Elk Hunt Area 28, Cony Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 28 (Cony Mountain) covers 542 square miles in WGFD's Lander Region and is 82% public land, most of it national forest (229,419 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,243 active hunters took 398 elk here, 32% success. The 2026 season table lists 3 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 28Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Lander Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | South Wind River (637) |
| Size | 542 square miles (346,804 acres) |
| Public land | 82% (284,376 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 102,465 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 398 (32% of 1,243 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 (Any elk); Oct 15 to Oct 22 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 4 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Lander and Hudson |
How much public land is in Elk Area 28?
82% of elk Area 28 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 284,376 of 346,804 acres. The largest share is national forest, 229,419 acres or 66.2% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 28 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 229,419 | 66.2% |
| BLM | 40,259 | 11.6% |
| State trust land | 14,698 | 4.2% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 355 | 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 14,707 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 7,601 acres next to other public land, 6,265 acres road access or reached from other state land and 841 acres no known public access. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Popo Agie Wilderness (102,218 acres) and Bridger Wilderness (247 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 355 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 28
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Red Canyon (1,949 acres here) and Sinks Canyon (514 acres here). Public Access Areas: Mexican Creek (2,326 acres here) and Mud Springs (1,837 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Spriggs (180 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 1,775 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 28?
WGFD estimates 398 elk were taken in elk Area 28 in 2025: 192 bulls, 37 spikes, 154 cows and 15 calves. 1,243 hunters hunted, and 32% of them took an animal. Residents: 1,176 hunters, 31.1% success; nonresidents: 67 hunters, 47.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,243 | 398 | 192 | 37 | 154 | 15 | 32% | 8,952 | 22.5 |
| 2024 | 1,346 | 451 | 210 | 30 | 183 | 28 | 33.5% | 9,025 | 20.0 |
| 2023 | 1,193 | 416 | 173 | 43 | 171 | 29 | 34.9% | 8,694 | 20.9 |
| 2022 | 1,180 | 292 | 123 | 26 | 131 | 12 | 24.7% | 8,538 | 29.2 |
| 2021 | 1,084 | 359 | 127 | 39 | 150 | 43 | 33.1% | 7,372 | 20.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 4 | 175 | 148 | 32 | 21.6% | 1,040 |
| General | not limited | 1,139 | 366 | 32.1% | 7,912 |
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 28 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 14 (any elk); October 15 to 22 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 28:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 14 | Any elk | |
| General | Oct 15 to Oct 22 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Nov 1 to Nov 20 | 175 | Antlerless elk |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 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 28?
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 | 6 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 3 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 147 | 159 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 21 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 9 | 0 | 0 |
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 28?
Highways through the area: US 287 (about 8 miles inside it), WY 28 (about 5 miles inside it) and WY 789 (about 3 miles inside it). Towns inside: Lander. Nearby: Hudson (9 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 28?
Elk Area 28 touches 5 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 27 | Upper Sweetwater | 118 | 93.8% | 47 (2025) |
| Area 98 | Boulder | 1,931 | 92.2% | 392 (2025) |
| Area 99 | Big Sandy | 688 | 91.5% | 153 (2025) |
| Area 127 | Crowheart Butte | 3,080 | 0% | 54 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 28?
82% of elk Area 28 is public land: 284,376 of its 346,804 acres, the largest share national forest (229,419 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 28?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 32%: 1,243 active hunters took 398 elk. In 2024 it was 33.5% (451 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 28 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 28?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for elk Area 28. Type 4 had 186 licenses and 171 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 28?
Lander is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Hudson (9 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 28?
Yes. Popo Agie Wilderness (102,218 acres) and Bridger Wilderness (247 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 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 27 Area 98 Area 99 Area 127