Wyoming Elk — Hunt Area 36
Rock Creek
Wyoming Hunt Area 36 covers 133,583 acres and lies 12 miles north-west of Buffalo and 25 miles south of Sheridan. 68% of it is public land, mostly national forest (53%) and state land (14%). In 2025, 820 people hunted elk here and took 145 — 18% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 40 nonresident tags here for 36 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Hunt Area 36, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
100% Undersubscribed 61% as 2nd choice
-
100% No first-choice applicants 100% as 2nd choice
-
100% No first-choice applicants
-
36-6 Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Rock Creek 40 tags · 36 applicants · Reduced price100% Undersubscribed 13% as 2nd choice
-
36-6 Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Rock Creek 40 tags · 0 applicants · Landowner reduced price100% No first-choice applicants
-
7% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
-
8% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
-
100% No first-choice applicants
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | 61% | 0 steady since 2021 | 35 / 5 undersubscribed | Regular | Oct 10 – Nov 5, 2026 |
| 36-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | 100% | — | 15 / 0 | Special | Oct 10 – Nov 5, 2026 |
| 36-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 36 / 0 | Landowner | Oct 10 – Nov 5, 2026 |
| 36-6 ↗ Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Rock Creek Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | 13% | — | 40 / 36 undersubscribed | Reduced price | Oct 1–9, 2026 |
| 36-6 ↗ Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Rock Creek Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 40 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Oct 1–9, 2026 |
| 36-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 7% Point builder | 0% | 3 −4 since 2021 | 6 / 20 | Regular | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 36-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 8% Point builder | 0% | 6 +5 since 2021 | 4 / 18 | Special | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 36-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 9 / 0 | Landowner | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- As 2nd choice —
- Wyoming lets you name more than one hunt on the application. Miss on your first choice and you go into the pot for whatever tags are left, alongside everyone else's second choices. Points never help a lower choice, so this number is the same whatever you have banked — it is usually worth naming a hunt that goes undersubscribed.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular license | $707 | $15 | $728.50 |
| Special license | $1,965 | $15 | $1,986.50 |
| Reduced price license | $303 | $15 | $324.50 |
| Landowner license | $15 | $15 | $36.50 |
| Landowner reduced price license | $15 | $15 | $36.50 |
Application window: opens Jan 2, closes Feb 2, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 70,770 ac · 53%
- Private 42,516 ac · 32%
- State land 19,354 ac · 14%
- County or city land 701 ac · 1%
- Other public 241 ac · 0%
Source: BLM WY Surface Management Agency (land ownership / SMA)
How the hunting has gone
What Wyoming Game and Fish Department publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. 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.
| Season | Hunters | Harvest | Success | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 820 | 145 | 18% | 40.8 |
| 2024 | 951 | 153 | 16% | 38.4 |
| 2023 | 707 | 126 | 18% | 46.2 |
| 2022 | 842 | 80 | 10% | 67.8 |
| 2021 | 858 | 156 | 18% | 36.6 |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 24 · 17%
- Firearm 121 · 83%
Residents vs nonresidents (2025)
- Resident 94 taken · 584 hunters
- Nonresident 51 taken · 236 hunters
Boundary: Elk Hunt Areas (Wyoming Game and Fish Department)
Harvest: Elk 2025 Harvest Report
Harvest: Elk 2024 Harvest Report
Harvest: Elk 2023 Harvest Report