WYOMING'S TOP HUNTS
Back to Top Hunts by State

By Species:

ELK

 DEER PRONGHORN
BIGHORN SHEEP MOOSE MOUNTAIN GOAT
BUFFALO    

WYOMING ELK

  1. Area 113: Only open for antlered Elk Hunting every 3 years. Huge Bulls and an easy hunt.
  2. Area 7: Quite a bit of private land, with a good map a hunter can kill a really big bull. 400 inch bulls in the unit
  3. Area 24: This hunt has a rather short season, but has a lot of good bulls.
  4. Area 100: Unique opportunity to hunt elk in a desert setting. Mostly smaller 6 points with a few non-typical bulls.
  5. Area 30: Pinion Juniper Country with a lot of good bulls.
  6. Area 31: This is a really fun hunt. Roads make this small unit very accessible. This hunt is not what it was a few years ago. You should see a lot of elk, but not very many really big ones. This should be a fun hunt for a bowhunter looking to kill any six point bull.
  7. *General: Wyoming's General Elk Hunt provides good opportunity for hunters to harvest some very nice bulls. Every year open and public season elk hunters harvest many bulls exceeding 350 inches. But don't go into this hunt expecting to kill a bull much over 300". If you hunt hard, have access to horses, and know some of the areas, mature six points can be killed consistently.

WYOMING DEER

  1. Area 82: This hunt has potential for some very big bucks. There are a very limited number of tags and the end of the hunt usually catches the beginning of the rut, increasing your chances of finding a doe-hungry monster.
  2. Area 119: This hunt also catches the Mule Deer rut. A lot of Nice bucks on this unit during the hunt.
  3. Area 87: This is a great hunt for a 170 class buck. There are bigger bucks around, hunt hard, you'll find a nice one.
  4. Area 157/170 type 3: Whitetail hunt. A lot of private land, access can be obtained from a few landowners.
  5. Area 102: This unit is full of deer with a few really big bucks.
  6. General Regions: Wyoming's General regions can be purchased by residents OTC, and can be drawn with few (1-3) points by non-residents. These units provide good opportunity for hunters to harvest big bucks, Especially in the western side of the state. This is very rugged country, horses, ATV's, and preseason scouting are recommended.

WYOMING PRONGHORN (ANTELOPE)

If you are looking for an Antelope hunt, Wyoming is the place to go. As far as opportunity goes, it can't be beat and nearly every hunt area has big bucks. It's just a matter of putting in the time and finding the buck you are after. While many states have excellent Antelope hunting, a hunt in Wyoming can be done nearly every year on leftover licenses and ever 2-4 years in a great units with some high quality animals. To learn more about leftover license antelope hunting read our featured article: Wyoming's Second Chance Antelope.

  1. Area 58: This unit has some very big Antelope, a lot ofpublic land, and low pressure due to a very limited number of available tags.
  2. Area 57: This unit also has some very big Antelope, a good amount of public land and few tags.
  3. Area 60: This unit is similar to the above units. Big bucks, public land and few tags.
  4. Area 61: Also similar to above mentioned units. A ton of public land, few tags and a chance for a great buck.
  5. Area 63: This unit is relatively easy to draw. Mostly Public land with some really nice bucks.
  6. Area 75: Good area, fairly easy to draw with a few points.
  7. Area 88, 89, 93, and bordering units: These are good units as well. Any unit in this part of the state is full of antelope. These units are great if you happen to have a region H or G deer tag or an elk tag for the Wyoming range. Would make a great combo hunt with a chance for a buck over 15 inches.
  8. Area 85: Antelope hunt in the shadow of the Tetons. Only 15 tags and a long season will make for a very memorable hunt. Can't beat the scenery.

WYOMING BIGHORN SHEEP

Montana may be the mecca of sheep hunting, but don't overlook Wyoming. While you probably won't be passing up 180 rams hoping for a larger one. A few units in Wyoming have very healthy sheep herds and are a great place to get a crack at a 160 - 170 inch ram, with a few larger taken every year.

  1. Area 5 Sheep
    This Ram was taken in Wyoming's Area 5 in 2009.
    Area 24: This hunt is for max point holders only. Only one tag is available and it alternates between residents and non-residents each year. No wilderness on this unit, which is great for non-residents looking to kill a big ram on their own. Hunt this with a deer tag in your pocket because there is potential to see a big buck while sheep hunting.
  2. Area 5: This is a great sheep area. There are a lot of available tags, and a lot of animals. These tags can be drawn in the random draw because there are a lot of available tags. Opportunity is high on this hunt, but I wouldn't pass up a ram over 165 unless you know of a bigger one. This hunt consists of a lot of wilderness area which may make it difficult as a DIY hunt for some non-residents.
  3. Area 12: This unit has only been open for a couple of years. There is only one tag available and there is also no wilderness on this hunt.only open for 3 years, 1 tag, no wilderness. Recommended for max point holders.
  4. Area 4: This unit is similar to area 5. A lot of tags, mostly wilderness. There are a few 170+ rams taken on this unit every year. A 160 ram is a really nice ram for this unit.

WYOMING MOOSE

Wyoming moose hunting has historically been about as good as it gets. In recent years the northwest side of the state has seen a decrease in moose populations. That being said, there are still a few good bulls to be found in these units. Any unit in the state has good bulls, as of 2009 you will be looking at needing 7-10 preference points as a non-resident and 10-11 as a resident to draw a decent tag. If you are hoping for one of the best tags in the state, you'll need to add a couple more points.

  1. Area 38: Snowy Range. This unit is considered the best in the state. You should be able to find a record book bull. Not many tags and a difficult draw.
  2. Area 42: Bighorn Mountains. This is a great unit with a lot of big bulls. Difficult draw, about 5 tags available.
  3. Area 1: Difficult to draw, big bulls.
  4. Area 27: This is a decent unit that is a much easier draw than the above mentioned units. Don't expect the quality of bulls as the above units, but there is a decent chance for a book bull.

WYOMING MOUNTAIN GOAT

Wyoming only has 2 hunt areas for mountain goats. Area 1 is in the Beartooth range, and is probably a wilderness hunt. Area 2 is in the Snake River range, without wilderness, which may be important to non-residents. Either of these hunts would make for a great hunt. These hunts are drawn at random and are very difficult to draw. Odds are generally less than 1%.

WYOMING BISON

Wyoming Bison hunts are drawn in a numbered lottery system. After applying you are assigned a priority ranking. A certain amount of tags are given out to those who drew the lowest numbers. Assigned weeks are given to hunt on the Jackson Elk Refuge. 2009 proved to be the hardest bison hunt yet, as the outfitters and hunters pressure the buffalo along the borders of the unit. As a result there has been a significant decline in hunter success.

Keep this in mind when applying for this hunt, it will take some effort, and time to get away from the crowd and find a legal animal.