Elk Hunt Area 3, Rawhide: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 3 (Rawhide) covers 5,295 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 8.8% public land, most of it state trust land (249,208 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 613 active hunters took 253 elk here, 41.3% 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.
BLMState trust landBureau of ReclamationNational park (no general hunting)Other public (state parks, military)Area 3Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region (also Casper) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Rawhide (530) |
| Size | 5,295 square miles (3,389,049 acres) |
| Public land | 8.8% (298,163 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 253 (41.3% of 613 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Sep 15 to Nov 30 (Any elk); Dec 1 to Jan 31 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Cheyenne, Wheatland, Pine Bluffs, Van Tassell, Lost Springs and Lusk |
How much public land is in Elk Area 3?
8.8% of elk Area 3 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 298,163 of 3,389,049 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 249,208 acres or 7.4% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 3 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 249,208 | 7.4% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 85,833 | 2.5% |
| BLM | 45,566 | 1.3% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 3,389 | 0.1% |
| National park (no general hunting) | 895 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 277,193 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 138,440 acres road access or reached from other state land, 136,860 acres no known public access and 1,893 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.
895 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 3
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Springer/Bump Sullivan (3,416 acres here), Table Mountain (2,093 acres here), Rawhide (816 acres here), North Glendo (793 acres here) and Cottonwood Draw (700 acres here). Public Access Areas: Grayrocks Reservoir (5,584 acres here), North Platte River Glendo - Muddy Bay (2,757 acres here), Packers Lake (99 acres here), Mac's 40 (43 acres here) and North Platte River-Glendo (23 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Broom Creek (71,106 acres here), Nimmo (22,265 acres here), Chalk Hill (2,407 acres here) and Peterson Draw (514 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 75 areas covering 141,055 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 3?
WGFD estimates 253 elk were taken in elk Area 3 in 2025: 145 bulls, 18 spikes, 83 cows and 7 calves. 613 hunters hunted, and 41.3% of them took an animal. Residents: 488 hunters, 33.6% success; nonresidents: 125 hunters, 71.2% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 613 | 253 | 145 | 18 | 83 | 7 | 41.3% | 4,721 | 18.7 |
| 2024 | 641 | 254 | 175 | 9 | 61 | 9 | 39.6% | 6,988 | 27.5 |
| 2023 | 421 | 195 | 98 | 31 | 55 | 11 | 46.3% | 2,174 | 11.1 |
| 2022 | 323 | 154 | 81 | 7 | 55 | 11 | 47.7% | 2,244 | 14.6 |
| 2021 | 355 | 135 | 92 | 11 | 25 | 7 | 38% | 2,275 | 16.9 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 8 | 220 | 159 | 60 | 37.7% | 979 |
| General | not limited | 472 | 193 | 40.9% | 3,742 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 8 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 3 in 2026?
General license seasons: September 15 to November 30 (any elk); December 1 to January 31 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 3:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 14 | Sep 15 to Nov 30 | Any elk | |
| General | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 1. 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 3?
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, reduced price, random | no limit | 9 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 19 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region E general license. In the 2026 draw it had 1,025 licenses; 1,017 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 489 were drawn.
Source: WGFD 2026 elk demand report, nonresident reduced price 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 3?
Highways through the area: US 85 (about 154 miles inside it), US 87 (about 98 miles inside it), I-25 (about 98 miles inside it), I-80 (about 86 miles inside it) and US 30 (about 77 miles inside it). Towns inside: Cheyenne, Wheatland, Pine Bluffs, Torrington, Chugwater and Burns. Nearby: Van Tassell (on the line), Lost Springs (on the line), Lusk (on the line) and Manville (on the line).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 3?
Elk Area 3 touches 3 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 6 | Iron Mountain | 2,175 | 15.7% | 614 (2025) |
| Area 7 | Laramie Peak | 4,042 | 28.5% | 2,386 (2025) |
| Area 126 | Lost Springs | 5,489 | 18% | 367 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 3?
8.8% of elk Area 3 is public land: 298,163 of its 3,389,049 acres, the largest share state trust land (249,208 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 3?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 41.3%: 613 active hunters took 253 elk. In 2024 it was 39.6% (254 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 3 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. 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.
How many licenses were in the 2026 draw for Elk Area 3?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for elk Area 3. Type 8 has no quota in Chapter 7; 28 applicants put it first.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 3?
Cheyenne, Wheatland and Pine Bluffs are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Van Tassell (on the line), Lost Springs (on the line) and Lusk (on the line).
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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 1.
- 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 Laramie Region Area 6 Area 7 Area 126