November snowfall averages 18.4 inches monthly and temperatures drop sharply, with January highs near 28 degrees and snowfall around 33.7 inches per month. Access depends entirely on obtaining permission on private land or finding irrigated ground open to the hunt. Only a cow or calf may be taken.

Type Gen — Any elk (September)

Hunters in the archery season (September 1–25) can pursue any elk with a general licence across the mountain country, during the early rut as bulls become vocal and responsive to calls. Early September still carries summer conditions with highs around 64 degrees and no snow, but archery requires close approach and the steep terrain and heavy conifer forest make stalking difficult. Access is open to the public National Forest and other public land, with trailheads on the western side and eastern trails through Idaho. A hunter can legally take any bull or cow.

Type Gen — Any elk, spikes excluded (September–October)

The regular season for general-licence hunters (September 26–October 31) follows the primary rut into its decline and the post-rut recovery phase, when bulls are still active but roaming less predictably. Early October still sees moderate temperatures with highs around 50 degrees, but the season carries into late October when snowfall averages 2.6 inches and highs drop toward freezing. Public access remains open to National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM, and State Wildlife Areas, though steep terrain and distance from trailheads remain limiting factors. Spikes (young bulls with unbranched antlers) are excluded; hunters must take a bull with branched antlers or a cow.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–November)

The Type 6 season spans archery (September 1–25) and regular hunting (September 26–November 15), making it the longest cow-or-calf hunt on general mountain public land. Archery falls in the early rut when cows are moving and responsive, while the regular season extends through the primary rut, post-rut recovery, and into the migration transition phase when elk begin shifting toward winter range. September archery sees mild temperatures (highs near 64 degrees) with no snow, but the regular season carries into November with temperatures dropping from near 50 degrees in late September to 36-degree highs by month's end and snowfall building from 2.6 inches in October to 18.4 inches in November. Public access applies to the same National Forest and public-land trailheads throughout. Only a cow or calf may be taken.

Land and access

National Forest92%

Generally open to public hunting

private land8%

Private

About 92% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM and State Wildlife Areas, roughly 259 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.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range72%

used in summer

Winter Range28%

used in winter

Parturition Areas15%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Yearlong Range15%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range14%

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

Across the unit

Conifer56%

Sagebrush35%

Grass and meadow3%

Aspen2%

Other cover2%

Riparian2%

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	9°F	33.7 in
February	32°F	11°F	24.4 in
March	40°F	18°F	17.7 in
April	48°F	24°F	6.5 in
May	57°F	32°F	0.3 in
June	66°F	39°F	0 in
July	76°F	45°F	0 in
August	75°F	44°F	0 in
September	64°F	37°F	0 in
October	50°F	28°F	2.6 in
November	36°F	18°F	18.4 in
December	27°F	10°F	31.6 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter legally take any elk in hunt area 85 on a general licence?: A Wyoming resident can hunt any elk during the archery season (September 1–25) and bulls only during the regular season (September 26–October 31) on a resident general licence purchased over the counter. A nonresident must draw a Region general licence for either season and cannot hunt bulls after September 25.
What preference points do nonresidents need for hunt area 85?: Three quarters of Region W's general-licence permits go to nonresidents ranked by preference points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all applicants. The number of points needed changes annually and is published before the draw opens.
What seasons run in hunt area 85 and when?: The area has four elk seasons: a cow-or-calf hunt restricted to private land and irrigated ground (August 15–January 31), a general any-elk archery season (September 1–25), a general bull-only regular season (September 26–October 31), and a cow-or-calf season (archery September 1–25, regular September 26–November 15).
How much of hunt area 85 is open public land a hunter can count on?: About 92% of the area, roughly 259 square miles, is National Forest, State Trust Land, BLM, or State Wildlife Areas. Roads are scarce on National Forest System land, and access still depends on trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings that may block entry.
Is hunt area 85 good country for foot hunters?: The area is characterized by very steep and rugged terrain with few motorized roads, making it ideal for backpack and horseback hunts but demanding for hunters on foot. Most successful hunters concentrate on the timbered north-facing slopes where elk move during the season, and preseason scouting is necessary because elk distribution is patchy across the drainages.

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