Elk Hunt Area 128, Muskrat: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 128 (Muskrat) covers 2,198 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 80.4% public land, most of it BLM (1,024,484 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 383 active hunters took 109 elk here, 28.5% 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.
BLMState trust landWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 128Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Green Mountain (638) |
| Size | 2,198 square miles (1,406,497 acres) |
| Public land | 80.4% (1,131,500 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 109 (28.5% of 383 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 7 (Any elk); Oct 8 to Oct 14 (Antlerless elk) |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Shoshoni, Riverton and Bairoil |
How much public land is in Elk Area 128?
80.4% of elk Area 128 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,131,500 of 1,406,497 acres. The largest share is BLM, 1,024,484 acres or 72.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 128 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 1,024,484 | 72.8% |
| State trust land | 107,016 | 7.6% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 315 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 107,215 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 75,520 acres next to other public land, 26,045 acres road access or reached from other state land, 5,488 acres no known public access and 162 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.
PAD-US maps 315 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 128
Hunter Management Area: Rattlesnake Mountain (3,658 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 17 areas covering 63,949 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 128?
WGFD estimates 109 elk were taken in elk Area 128 in 2025: 55 bulls, 3 spikes, 48 cows and 3 calves. 383 hunters hunted, and 28.5% of them took an animal. Residents: 365 hunters, 26.3% success; nonresidents: 18 hunters, 72.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 383 | 109 | 55 | 3 | 48 | 3 | 28.5% | 1,868 | 17.1 |
| 2024 | 426 | 112 | 70 | 18 | 19 | 5 | 26.3% | 2,037 | 18.2 |
| 2023 | 309 | 113 | 57 | 11 | 33 | 12 | 36.6% | 1,275 | 11.3 |
| 2022 | 279 | 59 | 33 | 4 | 22 | 0 | 21.1% | 1,177 | 19.9 |
| 2021 | 289 | 78 | 47 | 23 | 8 | 0 | 27% | 1,292 | 16.6 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 151 | 10 | 0 | 0% | 17 |
| Type 4 | 200 | 10 | 0 | 0% | 33 |
| Type 5 | 176 | 8 | 1 | 12.5% | 72 |
| Type 6 | 200 | 22 | 5 | 22.7% | 112 |
| General | not limited | 338 | 103 | 30.5% | 1,634 |
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 128 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 7 (any elk); October 8 to 14 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 128:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 7 | Any elk | |
| General | Oct 8 to Oct 14 | 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 128?
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 128?
Highways through the area: US 26 (about 39 miles inside it), WY 789 (about 37 miles inside it), US 20 (about 36 miles inside it), US 287 (about 34 miles inside it) and WY 136 (about 32 miles inside it). Nearby: Shoshoni (on the line), Riverton (9 miles), Bairoil (11 miles) and Hudson (15 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 128?
Elk Area 128 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 22 | Ferris | 325 | 87.6% | 123 (2025) |
| Area 23 | Rattlesnake | 1,265 | 52.9% | 204 (2025) |
| Area 24 | Green Mountain | 679 | 90.7% | 216 (2025) |
| Area 25 | South Pass | 1,213 | 83.6% | 250 (2025) |
| Area 47 | Copper Mountain | 697 | 62.9% | 46 (2025) |
| Area 48 | Upper Nowood | 930 | 58.1% | 420 (2025) |
| Area 111 | Seminoe | 919 | 57.7% | 165 (2025) |
| Area 120 | Buffalo Creek | 1,451 | 65.9% | 192 (2025) |
| Area 127 | Crowheart Butte | 3,080 | 0% | 54 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 128?
80.4% of elk Area 128 is public land: 1,131,500 of its 1,406,497 acres, the largest share BLM (1,024,484 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 128?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 28.5%: 383 active hunters took 109 elk. In 2024 it was 26.3% (112 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 128 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes October 14, 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 128?
No town is inside it. The nearest are Shoshoni (on the line), Riverton (9 miles) and Bairoil (11 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 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 22 Area 23 Area 24 Area 25 Area 47 Area 48 Area 111 Area 120 Area 127