Can a hunter in hunt area 93 use a region licence, or is a draw licence required?

A draw licence specific to hunt area 93 is required; a region licence does not cover this limited-quota area. Both residents and nonresidents must draw individually for this hunt area.

Do Wyoming residents need preference points for an elk draw in hunt area 93?

Wyoming residents do not earn, hold or use preference points for any elk draw, including this one. The resident elk draw is entirely random, with no preference-point advantage.

What preference points are needed to draw in hunt area 93?

Preference points required are for nonresidents only. Three quarters of nonresident licences are awarded top-down by preference points, while a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.

Can a nonresident hunt designated wilderness in hunt area 93 without a guide?

No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide to hunt in any designated wilderness, including areas within hunt area 93.

What months does hunt area 93 experience the heaviest snowfall?

November brings the most snow, with an average of 13.6 inches. October averages 2.8 inches, while September averages only 0.1 inch. Conditions cool significantly from September through November, and snow depth increases substantially as the season progresses.

Wyoming Hunt Area 93 (Waterdog Lakes) elk hunting

Licence

Limited quota — drawn

Open public land

65%

Elevation

7,100–11,400 ft

Terrain

Gentle

Hunt area 93 spans 260 square miles from 7,100 to 11,400 feet in the Upper Green River herd unit. The terrain is mostly gentle, sloping at a mean angle of 8.2 degrees, and the country breaks into distinct bands by elevation. High country is dominated by rock and alpine tundra; lower elevations transition through coniferous forest, aspen stands, and sagebrush foothills before dropping to grassland in the valley bottoms near major drainages. About 65 percent of the area is publicly accessible National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land—roughly 169 square miles—while 35 percent is private. The National Forest system occupies the northern and western portions, where the terrain is higher and more forested. South and central sections trend to lower elevations and private ownership, particularly along the Green River corridor. The hunt area contains designated wilderness, and Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide to hunt there legally.

Early in the season, elk are distributed across the National Forest lands throughout the hunt area. As October advances, snow and hunting pressure typically push animals downslope toward lower-elevation habitats on private ground where public access is scarce or nonexistent. The timing of this transition varies year to year but can begin as early as early October. Hunters who can access and navigate the public lands in the north and west have better opportunities early on; those without private-land connections face a tightening window as the season progresses and elk concentrate on ground they cannot reach. The major established entry points to National Forest lands are the Union Pass Road and Miner Creek Road. Access to public ground is rated good overall, but roads, trailheads, and seasonal closures still apply, and private inholdings and lack of routes complicate travel in places.

Licence and how this hunt area is drawn

Hunt Area 93 (Waterdog Lakes) 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
Regular November 1 – November 30
Type 6 · Cow or calf
Archery September 1 – September 30Regular October 1 – November 30
Type 8 · Cow or calf valid on private land
Regular October 1 – 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 8 — Cow or calf valid on private land (October–November)

The October–November cow or calf season on private land overlaps the tail end of the rut and the post-rut period, when bulls are tired and cows and calves are still relatively concentrated. Early October brings highs around 49 degrees with occasional light snow; by November, highs drop to the mid-30s and snow becomes routine, averaging 13.6 inches for the month. Since this hunt is restricted to private land only, hunters must have permission to hunt the grasslands and lower-elevation private ground where elk concentrate as public lands grow less productive. This season allows either a cow or a calf and takes place during the migration into winter range, making it a practical opportunity for those with private-land access.

Type 1 — Any elk (September–October)

Archery hunting in September and rifle hunting in October span the onset and heart of the rut through early post-rut. September weather is mild, with highs near 63 degrees and minimal snow, favoring early-season archery hunters working toward responding bulls. October brings cooling—highs drop to 49 degrees—and snowfall increases to 2.8 inches as the rifle season opens. Elk are widely distributed across National Forest lands and all habitat types during these weeks, and hunters have their best access to public ground in the northern and western portions of the hunt area where topography and roads allow entry. This any-elk hunt allows a hunter to take either bull or cow.

Type 1 — Antlerless elk (November)

November's antlerless-only hunt occurs as elk move into winter range and conditions grow severe. Temperatures plummet with highs around 36 degrees, and snowfall averages 13.6 inches for the month, deepening snow cover and shifting elk behavior. The hunt is restricted to antlerless elk—cows and calves only. Access remains best on National Forest lands in the northern and western sections, though snow and cold intensify the physical demands of hunting at elevation.

Type 6 — Cow or calf (September–November)

The September–November cow or calf season spans archery in September and rifle hunting from October into November, covering the rut, early post-rut and the transition into winter range. September offers mild conditions with highs around 63 degrees and negligible snow, while archery hunters can work the rut and early transition; October cools to highs near 49 degrees with 2.8 inches of snow as rifle hunting begins and the rut subsides; November brings harsh conditions with highs in the mid-30s and 13.6 inches of average snowfall. Hunters are limited to cows or calves throughout. Public access is best in the northern and western National Forest lands where established routes and trailheads provide entry, though seasonal closures and terrain still dictate where a hunter can effectively reach elk.

Land and access

National Forest48%

Generally open to public hunting

private land35%

Private

BLM14%

Generally open to public hunting

State Trust Land3%

Generally open to public hunting

About 65% of this hunt area is ground a hunter can generally count on — National Forest, BLM and State Trust Land, roughly 169 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.

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 Range53%

used in summer

Parturition Areas25%

spring birthing ground, months before any hunting season

Winter Range25%

used in winter

Yearlong Range16%

the only layer that means year-round use

Crucial Winter Range9%

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

Sagebrush74%

Riparian16%

Other cover5%

Grass and meadow3%

Conifer2%

Mid elevations

Conifer56%

Sagebrush29%

Grass and meadow6%

Riparian6%

Aspen4%

Higher elevations

Conifer42%

Sagebrush38%

Grass and meadow18%

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	28°F	5°F	18 in
February	31°F	5°F	16.4 in
March	39°F	13°F	13.2 in
April	46°F	21°F	7 in
May	56°F	29°F	0.8 in
June	65°F	35°F	0 in
July	74°F	41°F	0 in
August	73°F	39°F	0 in
September	63°F	33°F	0.1 in
October	49°F	24°F	2.8 in
November	36°F	13°F	13.6 in
December	27°F	5°F	20.2 in

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

Common questions

Can a hunter in hunt area 93 use a region licence, or is a draw licence required?: A draw licence specific to hunt area 93 is required; a region licence does not cover this limited-quota area. Both residents and nonresidents must draw individually for this hunt area.
Do Wyoming residents need preference points for an elk draw in hunt area 93?: Wyoming residents do not earn, hold or use preference points for any elk draw, including this one. The resident elk draw is entirely random, with no preference-point advantage.
What preference points are needed to draw in hunt area 93?: Preference points required are for nonresidents only. Three quarters of nonresident licences are awarded top-down by preference points, while a quarter go to a random draw open to all nonresidents in the pool.
Can a nonresident hunt designated wilderness in hunt area 93 without a guide?: No. Wyoming law requires a nonresident to be accompanied by a licensed guide or a resident guide to hunt in any designated wilderness, including areas within hunt area 93.
What months does hunt area 93 experience the heaviest snowfall?: November brings the most snow, with an average of 13.6 inches. October averages 2.8 inches, while September averages only 0.1 inch. Conditions cool significantly from September through November, and snow depth increases substantially as the season progresses.

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