Elk Hunt Area 125, Elk Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 125 (Elk Mountain) covers 288 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 33.3% public land, most of it BLM (46,578 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 297 active hunters took 218 elk here, 73.4% 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 125Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range (533) |
| Size | 288 square miles (184,032 acres) |
| Public land | 33.3% (61,211 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 218 (73.4% of 297 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 6 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Elk Mountain, Hanna and Saratoga |
How much public land is in Elk Area 125?
33.3% of elk Area 125 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 61,211 of 184,032 acres. The largest share is BLM, 46,578 acres or 25.3% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 125 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 46,578 | 25.3% |
| State trust land | 14,633 | 8% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 14,635 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 10,102 acres no known public access, 3,215 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,318 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 125
Hunter Management Area: Elk Mountain (5,476 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 480 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 125?
WGFD estimates 218 elk were taken in elk Area 125 in 2025: 118 bulls, 5 spikes, 92 cows and 3 calves. 297 hunters hunted, and 73.4% of them took an animal. Residents: 157 hunters, 70.1% success; nonresidents: 140 hunters, 77.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 297 | 218 | 118 | 5 | 92 | 3 | 73.4% | 1,539 | 7.1 |
| 2024 | 318 | 211 | 91 | 8 | 98 | 14 | 66.4% | 1,410 | 6.7 |
| 2023 | 260 | 177 | 85 | 3 | 73 | 16 | 68.1% | 1,253 | 7.1 |
| 2022 | 359 | 188 | 106 | 0 | 73 | 9 | 52.4% | 1,795 | 9.5 |
| 2021 | 423 | 223 | 86 | 0 | 128 | 9 | 52.7% | 2,786 | 12.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 203 | 172 | 126 | 73.3% | 792 |
| Type 6 | 199 | 162 | 92 | 56.8% | 747 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 20 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 125 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 125:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 250 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Jan 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | 300 | Cow or calf |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 22. 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 125?
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 | 5 | 58 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 3 | 27 | not published | |
| Residents | 208 | 103 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 17 | 75 | 17 | 5 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 12 | 41 | 14 | 4 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 47 | 40 | not published | |
| Residents | 252 | 34 | 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 125?
Highways through the area: I-80 (about 41 miles inside it), US 287 (about 17 miles inside it), US 30 (about 17 miles inside it), WY 72 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 130 (about 8 miles inside it). Nearby: Elk Mountain (on the line), Hanna (on the line), Saratoga (10 miles) and Sinclair (15 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 125?
Elk Area 125 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 11 | Medicine Bow River | 692 | 33.8% | 393 (2025) |
| Area 12 | Kennaday Peak | 446 | 56.5% | 561 (2025) |
| Area 16 | Shirley Mountain | 1,756 | 52.4% | 562 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 125?
33.3% of elk Area 125 is public land: 61,211 of its 184,032 acres, the largest share BLM (46,578 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 125?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 73.4%: 297 active hunters took 218 elk. In 2024 it was 66.4% (211 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 125 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 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 125?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 125. The largest, Type 6, had 299 licenses and 74 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 125?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Elk Mountain (on the line), Hanna (on the line) and Saratoga (10 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 22.
- 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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