Wyoming Elk — Hunt Area 61
North Greybull River
Wyoming Hunt Area 61 covers 246,358 acres and lies 27 miles south of Cody and 46 miles north-east of Dubois. 69% of it is public land, mostly national forest (40%) and BLM (17%). In 2025, 955 people hunted elk here and took 537 — 56% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 80 nonresident tags here for 72 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Hunt Area 61, 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-
3% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
-
12% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
-
— Not open to nonresidents 0% as 2nd choice
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0% Point builder
-
86% Likely draw
-
100% Undersubscribed 25% as 2nd choice
-
100% No first-choice applicants
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100% No first-choice applicants
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28% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
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61-7 Cow or calf valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land or north of and including the Rawhide Cre… 80 tags · 72 applicants · Reduced price100% Undersubscribed 15% as 2nd choice
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61-7 Cow or calf valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land or north of and including the Rawhide Cre… 80 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% No first-choice applicants
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 61-1 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 3% Point builder | 0% | 13 +2 since 2021 | 9 / 105 | Regular | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 61-1 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 12% Point builder | 0% | 10 −1 since 2021 | 6 / 23 | Special | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 61-1 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 15 / 0 | Landowner | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 61-2 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | Not open to nonresidents | 0% | — +2 since 2021 | 0 / 28 | Regular | Oct 7 – Nov 15, 2026 |
| 61-2 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 0% Point builder | — | 11 −2 since 2021 | 1 / 5 | Special | Oct 7 – Nov 15, 2026 |
| 61-2 ↗ Any elk Any legal weapon | 86% Likely draw | — | 0 steady since 2024 | 6 / 7 | Landowner | Oct 7 – Nov 15, 2026 |
| 61-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | 25% | 0 steady since 2021 | 12 / 9 undersubscribed | Regular | Oct 15 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 6 / 0 | Special | Oct 15 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-4 ↗ Antlerless elk Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 12 / 0 | Landowner | Oct 15 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-6 ↗ Cow or calf Any legal weapon | 28% Long shot | 0% | — | 48 / 172 | Reduced price | Nov 7 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-6 ↗ Cow or calf Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 48 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Nov 7 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-7 ↗ Cow or calf valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land or north of and including the Rawhide Cre… Any legal weapon | 100% Undersubscribed | 15% | — | 80 / 72 undersubscribed | Reduced price | Sep 1 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-7 ↗ Cow or calf valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land or north of and including the Rawhide Cre… Any legal weapon | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 80 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Sep 1 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 61-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 0% Point builder | 0% | 8 steady since 2025 | 2 / 12 | Regular | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 61-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 0% Point builder | 0% | 8 +6 since 2024 | 2 / 14 | Special | Sep 1–30, 2026 |
| 61-9 ↗ Any elk, archery only Archery | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 3 / 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 97,597 ac · 40%
- Private 75,284 ac · 31%
- BLM 41,978 ac · 17%
- State land 31,497 ac · 13%
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 | 955 | 537 | 56% | 9.4 |
| 2024 | 990 | 341 | 34% | 14.9 |
| 2023 | 876 | 698 | 80% | 7.0 |
| 2022 | 944 | 653 | 69% | 6.3 |
| 2021 | 938 | 521 | 56% | 9.0 |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 28 · 5%
- Firearm 509 · 95%
Residents vs nonresidents (2025)
- Resident 312 taken · 500 hunters
- Nonresident 225 taken · 455 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