Wyoming Elk 35-1
Any elk in Hunt Area 35 — Hunter Mesa, any legal weapon, Oct 10 – Nov 5, 2026, Nov 15 – Dec 31, 2026. 77% public land, mostly Forest Service. Type 1.
Your odds at 0 points · 2026 draw
about 1 in 22, from the random pass
You're 10 points below the 2026 cut of 10, which has risen from 9 to 10 points since 2021.
Years to draw on points: 30+ yrs
- NR Tags
- 12
- Applicants
- 75
- Success
- 32%
First-choice nonresidents, regular draw. Success: Type 1 hunters, 2025.
Points Needed to Draw, 2021–2026
The cut has risen from 9 to 10 points since 2021. Applicants per tag: 8.4:1 in 2021, 6.3:1 in 2026.
Point creep: drew out at 7 → 9 → 7 → 10 → 10 points (2022–2026), +0.8 points/yr (range +0.0 to +2.0). Years to draw project that pace (the median of the last five draws, capped at 2 points/yr); the agency sets quotas and demand sets the cut.
What It Costs · 2026 NR Fees
Closes Feb 1 · 105 daysThe $15 nonresident big game application fee (per species applied for) is not refunded. Drawing adds the $21.50 conservation stamp (annual; required with any hunting license). The $692 nonresident elk license (regular), includes fishing privileges is refunded if you miss. A nonresident elk preference point is $52, bought separately.
- Opens
- Jan 2, 2027
- Closes
- Feb 1, 2027
- Results
- about May 20
- Point Only
- $52, Jul 1 – Nov 1
Next application window: Open Jan 2 – Feb 1, 2027 (expected). Dates are last cycle's, rolled forward until Wyoming Game and Fish Department publishes 2027.
▸ Every Fee, With Sources
- Nonresident big game application fee (per species applied for) · paid at application $15 WGFD 2026 License Fee List
- Conservation stamp (annual; required with any hunting license) · paid if drawn $21.50 WGFD 2026 License Fee List
- Nonresident elk license (regular), includes fishing privileges · paid at application, refundable $692 WGFD 2026 License Fee List
- Nonresident elk preference point · bought separately, not counted above — an unsuccessful applicant gets no point without it $52 WGFD 2026 Game and Fish Commission Chapter 44
Details
Odds by Point Level · 2026 Draw
| Points | Chance | Applied | Drew |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–9 ← you | 5% random pass only counted in one band: 9 points or fewer | 66 | 0 |
| 10 | 100% the cut | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | 100% | 5 | 5 |
| 12 | 100% plus 2 party applications averaging 12 points or fewer | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | 100% | — | — |
Points pass + random pass, from published pools. A dash means Wyoming Game and Fish Department did not publish a count for that level: it prints exact counts around the cut and folds the rest into a band. Wyoming runs a second, random pass after the points pass. As a lower choice, 35-1 drew no one in 2026, so lower-choice odds are left out.
Draw results: WGFD 2026 Demand Report, p. 8, retrieved Aug 31, 2026.
Seasons, 2026
- Sep 15–30, 2026 Archery only. Needs a $72 archery license on top. Special archery season (archery license required): Any elk Wyoming Game and Fish Commission 2026 Chapter 7, p. 5
- Oct 10 – Nov 5, 2026 Any elk Wyoming Game and Fish Commission 2026 Chapter 7, p. 5
- Nov 15 – Dec 31, 2026 Antlerless elk Wyoming Game and Fish Commission 2026 Chapter 7, p. 5
How It Hunted, 2025
| Who | Hunters | Harvest | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 136 | 44 | 32% |
| All of Hunt Area 35 | 540 | 143 | 27% |
Across every license type in Hunt Area 35, Wyoming Game and Fish Department counted 540 hunters and 143 elk taken in 2025, and 27% of them took an elk. The first rows are hunters holding this license type; the rest of the area's hunters held something else. Wyoming's figures are estimates from a voluntary post-season survey of license holders, extrapolated to every license issued — not a count of animals checked in. Source: WGFD 2025 Elk Harvest Report; WGFD 2024 Elk Harvest Report.
▸ Year-by-Year Numbers 6 draws
The regular draw for nonresidents, one row per year. Wyoming runs a second, random pass after the points pass; it is shown beside the year it belongs to.
| Year | Tags | Applicants | Per Tag | Points Needed | Random Pass | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 12 | 75 | 6.3 | 10 | 3 tags of 137 | WGFD 2026 Demand Report, p. 8 |
| 2025 | 13 | 125 | 9.6 | 10 | 3 tags of 185 | WGFD 2025 Demand Report, p. 8 |
| 2024 | 14 | 79 | 5.6 | 7 | 3 tags of 119 | WGFD 2024 Demand Report, p. 7 |
| 2023 | 13 | 94 | 7.2 | 9 | 3 tags of 158 | WGFD 2023 Demand Report, p. 7 |
| 2022 | 13 | 81 | 6.2 | 7 | 3 tags of 135 | WGFD 2022 Demand Report, p. 7 |
| 2021 | 13 | 109 | 8.4 | 8 | 3 tags of 154 | WGFD 2021 Demand Report, p. 7 |
Other Licenses Valid in Hunt Area 35
- 35-4 Antlerless elk Oct 10 – Nov 5 · 27 tags · cut 0 100%
- 35-6 Cow or calf valid on private landPrivate land only — you need landowner access Aug 15 – Oct 9 · Reduced price · 68 tags · 20 applied 100%
- 35-7 Cow or calf valid on private landPrivate land only — you need landowner access Aug 15 – Oct 9 · Reduced price · 68 tags · 16 applied 100%
- 35-9 Any elk, archery only Sep 1–30 · 7 tags · cut 11 2%
Odds at your points, nonresident, regular class where offered. * fewer than 5 tags.
▸ Legal Cartridges 21 on file for Wyoming elk
21 cartridges on file are legal for elk with a rifle in Wyoming (this license takes any legal weapon). Rules and sources: Wyoming hunting laws.
▸ Sources 16
- WGFD 2026 Demand Report, p. 8 · draw results, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2025 Demand Report, p. 8 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2024 Demand Report, p. 7 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2023 Demand Report, p. 7 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2022 Demand Report, p. 7 · earlier draws, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2021 Demand Report, p. 7 · earlier draws, retrieved Sep 1, 2026
- WGFD 2026 Game and Fish Commission Chapter 44 draw rules, fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2026 License Fee List fees, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- Wyoming Game and Fish Commission 2026 Chapter 7, p. 5 · seasons, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2025 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2024 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2023 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2022 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2021 Elk Harvest Report harvest, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- WGFD 2026 Elk Hunt Areas boundary, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming State Office 2026 BLM WY Surface Management Agency land ownership, retrieved Aug 31, 2026
- wy_blm_sma_2026 map shading
About These Numbers
Odds are from the 2026 draw, the latest on file, computed from Wyoming Game and Fish Department's published results (points pass + random pass, from published pools). They are what happened in that draw, not a forecast. Under five tags a percentage carries a *, because one applicant either way swings it. A dash means the agency did not publish the number, and a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward.
Report an error on this page
We don't take applications: check Wyoming Game and Fish Department's site and apply there.
Prior-draw odds from Wyoming Game and Fish Department's results, not a forecast · All Wyoming elk hunts