Elk Hunt Area 126, Lost Springs: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 126 (Lost Springs) covers 5,489 square miles in WGFD's Casper Region and is 18% public land, the largest part state trust land (279,485 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 955 active hunters took 367 elk here, 38.4% success. The 2026 season table lists 5 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 landArea 126Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Casper Region (also Sheridan) |
|---|---|
| Size | 5,489 square miles (3,513,266 acres) |
| Public land | 18% (631,232 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 367 (38.4% of 955 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 (Any elk valid in Weston County); Oct 1 to Oct 31 (Any elk valid in the entire area); Nov 1 to Dec 31 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Lusk, Van Tassell, Manville, Upton, Newcastle and Douglas |
How much public land is in Elk Area 126?
18% of elk Area 126 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 631,232 of 3,513,266 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 279,485 acres or 8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 126 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 279,485 | 8% |
| BLM | 207,096 | 5.9% |
| National forest | 144,651 | 4.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 279,531 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 151,472 acres road access or reached from other state land, 106,753 acres no known public access, 21,107 acres next to other public land, 159 acres access not yet researched and 40 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 126
Public Access Areas: Ogalalla Ranch (3,524 acres here) and North Platte River-Bixby (33 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 24 areas covering 118,282 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 126?
WGFD estimates 367 elk were taken in elk Area 126 in 2025: 159 bulls, 23 spikes, 173 cows and 12 calves. 955 hunters hunted, and 38.4% of them took an animal. Residents: 648 hunters, 31% success; nonresidents: 307 hunters, 54.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 955 | 367 | 159 | 23 | 173 | 12 | 38.4% | 6,870 | 18.7 |
| 2024 | 895 | 322 | 139 | 12 | 157 | 14 | 36% | 8,503 | 26.4 |
| 2023 | 579 | 280 | 139 | 16 | 107 | 18 | 48.4% | 3,728 | 13.3 |
| 2022 | 637 | 218 | 127 | 6 | 74 | 11 | 34.2% | 4,503 | 20.7 |
| 2021 | 512 | 181 | 116 | 3 | 52 | 10 | 35.4% | 3,273 | 18.1 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 8 | 464 | 393 | 161 | 41% | 2,348 |
| General | not limited | 598 | 206 | 34.4% | 4,522 |
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 126 in 2026?
General license seasons: September 1 to 30 (any elk valid in weston county); October 1 to 31 (any elk valid in the entire area); November 1 to December 31 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 126:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Any elk valid in Weston County | ||
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Any elk valid in the entire area | |
| General | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Oct 15 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid on private land | |
| Type 8 | Oct 16 to Jan 31 | Cow or calf valid in the entire area |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), pages 22 to 23. 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 126?
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 | no limit | 16 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 40 | 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 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 126?
Highways through the area: US 18 (about 82 miles inside it), US 85 (about 80 miles inside it), US 20 (about 65 miles inside it), WY 59 (about 40 miles inside it) and WY 450 (about 37 miles inside it). Towns inside: Lusk, Van Tassell, Manville, Lost Springs, Lance Creek and Hill View Heights. Nearby: Upton (on the line), Newcastle (on the line), Douglas (on the line) and Rolling Hills (on the line).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 126?
Elk Area 126 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 3 | Rawhide | 5,295 | 8.8% | 253 (2025) |
| Area 7 | Laramie Peak | 4,042 | 28.5% | 2,386 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Muddy Mountain | 743 | 45% | 287 (2025) |
| Area 113 | Rochelle Hills | 860 | 54.2% | 349 (2025) |
| Area 116 | North Black Hills | 2,296 | 19.4% | 451 (2025) |
| Area 117 | South Black Hills | 758 | 22.4% | 664 (2025) |
| Area 122 | Pine Ridge | 1,275 | 26.5% | 288 (2025) |
| Area 123 | Black Thunder | 626 | 32.5% | 266 (2025) |
| Area 129 | Non-Herd Unit | 7,750 | 18.3% | 1,087 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 126?
18% of elk Area 126 is public land: 631,232 of its 3,513,266 acres, the largest share state trust land (279,485 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 126?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 38.4%: 955 active hunters took 367 elk. In 2024 it was 36% (322 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 126 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 126?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for elk Area 126. Type 8 has no quota in Chapter 7; 56 applicants put it first.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 126?
Lusk, Van Tassell and Manville are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Upton (on the line), Newcastle (on the line) and Douglas (on the line).
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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 22 to 23.
- 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 3 Area 7 Area 19 Area 113 Area 116 Area 117 Area 122 Area 123 Area 129