Elk Hunt Area 37, Goose: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 37 (Goose) covers 684 square miles in WGFD's Sheridan Region and is 52.9% public land, most of it national forest (213,696 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,577 active hunters took 282 elk here, 17.9% success. The 2026 season table lists 5 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 landArea 37Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Sheridan Region (also Cody) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | North Bighorn (321) |
| Size | 684 square miles (437,566 acres) |
| Public land | 52.9% (231,434 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 58,349 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 282 (17.9% of 1,577 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 10 to Nov 5 (Any elk); Nov 6 to Nov 15 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 6, Type 9 |
| Special archery opens | September 15 |
| Towns in and near it | Sheridan, Ranchester, Story, Dayton and Buffalo |
How much public land is in Elk Area 37?
52.9% of elk Area 37 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 231,434 of 437,566 acres. The largest share is national forest, 213,696 acres or 48.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 37 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 213,696 | 48.8% |
| State trust land | 15,701 | 3.6% |
| BLM | 2,037 | 0.5% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 15,705 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 11,278 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,564 acres next to other public land, 1,851 acres no known public access and 12 acres access not yet researched. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Cloud Peak Wilderness (58,349 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 37
Hunter Management Areas: Soldier Creek (3,992 acres here), PK Lane (208 acres here) and Big Goose (78 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 7 areas covering 6,445 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 37?
WGFD estimates 282 elk were taken in elk Area 37 in 2025: 153 bulls, 5 spikes, 101 cows and 23 calves. 1,577 hunters hunted, and 17.9% of them took an animal. Residents: 1,426 hunters, 17.9% success; nonresidents: 151 hunters, 17.9% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,577 | 282 | 153 | 5 | 101 | 23 | 17.9% | 13,102 | 46.5 |
| 2024 | 1,184 | 217 | 74 | 3 | 133 | 7 | 18.3% | 7,551 | 34.8 |
| 2023 | 1,403 | 314 | 164 | 35 | 75 | 40 | 22.4% | 10,414 | 33.2 |
| 2022 | 1,581 | 358 | 214 | 17 | 112 | 15 | 22.6% | 11,775 | 32.9 |
| 2021 | 1,488 | 299 | 115 | 3 | 139 | 42 | 20.1% | 10,328 | 34.5 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 6 | 498 | 384 | 87 | 22.7% | 3,074 |
| Type 9 | 148 | 139 | 26 | 18.7% | 1,354 |
| General | not limited | 1,162 | 169 | 14.5% | 8,674 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 11 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 37 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 10 to November 5 (any elk); November 6 to 15 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 15. Every row WGFD prints for Area 37:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 10 to Nov 5 | Any elk | |
| General | Nov 6 to Nov 15 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | 600 | Cow or calf valid on private land | |
| Type 6 | Sep 15 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | Cow or calf valid in the entire area | |
| Type 9 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | 150 | Any elk, archery only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 6. 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 37?
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 | 96 | 186 | not published | |
| Residents | 501 | 377 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 3 | 87 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 13 | not published | |
| Residents | 126 | 120 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 11 | 98 | 11 | 8 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 8 | 21 | 8 | 5 |
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 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 37?
Highways through the area: US 87 (about 37 miles inside it), I-90 (about 30 miles inside it), US 14 (about 27 miles inside it), WY 331 (about 10 miles inside it) and WY 335 (about 9 miles inside it). Towns inside: Sheridan, Ranchester, Story, Powder Horn and Big Horn. Nearby: Dayton (on the line) and Buffalo (14 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 37?
Elk Area 37 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 36 | Rock Creek | 209 | 67.9% | 145 (2025) |
| Area 38 | Tongue | 564 | 76.5% | 407 (2025) |
| Area 41 | Medicine Lodge | 666 | 84.9% | 356 (2025) |
| Area 45 | Paint Rock Creek | 777 | 82.9% | 314 (2025) |
| Area 129 | Non-Herd Unit | 7,750 | 18.3% | 1,087 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 37?
52.9% of elk Area 37 is public land: 231,434 of its 437,566 acres, the largest share national forest (213,696 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 37?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 17.9%: 1,577 active hunters took 282 elk. In 2024 it was 18.3% (217 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 37 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 15. The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 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 37?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 37. The largest, Type 6, had 597 licenses and 563 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 37?
Sheridan, Ranchester and Story are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Dayton (on the line) and Buffalo (14 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 37?
Yes. Cloud Peak Wilderness (58,349 acres) lies 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).
Get notified about FilledTag in Wyoming
Leave your email and we will let you know when FilledTag adds something new for Wyoming hunters.
The free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wyoming included.
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 6.
- 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 Sheridan Region Area 36 Area 38 Area 41 Area 45 Area 129