Wyoming Elk — Hunt Area 63
Wood River-Gooseberry Creek
Wyoming Hunt Area 63 covers 234,399 acres and lies 40 miles south of Cody. 70% of it is public land, mostly national forest (36%) and BLM (27%). In 2025, 538 people hunted elk here and took 278 — 52% of them killed something. The 2026 draw put up 32 nonresident tags here for 86 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every elk license type on offer in Hunt Area 63, 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-
<1% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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1% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
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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
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<1% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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3% Point builder 0% as 2nd choice
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100% Undersubscribed
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100% Likely draw 0% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants 50% as 2nd choice
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100% No first-choice applicants
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63-6 Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Gooseberry Creek 32 tags · 86 applicants · Reduced price37% Long shot 0% as 2nd choice
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63-6 Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Gooseberry Creek 32 tags · 0 applicants · Landowner reduced price100% No first-choice applicants
| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | As 2nd choice | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 63-1 ↗ Any elk | <1% Point builder | 0% | 17 +3 since 2021 | 7 / 222 | Regular | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-1 ↗ Any elk | 1% Point builder | 0% | 16 +3 since 2021 | 6 / 96 | Special | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-1 ↗ Any elk | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 steady since 2024 | 24 / 16 undersubscribed | Landowner | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-2 ↗ Any elk valid within the Washakie Wilderness | 0% Point builder | 0% | 17 +5 since 2021 | 3 / 13 | Regular | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-2 ↗ Any elk valid within the Washakie Wilderness | 0% Point builder | 0% | 10 −2 since 2021 | 3 / 16 | Special | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-2 ↗ Any elk valid within the Washakie Wilderness | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 5 / 0 | Landowner | Oct 1–21, 2026 |
| 63-3 ↗ Any elk | <1% Point builder | 0% | 15 +1 since 2022 | 5 / 108 | Regular | Nov 1–15, 2026 |
| 63-3 ↗ Any elk | 3% Point builder | 0% | 14 +1 since 2022 | 4 / 41 | Special | Nov 1–15, 2026 |
| 63-3 ↗ Any elk | 100% Undersubscribed | — | 0 −2 since 2024 | 9 / 1 undersubscribed | Landowner | Nov 1–15, 2026 |
| 63-4 ↗ Antlerless elk | 100% Likely draw | 0% | 0 steady since 2021 | 12 / 15 | Regular | Oct 1 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 63-4 ↗ Antlerless elk | 100% No first-choice applicants | 50% | — | 6 / 0 | Special | Oct 1 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 63-4 ↗ Antlerless elk | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 12 / 0 | Landowner | Oct 1 – Dec 21, 2026 |
| 63-6 ↗ Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Gooseberry Creek | 37% Long shot | 0% | — | 32 / 86 | Reduced price | Aug 15 – Oct 31, 2026 |
| 63-6 ↗ Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Gooseberry Creek | 100% No first-choice applicants | — | — | 32 / 0 | Landowner reduced price | Aug 15 – Oct 31, 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 84,335 ac · 36%
- Private 69,917 ac · 30%
- BLM 62,187 ac · 27%
- State land 17,804 ac · 8%
- County or city land 154 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 | 538 | 278 | 52% | 14.4 |
| 2024 | 556 | 264 | 48% | 14.2 |
| 2023 | 416 | 212 | 51% | 14.6 |
| 2022 | 422 | 191 | 45% | 15.9 |
| 2021 | 375 | 177 | 47% | 14.6 |
What people carried (2025 harvest)
- Archery 15 · 5%
- Firearm 263 · 95%
Residents vs nonresidents (2025)
- Resident 207 taken · 439 hunters
- Nonresident 71 taken · 99 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