Elk Hunt Area 116, North Black Hills: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 116 (North Black Hills) covers 2,296 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 19.4% public land, the largest part national forest (101,323 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,353 active hunters took 451 elk here, 33.3% success. The 2026 season table lists 3 license rows here, including general license seasons.
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 landNational park (no general hunting)Other public (state parks, military)Area 116Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region (also Sheridan) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Black Hills (740) |
| Size | 2,296 square miles (1,469,533 acres) |
| Public land | 19.4% (285,595 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 451 (33.3% of 1,353 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Nov 20 (Any elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Sundance, Upton and Pine Haven |
How much public land is in Elk Area 116?
19.4% of elk Area 116 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 285,595 of 1,469,533 acres. The largest share is national forest, 101,323 acres or 6.9% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 116 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 101,323 | 6.9% |
| State trust land | 99,347 | 6.8% |
| BLM | 84,925 | 5.8% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 15,830 | 1.1% |
| National park (no general hunting) | 1,349 | 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 99,349 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 64,033 acres no known public access, 29,356 acres road access or reached from other state land and 5,960 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.
1,349 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 116
Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 4,985 acres of private land enrolled in WGFD's Access Yes program.
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 116?
WGFD estimates 451 elk were taken in elk Area 116 in 2025: 233 bulls, 23 spikes, 153 cows and 42 calves. 1,353 hunters hunted, and 33.3% of them took an animal. Residents: 846 hunters, 29.7% success; nonresidents: 507 hunters, 39.4% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,353 | 451 | 233 | 23 | 153 | 42 | 33.3% | 11,651 | 25.8 |
| 2024 | 1,085 | 423 | 209 | 25 | 171 | 18 | 39% | 10,081 | 23.8 |
| 2023 | 908 | 232 | 120 | 4 | 72 | 36 | 25.6% | 6,822 | 29.4 |
| 2022 | 814 | 216 | 110 | 16 | 86 | 4 | 26.5% | 6,052 | 28.0 |
| 2021 | 933 | 257 | 135 | 10 | 87 | 25 | 27.5% | 7,191 | 28.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 100 | 86 | 39 | 45.3% | 540 |
| Type 8 | 672 | 518 | 171 | 33% | 4,480 |
| General | not limited | 814 | 241 | 29.6% | 6,631 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 19 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 116 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to November 20 (any elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 116:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 20 | Any elk | |
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Dec 31 | 100 | Any elk valid off national forest |
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), pages 20 to 21. 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 116?
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 | 99 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 15 | not published | |
| Residents | 84 | 78 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 7 | 108 | 9 | 7 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 21 | 6 | 3 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 56 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 66 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region E general license. In the 2026 draw it had 1,025 licenses; 1,017 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 489 were drawn.
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 116?
Highways through the area: I-90 (about 90 miles inside it), US 14 (about 70 miles inside it), WY 24 (about 46 miles inside it), WY 112 (about 29 miles inside it) and WY 116 (about 21 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sundance, Upton, Pine Haven, Moorcroft, Hulett and Beulah.
Which elk hunt areas border Area 116?
Elk Area 116 touches 3 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 117 | South Black Hills | 758 | 22.4% | 664 (2025) |
| Area 126 | Lost Springs | 5,489 | 18% | 367 (2025) |
| Area 129 | Non-Herd Unit | 7,750 | 18.3% | 1,087 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 116?
19.4% of elk Area 116 is public land: 285,595 of its 1,469,533 acres, the largest share national forest (101,323 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 116?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 33.3%: 1,353 active hunters took 451 elk. In 2024 it was 39% (423 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 116 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens August 1 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 116?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 116. The largest, Type 1, had 100 licenses and 321 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 116?
Sundance, Upton and Pine Haven are inside the hunt area.
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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), pages 20 to 21.
- 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.
Wyoming hunting Elk hunt areas Casper Region Area 117 Area 126 Area 129