Elk Hunt Area 11, Medicine Bow River: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 11 (Medicine Bow River) covers 692 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 33.8% public land, the largest part BLM (55,835 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 729 active hunters took 393 elk here, 53.9% success. The 2026 season table lists 7 license rows here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 7, final April 2026. Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports. Land: PAD-US 4.1 and the Office of State Lands, read 2026-10-18.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 11Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range (533) |
| Size | 692 square miles (442,920 acres) |
| Public land | 33.8% (149,855 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 393 (53.9% of 729 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2, Type 4, Type 6, Type 9 |
| Special archery opens | September 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Rock River, Elk Mountain, Arlington, Medicine Bow, Hanna and Saratoga |
How much public land is in Elk Area 11?
33.8% of elk Area 11 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 149,855 of 442,920 acres. The largest share is BLM, 55,835 acres or 12.6% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 11 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 55,835 | 12.6% |
| National forest | 54,835 | 12.4% |
| State trust land | 39,185 | 8.8% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 39,190 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 26,304 acres no known public access, 11,081 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,805 acres next to other public land. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 11
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Wick Brothers/Beumee (23,425 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Simpson Ridge (41,062 acres here), Medicine Bow River (23,011 acres here) and Diamond Lake (3,912 acres here).
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD elk hunt areas) from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Access areas: WGFD's WHMA, PAA, HMA and Walk-In boundaries. Wilderness: USFS wilderness boundaries as WGFD publishes them.
How many elk are harvested in Elk Area 11?
WGFD estimates 393 elk were taken in elk Area 11 in 2025: 157 bulls, 10 spikes, 190 cows and 36 calves. 729 hunters hunted, and 53.9% of them took an animal. Residents: 584 hunters, 51.9% success; nonresidents: 145 hunters, 62.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 729 | 393 | 157 | 10 | 190 | 36 | 53.9% | 6,000 | 15.3 |
| 2024 | 716 | 377 | 138 | 1 | 220 | 18 | 52.7% | 5,765 | 15.3 |
| 2023 | 631 | 306 | 115 | 12 | 143 | 36 | 48.5% | 5,866 | 19.2 |
| 2022 | 664 | 280 | 124 | 6 | 132 | 18 | 42.2% | 6,323 | 22.6 |
| 2021 | 658 | 311 | 98 | 4 | 182 | 27 | 47.3% | 5,607 | 18.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 202 | 190 | 122 | 64.2% | 1,714 |
| Type 2 | 48 | 46 | 36 | 78.3% | 352 |
| Type 4 | 100 | 82 | 27 | 32.9% | 495 |
| Type 6 | 451 | 398 | 184 | 46.2% | 2,591 |
| Type 9 | 78 | 78 | 24 | 30.8% | 848 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 9 of the PDF; earlier years from 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021. WGFD counts a hunter as active if he hunted. Days per animal is worked out from WGFD's own two figures. A bull, in WGFD's tables, is a branch-antlered bull; spikes are counted apart.
When is elk season in Elk Area 11 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 11:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 150 | Any elk |
| Type 2 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 100 | Any elk | |
| Type 2 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Any elk valid off national forest | ||
| Type 4 | Sep 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | 100 | Antlerless elk |
| Type 6 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | 450 | Cow or calf valid off national forest and off the Wick Wildlife Habitat Management | |
| Type 6 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | Cow or calf | ||
| Type 9 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | 75 | Any elk, archery only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 2. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
What did the 2026 draw look like in Elk Area 11?
From WGFD's 2026 initial drawing demand reports: each limited quota hunt's licenses, its first-choice applicants in each drawing, how many were drawn in the preference point drawings, and the fewest points that drew. WGFD does not publish how many drew in the random drawings. The rules for points and the deadlines are on the Wyoming draw page.
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 124 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 32 | not published | |
| Residents | 112 | 789 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 8 | 134 | 10 | 15 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 38 | 6 | 11 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 41 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 82 | 167 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 8 | 49 | 8 | 7 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 3 | 16 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 84 | 66 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 10 | 26 | 10 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 72 | 215 | not published | |
| Residents | 377 | 482 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 52 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 18 | not published | |
| Residents | 62 | 150 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 58 | 6 | 12 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 4 | 22 | 4 | 11 |
Source: WGFD 2026 elk demand report, nonresident preference point drawing and the other 2026 demand reports on WGFD's draw results page. Applicants who miss in a nonresident preference point drawing go on to the random drawing, so one person can be counted in both. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Elk Area 11?
Highways through the area: US 30 (about 41 miles inside it), US 287 (about 41 miles inside it), I-80 (about 39 miles inside it), WY 13 (about 18 miles inside it) and WY 72 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Rock River, Elk Mountain and Arlington. Nearby: Medicine Bow (on the line), Hanna (on the line) and Saratoga (19 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 11?
Elk Area 11 touches 5 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 7 | Laramie Peak | 4,042 | 28.5% | 2,386 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rock Creek | 662 | 29.1% | 306 (2025) |
| Area 12 | Kennaday Peak | 446 | 56.5% | 561 (2025) |
| Area 16 | Shirley Mountain | 1,756 | 52.4% | 562 (2025) |
| Area 125 | Elk Mountain | 288 | 33.3% | 218 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 11?
33.8% of elk Area 11 is public land: 149,855 of its 442,920 acres, the largest share BLM (55,835 acres). Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's boundary from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data.
What is the hunter success in Elk Area 11?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 53.9%: 729 active hunters took 393 elk. In 2024 it was 52.7% (377 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 11 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 15. The earliest regular season row opens August 15 and the latest closes January 31, by WGFD Commission Chapter 7. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
How many licenses were in the 2026 draw for Elk Area 11?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 5 limited quota hunts for elk Area 11. The largest, Type 6, had 449 licenses and 697 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 11?
Rock River, Elk Mountain and Arlington are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Medicine Bow (on the line), Hanna (on the line) and Saratoga (19 miles).
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: WGFD elk harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 2.
- Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports; deadlines and fees on the Wyoming draw page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD elk hunt areas. Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land). Highways and towns: Census TIGER/Line 2024 and the 2024 Gazetteer.
FilledTag is not part of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Numbers are copied from WGFD and the other agencies named, or measured by FilledTag from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag. WGFD's regulations are the final word on every rule.
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