Elk Hunt Area 12, Kennaday Peak: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 12 (Kennaday Peak) covers 446 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 56.5% public land, most of it national forest (89,649 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,433 active hunters took 561 elk here, 39.1% success. The 2026 season table lists 4 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 wildlife refugeArea 12Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range (533) |
| Size | 446 square miles (285,217 acres) |
| Public land | 56.5% (161,114 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 561 (39.1% of 1,433 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 (Any elk); Nov 1 to Nov 7 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 6, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Saratoga, Elk Mountain and Sinclair |
How much public land is in Elk Area 12?
56.5% of elk Area 12 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 161,114 of 285,217 acres. The largest share is national forest, 89,649 acres or 31.4% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 12 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 89,649 | 31.4% |
| BLM | 53,350 | 18.7% |
| State trust land | 18,115 | 6.4% |
| National wildlife refuge | 117 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 18,117 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 7,252 acres road access or reached from other state land, 6,320 acres next to other public land, 3,628 acres no known public access and 917 acres possible access by water. 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 12
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Pennock Mountain (10,174 acres here). Public Access Areas: Saratoga Lake (852 acres here), North Platte River-Sanger (95 acres here) and North Platte River-Rochelle (55 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Harrison Creek (2,505 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 2 areas covering 1,109 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 12?
WGFD estimates 561 elk were taken in elk Area 12 in 2025: 160 bulls, 34 spikes, 317 cows and 50 calves. 1,433 hunters hunted, and 39.1% of them took an animal. Residents: 1,111 hunters, 34.2% success; nonresidents: 322 hunters, 56.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,433 | 561 | 160 | 34 | 317 | 50 | 39.1% | 11,682 | 20.8 |
| 2024 | 1,562 | 713 | 240 | 53 | 371 | 49 | 45.6% | 11,780 | 16.5 |
| 2023 | 1,206 | 499 | 201 | 43 | 230 | 25 | 41.4% | 9,873 | 19.8 |
| 2022 | 1,237 | 474 | 174 | 37 | 236 | 27 | 38.3% | 9,752 | 20.6 |
| 2021 | 1,178 | 421 | 199 | 52 | 150 | 20 | 35.7% | 9,493 | 22.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 6 | 300 | 246 | 118 | 48% | 2,294 |
| Type 7 | 396 | 252 | 154 | 61.1% | 1,305 |
| General | not limited | 1,051 | 289 | 27.5% | 8,083 |
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 12 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 31 (any elk); November 1 to 7 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 12:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | Any elk | |
| General | Nov 1 to Nov 7 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 300 | Cow or calf |
| Type 7 also Areas 13, 15, 110 | Aug 15 to Jan 31 | 400 | Cow or calf valid on private land |
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 12?
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, reduced price, random | 48 | 191 | not published | |
| Residents | 252 | 298 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 64 | 84 | not published | |
| Residents | 319 | 135 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region S general license. In the 2026 draw it had 1,019 licenses; 2,680 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 459 were drawn.
Source: WGFD 2026 elk demand report, nonresident reduced price 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 12?
Highways through the area: WY 130 (about 32 miles inside it), I-80 (about 3 miles inside it), US 287 (about 3 miles inside it) and US 30 (about 3 miles inside it). Nearby: Saratoga (on the line), Elk Mountain (7 miles), Sinclair (9 miles) and Riverside (10 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 12?
Elk Area 12 touches 9 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 9 | South Snowy Range | 409 | 61.9% | 266 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rock Creek | 662 | 29.1% | 306 (2025) |
| Area 11 | Medicine Bow River | 692 | 33.8% | 393 (2025) |
| Area 15 | Spring Creek | 503 | 61.5% | 317 (2025) |
| Area 16 | Shirley Mountain | 1,756 | 52.4% | 562 (2025) |
| Area 110 | Upper Platte River | 457 | 72.7% | 596 (2025) |
| Area 111 | Seminoe | 919 | 57.7% | 165 (2025) |
| Area 125 | Elk Mountain | 288 | 33.3% | 218 (2025) |
| Area 130 | Bolten Rim | 268 | 46.8% | 4 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 12?
56.5% of elk Area 12 is public land: 161,114 of its 285,217 acres, the largest share national forest (89,649 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 12?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 39.1%: 1,433 active hunters took 561 elk. In 2024 it was 45.6% (713 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 12 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. 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 12?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 12. The largest, Type 7, had 383 licenses and 219 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 12?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Saratoga (on the line), Elk Mountain (7 miles) and Sinclair (9 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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