Elk Hunt Area 127, Crowheart Butte: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 127 (Crowheart Butte) covers 3,080 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 0% public land, most of it national forest (199 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 122 active hunters took 54 elk here, 44.3% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 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 landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 127Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region (also Cody) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Wiggins Fork (635) |
| Size | 3,080 square miles (1,971,428 acres) |
| Public land | 0% (265 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 336 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 54 (44.3% of 122 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Aug 1 to Oct 31 (Any elk); Nov 1 to Jan 31 (Antlerless elk) |
| Towns in and near it | Riverton, Pavillion, Ethete, Hudson, Lander and Shoshoni |
How much public land is in Elk Area 127?
0% of elk Area 127 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 265 of 1,971,428 acres. The largest share is national forest, 199 acres or 0% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 127 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 1,970,731 | 100% |
| National forest | 199 | under 0.1% |
| BLM | 64 | under 0.1% |
| State trust land | 2 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 6,311 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 5,106 acres road access or reached from other state land, 1,175 acres no known public access, 20 acres access not yet researched and 10 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.
Designated wilderness: Bridger Wilderness (187 acres), Fitzpatrick Wilderness (78 acres) and Washakie Wilderness (71 acres). A nonresident hunting big game in a designated wilderness area must be accompanied by a licensed professional guide or a resident guide (W.S. 23-2-401).
PAD-US maps 1,970,731 acres here inside the Wind River Reservation. Tribal land there is not open to hunting on Wyoming licenses; some ground inside the reservation line is private or managed by WGFD and follows its own rules.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 127
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Sand Mesa (19,357 acres here), Ocean Lake (11,252 acres here) and Spence and Moriarity (245 acres here). Public Access Areas: Killebrew (239 acres here), Mile High Ranch (114 acres here) and Kinnear Pond (55 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 6 areas covering 2,919 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 127?
WGFD estimates 54 elk were taken in elk Area 127 in 2025: 27 bulls, 3 spikes, 21 cows and 3 calves. 122 hunters hunted, and 44.3% of them took an animal. Residents: 103 hunters, 40.8% success; nonresidents: 19 hunters, 63.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 122 | 54 | 27 | 3 | 21 | 3 | 44.3% | 719 | 13.3 |
| 2024 | 108 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 25.9% | 529 | 18.9 |
| 2023 | 102 | 63 | 27 | 4 | 28 | 4 | 61.8% | 509 | 8.1 |
| 2022 | 129 | 62 | 33 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 48.1% | 804 | 13.0 |
| 2021 | 77 | 36 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 46.8% | 420 | 11.7 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | not limited | 122 | 54 | 44.3% | 719 |
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 127 in 2026?
General license seasons: August 1 to October 31 (any elk); November 1 to January 31 (antlerless elk). Every row WGFD prints for Area 127:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Aug 1 to Oct 31 | Any elk | ||
| General | Nov 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 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 127?
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.
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region W general license. In the 2026 draw it had 2,683 licenses; 5,652 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 1,208 were drawn.
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 127?
Highways through the area: US 26 (about 86 miles inside it), US 287 (about 58 miles inside it), WY 789 (about 40 miles inside it), WY 134 (about 24 miles inside it) and WY 137 (about 20 miles inside it). Towns inside: Riverton, Pavillion, Ethete, Johnstown, Crowheart and Arapahoe. Nearby: Hudson (on the line), Lander (2 miles), Shoshoni (2 miles) and Dubois (9 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 127?
Elk Area 127 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 25 | South Pass | 1,213 | 83.6% | 250 (2025) |
| Area 28 | Cony Mountain | 542 | 82% | 398 (2025) |
| Area 47 | Copper Mountain | 697 | 62.9% | 46 (2025) |
| Area 64 | Owl Creek | 1,022 | 34.8% | 197 (2025) |
| Area 67 | Wigins Fork | 700 | 80.4% | 953 (2025) |
| Area 69 | Whiskey Mountain | 332 | 93.4% | 115 (2025) |
| Area 97 | Pinedale | 473 | 83.5% | 140 (2025) |
| Area 98 | Boulder | 1,931 | 92.2% | 392 (2025) |
| Area 128 | Muskrat | 2,198 | 80.4% | 109 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 127?
0% of elk Area 127 is public land: 265 of its 1,971,428 acres, the largest share national forest (199 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 127?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 44.3%: 122 active hunters took 54 elk. In 2024 it was 25.9% (28 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 127 in 2026?
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.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 127?
Riverton, Pavillion and Ethete are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Hudson (on the line), Lander (2 miles) and Shoshoni (2 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 127?
Yes. Bridger Wilderness (187 acres), Fitzpatrick Wilderness (78 acres) and Washakie Wilderness (71 acres) lie inside it. Wyoming law requires a nonresident hunting big game in a designated wilderness area to be accompanied by a licensed professional guide or a resident guide (W.S. 23-2-401).
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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 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 Lander Region Area 25 Area 28 Area 47 Area 64 Area 67 Area 69 Area 97 Area 98 Area 128