Elk Hunt Area 117, South Black Hills: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 117 (South Black Hills) covers 758 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 22.4% public land, the largest part national forest (47,122 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,417 active hunters took 664 elk here, 46.9% success. The 2026 season table lists 5 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 117Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Black Hills (740) |
| Size | 758 square miles (485,258 acres) |
| Public land | 22.4% (108,883 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 664 (46.9% of 1,417 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 3, Type 6, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Newcastle, Osage, Sundance, Upton and Pine Haven |
How much public land is in Elk Area 117?
22.4% of elk Area 117 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 108,883 of 485,258 acres. The largest share is national forest, 47,122 acres or 9.7% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 117 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 47,122 | 9.7% |
| State trust land | 45,697 | 9.4% |
| BLM | 16,064 | 3.3% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 45,698 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 26,619 acres road access or reached from other state land, 15,555 acres no known public access and 3,524 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 117
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Sand Creek (289 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 7 areas covering 29,013 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 117?
WGFD estimates 664 elk were taken in elk Area 117 in 2025: 204 bulls, 38 spikes, 372 cows and 50 calves. 1,417 hunters hunted, and 46.9% of them took an animal. Residents: 995 hunters, 48% success; nonresidents: 422 hunters, 44.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,417 | 664 | 204 | 38 | 372 | 50 | 46.9% | 17,469 | 26.3 |
| 2024 | 1,520 | 846 | 189 | 72 | 487 | 98 | 55.7% | 15,416 | 18.2 |
| 2023 | 1,256 | 855 | 343 | 26 | 399 | 87 | 68.1% | 17,307 | 20.2 |
| 2022 | 1,163 | 556 | 188 | 41 | 289 | 38 | 47.8% | 12,907 | 23.2 |
| 2021 | 1,063 | 510 | 182 | 5 | 293 | 30 | 48% | 13,043 | 25.6 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 502 | 454 | 277 | 61% | 5,682 |
| Type 3 | 350 | 299 | 88 | 29.4% | 4,619 |
| Type 6 | 150 | 128 | 37 | 28.9% | 1,631 |
| Type 8 | 712 | 614 | 262 | 42.7% | 5,537 |
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 117 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 117:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Nov 30 | 500 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Jan 31 | 350 | Spike or antlerless elk |
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Jan 31 | 150 | Cow or calf |
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 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 117?
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 | 8 | 219 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 6 | 43 | not published | |
| Residents | 335 | 526 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 27 | 248 | 29 | 10 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 18 | 64 | 21 | 8 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 13 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 5 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 294 | 7 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 39 | 18 | 18 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 22 | 111 | not published | |
| Residents | 121 | 223 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 40 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 42 | not published |
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 117?
Highways through the area: WY 585 (about 27 miles inside it), US 85 (about 26 miles inside it), I-90 (about 20 miles inside it), US 14 (about 18 miles inside it) and US 16 (about 13 miles inside it). Towns inside: Newcastle and Osage. Nearby: Sundance (on the line), Upton (on the line), Pine Haven (17 miles) and Moorcroft (19 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 117?
Elk Area 117 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 1 | Black Hills | 100 | 89.1% | 98 (2025) |
| Area 116 | North Black Hills | 2,296 | 19.4% | 451 (2025) |
| Area 126 | Lost Springs | 5,489 | 18% | 367 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 117?
22.4% of elk Area 117 is public land: 108,883 of its 485,258 acres, the largest share national forest (47,122 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 117?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 46.9%: 1,417 active hunters took 664 elk. In 2024 it was 55.7% (846 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 117 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 117?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for elk Area 117. The largest, Type 1, had 394 licenses and 1,100 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 117?
Newcastle and Osage are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Sundance (on the line), Upton (on the line) and Pine Haven (17 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 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 1 Area 116 Area 126