Elk Hunt Area 16, Shirley Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 16 (Shirley Mountain) covers 1,756 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 52.4% public land, most of it BLM (503,742 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 990 active hunters took 562 elk here, 56.8% success. The 2026 season table lists 9 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 landBureau of ReclamationNational wildlife refugeOther public (state parks, military)Area 16Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region (also Casper and Lander) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Shirley Mountain (534) |
| Size | 1,756 square miles (1,123,976 acres) |
| Public land | 52.4% (588,539 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 562 (56.8% of 990 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2, Type 4, Type 6, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Hanna, Medicine Bow, Sinclair and Rawlins |
How much public land is in Elk Area 16?
52.4% of elk Area 16 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 588,539 of 1,123,976 acres. The largest share is BLM, 503,742 acres or 44.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 16 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 503,742 | 44.8% |
| State trust land | 74,715 | 6.6% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 19,367 | 1.7% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 10,082 | 0.9% |
| National wildlife refuge | 79 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 74,779 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 40,798 acres next to other public land, 16,783 acres no known public access, 15,800 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,398 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 16
Hunter Management Areas: Hanna Draw (88,389 acres here), East Division (39,414 acres here), Missouri John (19,159 acres here), Beer Mug (11,780 acres here), Pine Draw (11,348 acres here) and Shirley Basin (5,401 acres here) and 2 more. Walk-In Hunting: 4 areas covering 10,440 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 16?
WGFD estimates 562 elk were taken in elk Area 16 in 2025: 229 bulls, 3 spikes, 297 cows and 33 calves. 990 hunters hunted, and 56.8% of them took an animal. Residents: 807 hunters, 57.1% success; nonresidents: 183 hunters, 55.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 990 | 562 | 229 | 3 | 297 | 33 | 56.8% | 8,475 | 15.1 |
| 2024 | 1,023 | 562 | 262 | 5 | 261 | 34 | 54.9% | 7,323 | 13.0 |
| 2023 | 859 | 680 | 247 | 0 | 361 | 72 | 79.2% | 6,959 | 10.2 |
| 2022 | 846 | 471 | 197 | 5 | 232 | 37 | 55.7% | 5,914 | 12.6 |
| 2021 | 827 | 501 | 188 | 0 | 268 | 45 | 60.6% | 5,638 | 11.3 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 258 | 248 | 170 | 68.5% | 2,414 |
| Type 2 | 102 | 102 | 70 | 68.6% | 876 |
| Type 4 | 304 | 277 | 148 | 53.4% | 2,464 |
| Type 6 | 300 | 263 | 92 | 35% | 2,219 |
| Type 7 | 201 | 143 | 82 | 57.3% | 502 |
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 16 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 16:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 275 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 2 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | 125 | Any elk |
| Type 2 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 4 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | 300 | Antlerless elk valid on private land; also valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land | |
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk valid in the entire area | |
| Type 6 | Aug 15 to Sep 30 | 300 | Cow or calf valid on private land; also valid on or within one-half (1/2) mile of irrigated land | |
| Type 6 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | Cow or calf valid in the entire area | ||
| Type 7 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | 200 | Cow or calf |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), pages 2 to 3. 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 16?
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 | 3 | 591 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 118 | not published | |
| Residents | 207 | 2,027 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 11 | 602 | 11 | 18 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 8 | 126 | 8 | 17 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 3 | 421 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 85 | not published | |
| Residents | 97 | 727 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 9 | 430 | 9 | 18 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 91 | 6 | 18 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 10 | 26 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 5 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 252 | 251 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 30 | 56 | 30 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 15 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 48 | 212 | not published | |
| Residents | 248 | 607 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 32 | 70 | not published | |
| Residents | 168 | 199 | 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.
How do you get to Elk Area 16?
Highways through the area: WY 487 (about 44 miles inside it), WY 77 (about 22 miles inside it), US 287 (about 17 miles inside it), US 30 (about 17 miles inside it) and I-80 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Hanna. Nearby: Medicine Bow (on the line), Sinclair (6 miles), Rawlins (10 miles) and Elk Mountain (13 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 16?
Elk Area 16 touches 8 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 7 | Laramie Peak | 4,042 | 28.5% | 2,386 (2025) |
| Area 11 | Medicine Bow River | 692 | 33.8% | 393 (2025) |
| Area 12 | Kennaday Peak | 446 | 56.5% | 561 (2025) |
| Area 19 | Muddy Mountain | 743 | 45% | 287 (2025) |
| Area 23 | Rattlesnake | 1,265 | 52.9% | 204 (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 16?
52.4% of elk Area 16 is public land: 588,539 of its 1,123,976 acres, the largest share BLM (503,742 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 16?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 56.8%: 990 active hunters took 562 elk. In 2024 it was 54.9% (562 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 16 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 16?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 5 limited quota hunts for elk Area 16. The largest, Type 4, had 312 licenses and 339 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 16?
Hanna is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Medicine Bow (on the line), Sinclair (6 miles) and Rawlins (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), pages 2 to 3.
- 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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