Elk Hunt Area 118, Shamrock Hills: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 118 (Shamrock Hills) covers 1,093 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 66.4% public land, most of it BLM (448,207 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 176 active hunters took 112 elk here, 63.6% success. The 2026 season table lists 3 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.
BLMState trust landArea 118Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Shamrock (643) |
| Size | 1,093 square miles (699,721 acres) |
| Public land | 66.4% (464,623 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 112 (63.6% of 176 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 4, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Rawlins, Bairoil, Wamsutter and Sinclair |
How much public land is in Elk Area 118?
66.4% of elk Area 118 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 464,623 of 699,721 acres. The largest share is BLM, 448,207 acres or 64.1% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 118 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 448,207 | 64.1% |
| State trust land | 16,416 | 2.3% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 16,428 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 9,358 acres next to other public land, 4,588 acres no known public access and 2,482 acres road access or reached from other state 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 118
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Chain Lakes (62,387 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 9,302 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 118?
WGFD estimates 112 elk were taken in elk Area 118 in 2025: 52 bulls, 0 spikes, 56 cows and 4 calves. 176 hunters hunted, and 63.6% of them took an animal. Residents: 146 hunters, 63.7% success; nonresidents: 30 hunters, 63.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 176 | 112 | 52 | 0 | 56 | 4 | 63.6% | 1,053 | 9.4 |
| 2024 | 193 | 94 | 52 | 0 | 30 | 12 | 48.7% | 1,289 | 13.7 |
| 2023 | 110 | 89 | 30 | 2 | 48 | 9 | 80.9% | 545 | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 112 | 79 | 31 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 70.5% | 471 | 6.0 |
| 2021 | 84 | 57 | 20 | 0 | 35 | 2 | 67.9% | 518 | 9.1 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 78 | 78 | 52 | 66.7% | 569 |
| Type 4 | 50 | 45 | 25 | 55.6% | 197 |
| Type 6 | 74 | 69 | 35 | 50.7% | 287 |
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 118 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 118:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 22 to Nov 12 | 75 | Antlered elk |
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 22 to Nov 30 | 50 | Antlerless elk |
| Type 7 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 75 | Cow or calf valid south of the Mineral X Road (Sweetwater County Road 63 and B.L.M. Road 3206) |
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 118?
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 | 1 | 16 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 15 | not published | |
| Residents | 55 | 240 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 22 | 6 | 10 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 4 | 19 | 4 | 14 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 41 | 2 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 12 | 34 | not published | |
| Residents | 63 | 85 | 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.
How do you get to Elk Area 118?
Highways through the area: WY 789 (about 44 miles inside it), I-80 (about 41 miles inside it), US 30 (about 41 miles inside it) and US 287 (about 16 miles inside it). Towns inside: Rawlins. Nearby: Bairoil (on the line), Wamsutter (on the line) and Sinclair (4 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 118?
Elk Area 118 touches 7 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 22 | Ferris | 325 | 87.6% | 123 (2025) |
| Area 24 | Green Mountain | 679 | 90.7% | 216 (2025) |
| Area 100 | Steamboat | 3,735 | 72.6% | 425 (2025) |
| Area 108 | South Rawlins | 574 | 50.7% | 325 (2025) |
| Area 111 | Seminoe | 919 | 57.7% | 165 (2025) |
| Area 124 | Powder Rim | 2,869 | 70.2% | 220 (2025) |
| Area 130 | Bolten Rim | 268 | 46.8% | 4 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 118?
66.4% of elk Area 118 is public land: 464,623 of its 699,721 acres, the largest share BLM (448,207 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 118?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 63.6%: 176 active hunters took 112 elk. In 2024 it was 48.7% (94 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 118 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 30, 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 118?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for elk Area 118. The largest, Type 7, had 75 licenses and 119 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 118?
Rawlins is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Bairoil (on the line), Wamsutter (on the line) and Sinclair (4 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 Lander Region Area 22 Area 24 Area 100 Area 108 Area 111 Area 124 Area 130