Can a hunter drawn for a general elk licence hunt this area on that licence?

A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to hunt any elk here from mid-September through late October; three quarters of Region W general licences are awarded by preference points, and the remaining quarter go to a random draw. A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter with no draw or points involved and may hunt any elk during the general-licence seasons in September and November.

How much of hunt area 91 is actually open to hunters?

About 61% of the 466 square miles—roughly 282 square miles—is dependably open public land that a hunter can generally count on. The remaining 39% is private, much of it developed valley floor with few elk. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings within the public land still apply, and motorized access is limited to designated Forest Service routes.

What seasons on this area allow any bull elk?

Type 1 and Type Gen licences both allow any elk from archery September 1–30 and regular season October 1–31 (Type Gen regular ends October 31, Type 1 regular ends October 31 as well). Type 7 allows only cow or calf during its September–January span. After October 31, all remaining seasons are antlerless-only.

Where in hunt area 91 are elk most likely to be found?

Elk are concentrated on National Forest ground in the Salt River watershed in the southeast and the Spring Creek drainage in the southwest, particularly on steep north-facing slopes with heavy timber cover. The private valley lands hold few elk. Elk numbers are generally higher in those southeast and southwest portions and may shift during late October migration depending on weather.

How does hunting pressure change across the October seasons?

The first two weeks of October are the busiest, especially during the archery transition to regular season. By the third week of October, hunting pressure drops significantly. Hunters seeking lower hunter numbers should plan their hunt for the third week onward. Backcountry access by foot or horseback offers more solitude than motorized routes.

Wyoming Hunt Area 91 (Salt River) elk hunting

Licence

General licence area

Open public land

61%

Elevation

5,600–10,900 ft

Terrain

Steep

Elk region

Hunt area 91 occupies a steep-sided mountain valley that runs roughly 7,100 feet on average, ranging from 5,600 feet in the lower drainages to 10,900 feet on the ridgelines. The terrain grades steep overall—39% gentle, 28% moderate, 30% steep, and 2% rugged—and the vegetation patterns track elevation and exposure closely. North-facing slopes above mid-elevation carry dense spruce-fir and Douglas fir, while south and southwest aspects hold mountain shrub and aspen. Lower elevations mix sagebrush, riparian growth, and other cover types; mid-elevation terrain is dominated by conifer with sagebrush understory. The bulk of the hunt area is private land, chiefly agricultural and developed valley floor that holds few elk. The actual hunting country lies in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, concentrated in the Salt River watershed in the southeast and the Spring Creek drainage in the southwest. Both drainages support a backcountry hunt—steep, forested, and rough enough that horseback and backpack hunters have the advantage. Motorized access exists on some National Forest roads but is restricted to designated routes; hunters on foot or horseback will encounter far fewer vehicles than those relying on them.

About 61% of the hunt area is dependably open public ground—roughly 282 square miles of National Forest, State Trust Land, and BLM that a hunter can generally count on. The remaining 39% is private. Access to Forest Service lands via hiking and horseback is possible on established trails and drainages; motorized hunters must use designated routes only and should contact the Forest Service for current details on which roads are open during the hunting season. County roads approach the west slope of the Salt Range from Star Valley, and the area can also be reached via the Greys River Road in adjacent hunt area 144. Four walk-in areas—Lincoln County Walk In Areas 1, 2, 3, and 4—are open during their posted periods and require no permission or application.

Hunt pressure is uneven. The first two weeks of October see heavy use; by the third week it drops noticeably. The seasons split between those allowing any elk in September and early October (archery and early regular seasons) and those restricting the harvest to antlerless animals as the fall progresses. Some hunts are valid only off National Forest, not across the entire hunt area; those restrictions are noted in each season description below.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 91 (Salt 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 31
Type Gen — general licence · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – November 15
Type 1 · Any elk
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – October 31
Type 1 · Antlerless elk
Regular November 1 – December 31
Type 1 · Antlerless elk valid off national forest
Regular January 1 – January 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – December 31
Type 6 · Cow or calf valid off national forest
Regular January 1 – January 31
Type 7 · Cow or calf valid off national forest west of U.S. Highway 89 and south of Wyoming Highway 239
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 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 7 — Cow or calf valid off national… (September–January)

Cow and calf hunting in the September archery and October–January regular window is valid only off National Forest lands, meaning the hunt is restricted to private ground and non-Forest public areas—a significant constraint in a hunt area where most elk inhabit National Forest. The archery phase from September 1–30 falls during rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are vocal and reactive but cow harvest is the legal limit; expect warm temperatures in the 60s with rare early snow. The regular window from October 1–31 spans late rut and early post-rut through early post-rut recovery, with cooler temperatures in the 50s dropping toward freezing and light snow possible by month's end. From November onward, weather turns winter conditions: November brings 16.7 inches of monthly snowfall with highs near 38 degrees, December adds 25.8 inches with highs near 29 degrees, and January averages 27.4 inches with highs around 30 degrees and lows around 11 degrees. This hunt's off-Forest restriction limits access to the core hunting grounds where most elk are found.

Type Gen — Any elk (September–October)

Hunting any elk on a general licence runs from archery September 1–30 and regular October 15–31. Archery falls in rut onset and primary rut, when bulls are responding to calls, with warm September conditions averaging highs in the 66-degree range and virtually no snow. The regular season begins in late rut and early post-rut recovery, from October 15–31, with temperatures dropping from the low 50s toward freezing and an average of 2.1 inches of October snowfall concentrated late in the month. Access is to the Salt River and Spring Creek drainages on National Forest ground, where foot and horseback hunters can reach elk on steep timber slopes, while motorized hunters must stick to designated routes.

Type Gen — Antlerless elk (November)

Antlerless hunting on a general licence runs November 1–15, during migration transition when elk may be shifting between summer and winter range depending on early-season weather and snow. November weather turns cold with highs near 38 degrees and an average of 16.7 inches of monthly snowfall, which can change animal distribution and move elk toward lower-elevation winter grounds. Access remains to National Forest drainages where trails and foot routes provide the practical advantage.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–October)

Type 1 any-elk hunts span archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–31. Archery falls in rut onset and primary rut with warm September conditions and no snow, offering responsive bulls to disciplined stalkers. The regular season from October 1–31 covers late rut and early post-rut recovery through post-rut recovery, with temperatures sliding from the 50s to freezing and 2.1 inches of average October snowfall mostly arriving late. Both windows target elk on the steep, forested National Forest ground in the Salt River and Spring Creek drainages, where foot and horseback access reaches areas motorized hunters cannot readily reach.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (November–December)

Antlerless hunting from November 1–December 31 spans migration transition into early winter range, when elk numbers shift based on snow depth and weather. November brings 16.7 inches of snowfall with highs near 38 degrees, while December adds 25.8 inches and drops highs to 29 degrees, driving animals toward established winter grounds. Access is via National Forest trails and drainages; late-season snow can slow travel but also concentrates elk and makes them easier to locate on established migration corridors.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk valid off national… (January)

Antlerless hunting valid off National Forest, January 1–31, is limited to private and non-Forest public ground—a significant restriction given that most elk in this hunt area occupy National Forest. January conditions are the coldest and snowiest of the season, with 27.4 inches of average monthly snowfall, highs near 30 degrees, and lows near 11 degrees. Elk may be lower on winter range during these weeks, but the off-Forest restriction confines hunters to valley and foothill ground where few animals remain.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–December)

Cow and calf hunting from archery September 1–30 and regular October 1–December 31 covers a long span across rut onset and primary rut in September, then late rut and early post-rut recovery into post-rut recovery and migration transition through early winter range. Archery in September means warm 60s and no snow, targeting responsive bulls during peak calling opportunity, though only cows and calves are legal. The regular season runs October 1–31 with 50-degree highs cooling toward freezing and average 2.1 inches of October snowfall; November adds 16.7 inches with highs near 38 degrees, and December adds 25.8 inches with highs near 29 degrees. Access throughout is to National Forest ground in the Salt River and Spring Creek drainages, where foot and horseback hunters have clear advantage over motorized traffic limited to designated routes.

Type 6 — Cow or calf valid off national… (January)

Cow and calf hunting valid off National Forest, January 1–31, restricts harvest to private and non-Forest public ground—a practical limitation in a hunt area where elk are concentrated on National Forest. January is the coldest and snowiest month, averaging 27.4 inches of snowfall with highs near 30 degrees and lows near 11 degrees, pushing animals toward established winter grounds typically at lower elevations in valley areas where off-Forest land dominates. This hunt offers the longest reach into the winter period but faces the most restrictive access limitations.

Land and access

National Forest58%

Generally open to public hunting

private land39%

Private

State Trust Land2%

Generally open to public hunting

BLM1%

Generally open to public hunting

About 61% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, State Trust Land and BLM, roughly 282 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 55% 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.

This hunt area has 4 enrolled walk-in areas. That is private ground enrolled for public access, not public land. A Walk-In Area needs no permission slip — a hunter may walk in during the open period, subject to its posted rules. Enrollment is renegotiated every year, so check current status before counting on either.

Where elk are mapped

Summer Range47%

used in summer

Winter Range29%

used in winter

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

Parturition Areas2%

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 cover44%

Sagebrush31%

Riparian12%

Conifer10%

Aspen2%

Mid elevations

Conifer57%

Sagebrush39%

Aspen2%

Other cover2%

Higher elevations

Conifer53%

Sagebrush40%

Grass and meadow6%

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	11°F	27.4 in
February	33°F	12°F	22.3 in
March	41°F	19°F	14.8 in
April	48°F	25°F	6.6 in
May	57°F	33°F	0.8 in
June	67°F	39°F	0 in
July	77°F	46°F	0 in
August	76°F	45°F	0 in
September	66°F	38°F	0 in
October	51°F	29°F	2.1 in
November	38°F	19°F	16.7 in
December	29°F	12°F	25.8 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter drawn for a general elk licence hunt this area on that licence?: A nonresident must draw a Region W general licence to hunt any elk here from mid-September through late October; three quarters of Region W general licences are awarded by preference points, and the remaining quarter go to a random draw. A Wyoming resident buys a general elk licence over the counter with no draw or points involved and may hunt any elk during the general-licence seasons in September and November.
How much of hunt area 91 is actually open to hunters?: About 61% of the 466 square miles—roughly 282 square miles—is dependably open public land that a hunter can generally count on. The remaining 39% is private, much of it developed valley floor with few elk. Roads, trailheads, seasonal closures, and private inholdings within the public land still apply, and motorized access is limited to designated Forest Service routes.
What seasons on this area allow any bull elk?: Type 1 and Type Gen licences both allow any elk from archery September 1–30 and regular season October 1–31 (Type Gen regular ends October 31, Type 1 regular ends October 31 as well). Type 7 allows only cow or calf during its September–January span. After October 31, all remaining seasons are antlerless-only.
Where in hunt area 91 are elk most likely to be found?: Elk are concentrated on National Forest ground in the Salt River watershed in the southeast and the Spring Creek drainage in the southwest, particularly on steep north-facing slopes with heavy timber cover. The private valley lands hold few elk. Elk numbers are generally higher in those southeast and southwest portions and may shift during late October migration depending on weather.
How does hunting pressure change across the October seasons?: The first two weeks of October are the busiest, especially during the archery transition to regular season. By the third week of October, hunting pressure drops significantly. Hunters seeking lower hunter numbers should plan their hunt for the third week onward. Backcountry access by foot or horseback offers more solitude than motorized routes.

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