Wyoming Elk — Hunt Area 54
Bald Ridge
Wyoming Hunt Area 54 covers 334,702 acres and lies 19 miles north-west of Cody and 38 miles west of Byron. 68% of it is public land, mostly national forest (42%) and BLM (19%). In 2025, 284 people hunted elk here and took 195 — 69% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 32 nonresident tags here for 75 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Hunt Area 54, 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-
0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
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54-2 Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 0 tags · 15 applicants · Regular— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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54-2 Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 1 tags · 6 applicants · needed 12 pts · Special0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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54-2 Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 3 tags · 3 applicants · needed 0 pts · Landowner100% Undersubscribed
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— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
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42% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
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54-7 Cow or calf valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 32 tags · 75 applicants · Reduced price43% Real chance 0% as 2nd choice
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54-7 Cow or calf valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 32 tags · 0 applicants · Landowner reduced price100% No first-choice applicants
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0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 54-1 ↗ Any elk valid south of the Clark's Fork River Any legal weapon | 0% Point builder | 0% | 20 +6 since 2021 | 2 / 69 | Regular | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-1 ↗ Any elk valid south of the Clark's Fork River Any legal weapon | 0% Point builder | 0% | 15 +1 since 2021 | 2 / 14 | Special | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-1 ↗ Any elk valid south of the Clark's Fork River Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 steady since 2024 | 6 / 4 undersubscribed | Landowner | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-2 ↗ Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 Any legal weapon | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — +4 since 2021 | 0 / 15 | Regular | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-2 ↗ Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 Any legal weapon | 0% Point builder | 0% | 12 +6 since 2021 | 1 / 6 | Special | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-2 ↗ Any elk valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 | 3 / 3 undersubscribed | Landowner | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-3 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — +2 since 2024 | 0 / 20 | Regular | Nov 1–30, 2026 |
| 54-3 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 0% Point builder | 0% | 11 +2 since 2024 | 1 / 2 | Special | Nov 1–30, 2026 |
| 54-3 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 steady since 2025 | 2 / 1 undersubscribed | Landowner | Nov 1–30, 2026 |
| 54-6 ↗ Cow or calf Any legal weapon | 42% Real chance | 0% | — | 8 / 19 | Reduced price | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-6 ↗ Cow or calf Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 8 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| 54-7 ↗ Cow or calf valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 Any legal weapon | 43% Real chance | 0% | — | 32 / 75 | Reduced price | Aug 15 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 54-7 ↗ Cow or calf valid north of the Clark's Fork River and west of Wyoming Highway 120 Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 32 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Aug 15 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 54-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 0% Point builder | 0% | 13 +3 since 2021 | 3 / 31 | Regular | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 54-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 0% Point builder | 0% | 10 −1 since 2021 | 2 / 8 | Special | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 54-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 steady since 2024 | 5 / 1 undersubscribed | 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 139,203 ac · 42%
- Private 107,250 ac · 32%
- BLM 62,958 ac · 19%
- State land 18,948 ac · 6%
- Bureau of Reclamation 3,184 ac · 1%
- Other public 2,285 ac · 1%
- County or city land 402 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 | 284 | 195 | 69% | 10.0 |
| 2024 | 283 | 148 | 52% | 11.8 |
| 2023 | 451 | 256 | 57% | 16.0 |
| 2022 | 453 | 197 | 44% | 19.9 |
| 2021 | 403 | 167 | 41% | 19.8 |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 14 · 7%
- Firearm 181 · 93%
Residents vs nonresidents (2025)
- Resident 160 taken · 233 hunters
- Nonresident 35 taken · 51 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