Can a hunter use a Wyoming region licence to hunt elk in hunt area 88?

No. Hunt area 88 is limited quota, and a region licence is valid only in general-licence areas. A hunter must draw a licence specifically for this area, whether resident or nonresident.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in hunt area 88?

No. Wyoming residents have no elk preference-point system at all. The resident elk draw for this area is random, with no points required, accumulated, or considered.

How much of hunt area 88 is ground a hunter can actually get onto?

About 88 percent of the area—roughly 16 square miles—is public land (National Forest, State Wildlife Areas, and BLM) that hunters can generally count on. The remainder is private. Public ownership does not guarantee easy access; roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still affect where a hunter can go.

Can a nonresident draw a licence for hunt area 88 without preference points?

Yes, but it is harder. The nonresident draw awards three quarters of licences to the preference-point pool, top-down by points accumulated. A quarter of licences go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool, regardless of points. A nonresident with few or no points enters the random quarter only.

Wyoming Hunt Area 88 (Greys Feedground) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

88%

Elevation

5,600–9,100 ft

Terrain

Steep

Hunt area 88 is a small, 18-square-mile ground with steep terrain offering day-hunt opportunity near Alpine. Elevations run from 5,600 to around 9,100 feet, with typical terrain around 6,200 feet and a mean slope of 17.9 degrees—steep enough that roughly three-tenths of the ground is genuinely steep or rugged. The lower elevations carry mixed sagebrush, conifers and some aspen, while north-facing slopes climb into spruce-fir and Douglas fir forest. South and west exposures favor shrubby ground and aspen. The country is laced with foot trails open only to nonmotorized travel, and its small area means a hunter covers the backcountry on foot rather than from a vehicle. About 88 percent of the ground is public land—National Forest, State Wildlife Areas or BLM—roughly 16 square miles—with the remainder private. That public share is reliable ground to work, though seasonal closures, private inholdings and trailhead access still apply.

The Greys River Road, accessed from Alpine, is the main entry and opens motorized access along designated routes. From there, a hunter on foot can reach the steeper country in a short hike and glass or work elk across exposures that hold game through the seasons. Because the area is small and well-roaded at lower elevations, pressure can concentrate on accessible sections, especially in the early archery period when the country is still open and warm. As seasons push from October into winter, snow and cold compress elk into the lower country where they often press against private land.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 88 (Greys Feedground) 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 31
Type 1 · Antlerless elk valid south of Peterson Lane and south and west of the Greys River Wildlife Habitat Management Area elk fence
Regular November 1 – 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 1 — Any elk (September–October)

Archery and rifle hunting for any elk spans September 1 through October 31, opening with the rut onset in early September and carrying into the primary rut through mid-September before the post-rut phase takes over by late October. Early archery in September sees elk active and moving through the sagebrush and aspen at lower elevations, with mild highs near 70 degrees and minimal snow, though nights drop to the mid-30s. As October arrives, temperatures cool to daytime highs in the mid-50s and lows near freezing, with light snowfall averaging 1.2 inches for the month; elk enter the early post-rut period and begin shifting to higher, more timbered ground. Access via the Greys River Road and foot trails remains straightforward through both months. Because the area is small and well-roaded, accessible sections can draw pressure, particularly in the archery period when the ground is open and warm.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk valid south of… (November–January)

Hunting for antlerless elk runs November 1 through January 31 in the ground south of Peterson Lane and south and west of the Greys River Wildlife Habitat Management Area elk fence—a restricted portion of the hunt area, not the whole. This hunt is a long winter grind: November brings rapidly cooling temperatures with highs dropping to 40 degrees and significant snow of around 10.6 inches, while January is far colder with highs near 30 degrees and heavy monthly snowfall averaging 19.1 inches. Elk settle into winter range on lower slopes and benches where they can feed and shelter, often pressing toward private ground as snow deepens. The Greys River Road remains the primary access, though seasonal closures may affect travel as winter intensifies. This late hunt works the compressed, concentrated elk of deep winter and demands preparation for snow, cold, and a long season.

Land and access

National Forest58%

Generally open to public hunting

State Wildlife Areas26%

Generally open to public hunting

private land8%

Private

unclassified ownership4%

Ownership unclassified

BLM4%

Generally open to public hunting

About 88% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Wildlife Areas and BLM, roughly 16 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

the Wyoming Game & Fish Department publishes 95% 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.

Where elk are mapped

Winter Range74%

used in winter

Parturition Areas69%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Crucial Winter Range57%

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

Summer Range25%

used in summer

Yearlong Range17%

the only layer that means year-round use

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

Sagebrush33%

Other cover28%

Conifer27%

Riparian6%

Aspen5%

Mid elevations

Conifer76%

Sagebrush14%

Aspen9%

Other cover1%

Higher elevations

Conifer78%

Sagebrush17%

Aspen5%

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	30°F	10°F	19.1 in
February	34°F	11°F	15.6 in
March	43°F	19°F	10 in
April	51°F	26°F	2.9 in
May	62°F	34°F	0.1 in
June	71°F	40°F	0 in
July	81°F	45°F	0 in
August	80°F	44°F	0 in
September	70°F	37°F	0 in
October	56°F	28°F	1.2 in
November	40°F	19°F	10.6 in
December	30°F	11°F	18.4 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter use a Wyoming region licence to hunt elk in hunt area 88?: No. Hunt area 88 is limited quota, and a region licence is valid only in general-licence areas. A hunter must draw a licence specifically for this area, whether resident or nonresident.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for elk in hunt area 88?: No. Wyoming residents have no elk preference-point system at all. The resident elk draw for this area is random, with no points required, accumulated, or considered.
How much of hunt area 88 is ground a hunter can actually get onto?: About 88 percent of the area—roughly 16 square miles—is public land (National Forest, State Wildlife Areas, and BLM) that hunters can generally count on. The remainder is private. Public ownership does not guarantee easy access; roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings all still affect where a hunter can go.
Can a nonresident draw a licence for hunt area 88 without preference points?: Yes, but it is harder. The nonresident draw awards three quarters of licences to the preference-point pool, top-down by points accumulated. A quarter of licences go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool, regardless of points. A nonresident with few or no points enters the random quarter only.
When does the regular (rifle) season run in hunt area 88?: The regular season runs October 1 through October 31. An antlerless season valid south of Peterson Lane and south and west of the Greys River Wildlife Habitat Management Area elk fence runs November 1 through January 31.

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