Can a hunter take any elk on a general licence in hunt area 89?

Yes. Hunt area 89 is hunted on a general elk licence, and a Wyoming resident buys one over the counter with no draw involved. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in that region. Both residents and nonresidents taking a general licence in this area may hunt any elk during the archery season in September, and any elk during the regular season from mid-October through late October.

How much of hunt area 89 is accessible to a hunter on public land?

All 263 square miles of the hunt area are National Forest ground. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy access: roads are limited and seasonal closures apply. The Greys River Road provides the main entry from Alpine. Hunters should confirm current access conditions with the Forest Service before planning their hunt.

Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general licence for hunt area 89?

Nonresidents compete in the Region W general draw with preference points. Within the nonresident pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded top-down by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all. Points therefore matter significantly for a nonresident seeking a general licence.

When do elk move to steeper terrain in hunt area 89?

Once the seasons open, elk shift into steep, heavily timbered north-facing slopes where they feel more secure. This movement concentrates hunting pressure in those areas during early season. Hunters willing to work away from main corridors and thick timber stands a better chance later in the season as pressure decreases and elk range more widely.

How does hunting pressure change through the season in hunt area 89?

Hunting pressure is very high during the first four to five days of each season, then drops significantly. Hunters looking to avoid crowds should plan their hunt for the second week onward. Early season brings the most competition for elk, while later weeks in both archery and regular seasons offer less crowded conditions.

Wyoming Hunt Area 89 (Lower Greys River) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

100%

Elevation

5,600–10,800 ft

Terrain

Rugged

Elk region

Hunt area 89 occupies the Greys River watershed between the Salt Range and Wyoming Range. The country is steep and heavily forested, dominated by spruce and Douglas fir on north-facing slopes and by sagebrush and aspen on south and southeast aspects. Typical elevation sits around 7,500 feet in terrain that grades rugged overall, with steep slopes making up nearly a third of the area. Herbaceous forage is abundant. Roads are scarce: the country is defined by backcountry conditions, though several trails open to motorized vehicles provide access to the interior during the hunt seasons. Foot hunters and packers working steep timber will find country that rewards effort, and early-season pressure is intense but drops noticeably after the first week.

Public land comprises the entire hunt area. Access is via the Greys River Road from Alpine, Wyoming, reaching National Forest ground. Seasonal closures, trailhead conditions, and road status all apply; access is not guaranteed and hunters should confirm current conditions with the Forest Service. Where motorized routes exist, they are designated and limited.

Elk shift to higher-security cover once the seasons open, moving into steep, heavily timbered north exposures that see fewer hunters as the season progresses. A hunter working away from popular corridors and willing to push up into thick timber stands a better chance later in the season than in the rush of opening week.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 89 (Lower Greys River) 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 30Regular October 15 – October 26

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)

The September archery season and October regular season together span the onset and heart of the rut, when bulls are vocal and aggressive, followed by the late rut and early recovery phase as October closes. September temperatures run warm with highs near 67 degrees Fahrenheit and minimal snow, favoring aggressive glassing and calling tactics; October cools to highs around 52 degrees and introduces an average of 2.2 inches of snowfall per month, which can aid stalking but complicate travel in steep terrain. Access via the Greys River Road and motorized trails reaches the National Forest interior, though hunters should confirm current route status with the Forest Service. The legal animal is any elk in both windows—bulls, cows, and calves are all fair. Hunting pressure concentrates in the first few days of opening and then disperses; elk respond by moving into steep, heavily timbered north-facing slopes where they hold tight. Backcountry travel and willingness to climb away from main corridors rewards patient hunters in either season.

Land and access

National Forest100%

Generally open to public hunting

About 100% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, roughly 262 square miles. Public ownership is not the same as easy entry: roads, trailheads, seasonal closures and private inholdings all still apply.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range74%

used in summer

Parturition Areas35%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Winter Range26%

used in winter

Crucial Winter Range24%

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

Yearlong Range3%

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

Conifer62%

Sagebrush33%

Other cover3%

Riparian3%

Mid elevations

Conifer67%

Sagebrush32%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Conifer46%

Sagebrush45%

Grass and meadow8%

Aspen1%

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	9°F	25.4 in
February	33°F	10°F	21.4 in
March	41°F	17°F	15.6 in
April	49°F	24°F	5.7 in
May	58°F	32°F	0.3 in
June	68°F	38°F	0 in
July	78°F	44°F	0 in
August	76°F	43°F	0 in
September	67°F	36°F	0 in
October	52°F	27°F	2.2 in
November	38°F	17°F	15.9 in
December	28°F	9°F	24.3 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter take any elk on a general licence in hunt area 89?: Yes. Hunt area 89 is hunted on a general elk licence, and a Wyoming resident buys one over the counter with no draw involved. A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence, which is valid across all general-licence hunt areas in that region. Both residents and nonresidents taking a general licence in this area may hunt any elk during the archery season in September, and any elk during the regular season from mid-October through late October.
How much of hunt area 89 is accessible to a hunter on public land?: All 263 square miles of the hunt area are National Forest ground. However, public ownership does not guarantee easy access: roads are limited and seasonal closures apply. The Greys River Road provides the main entry from Alpine. Hunters should confirm current access conditions with the Forest Service before planning their hunt.
Do nonresidents need preference points to draw a general licence for hunt area 89?: Nonresidents compete in the Region W general draw with preference points. Within the nonresident pool, three quarters of the licences go to the preference-point draw, awarded top-down by points, and a quarter go to a random draw open to all. Points therefore matter significantly for a nonresident seeking a general licence.
When do elk move to steeper terrain in hunt area 89?: Once the seasons open, elk shift into steep, heavily timbered north-facing slopes where they feel more secure. This movement concentrates hunting pressure in those areas during early season. Hunters willing to work away from main corridors and thick timber stands a better chance later in the season as pressure decreases and elk range more widely.
How does hunting pressure change through the season in hunt area 89?: Hunting pressure is very high during the first four to five days of each season, then drops significantly. Hunters looking to avoid crowds should plan their hunt for the second week onward. Early season brings the most competition for elk, while later weeks in both archery and regular seasons offer less crowded conditions.

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