Elk Hunt Area 27, Upper Sweetwater: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 27 (Upper Sweetwater) covers 118 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 93.8% public land, most of it national forest (43,136 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 134 active hunters took 47 elk here, 35.1% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 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.
National forestBLMState trust landArea 27Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | South Wind River (637) |
| Size | 118 square miles (75,394 acres) |
| Public land | 93.8% (70,693 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 4,936 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 47 (35.1% of 134 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 4 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Lander |
How much public land is in Elk Area 27?
93.8% of elk Area 27 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 70,693 of 75,394 acres. The largest share is national forest, 43,136 acres or 57.2% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 27 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 43,136 | 57.2% |
| BLM | 24,867 | 33% |
| State trust land | 2,690 | 3.6% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 2,692 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 2,625 acres next to other public land and 67 acres road access or reached from other state 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 (4,874 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (62 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).
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 27
Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 161 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 27?
WGFD estimates 47 elk were taken in elk Area 27 in 2025: 15 bulls, 0 spikes, 25 cows and 7 calves. 134 hunters hunted, and 35.1% of them took an animal. Residents: 113 hunters, 31% success; nonresidents: 21 hunters, 57.1% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 134 | 47 | 15 | 0 | 25 | 7 | 35.1% | 869 | 18.5 |
| 2024 | 168 | 51 | 16 | 0 | 31 | 4 | 30.4% | 1,398 | 27.4 |
| 2023 | 117 | 52 | 16 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 44.4% | 735 | 14.1 |
| 2022 | 92 | 39 | 15 | 0 | 22 | 2 | 42.4% | 668 | 17.1 |
| 2021 | 101 | 43 | 13 | 2 | 23 | 5 | 42.6% | 729 | 17.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 203 | 62 | 17 | 27.4% | 336 |
| Type 4 | 77 | 73 | 30 | 41.1% | 533 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 10 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 27 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 27:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 also Area 25 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 200 | Any elk |
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 20 | 75 | Antlerless elk |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), pages 4 to 5. 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 27?
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 | 10 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 63 | 82 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 9 | 19 | 9 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 4 | 189 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 3 | 48 | not published | |
| Residents | 140 | 971 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 13 | 202 | 13 | 13 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 9 | 57 | 9 | 10 |
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. A license valid in more than one area is listed under the first area WGFD prints for it.
How do you get to Elk Area 27?
No numbered highway crosses the area. Nearby: Lander (20 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 27?
Elk Area 27 touches 4 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 99 | Big Sandy | 688 | 91.5% | 153 (2025) |
| Area 100 | Steamboat | 3,735 | 72.6% | 425 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 27?
93.8% of elk Area 27 is public land: 70,693 of its 75,394 acres, the largest share national forest (43,136 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 27?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 35.1%: 134 active hunters took 47 elk. In 2024 it was 30.4% (51 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 27 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 20, 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 27?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 27. The largest, Type 1, had 169 licenses and 1,467 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 27?
No town is inside it. The nearest is Lander (20 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 27?
Yes. Bridger Wilderness (4,874 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (62 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), pages 4 to 5.
- 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 99 Area 100