Elk Hunt Area 41, Medicine Lodge: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 41 (Medicine Lodge) covers 666 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 84.9% public land, most of it BLM (256,277 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 869 active hunters took 356 elk here, 41% success. The 2026 season table lists 7 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 landBureau of ReclamationArea 41Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Medicine Lodge (211) |
| Size | 666 square miles (426,029 acres) |
| Public land | 84.9% (361,630 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 31,563 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 356 (41% of 869 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, Type 4, Type 6, Type 7, Type 9 |
| Towns in and near it | Manderson, Greybull, Basin and Ten Sleep |
How much public land is in Elk Area 41?
84.9% of elk Area 41 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 361,630 of 426,029 acres. The largest share is BLM, 256,277 acres or 60.2% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 41 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 256,277 | 60.2% |
| National forest | 88,362 | 20.7% |
| State trust land | 16,944 | 4% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 47 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 17,098 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 10,765 acres next to other public land, 6,291 acres road access or reached from other state land, 40 acres access not yet researched and 2 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: Cloud Peak Wilderness (31,563 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 41
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Medicine Lodge (12,516 acres here). Hunter Management Area: Spanish Point (5,989 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 6 areas covering 3,093 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 41?
WGFD estimates 356 elk were taken in elk Area 41 in 2025: 142 bulls, 11 spikes, 168 cows and 35 calves. 869 hunters hunted, and 41% of them took an animal. Residents: 642 hunters, 38.9% success; nonresidents: 227 hunters, 46.7% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 869 | 356 | 142 | 11 | 168 | 35 | 41% | 6,367 | 17.9 |
| 2024 | 1,174 | 442 | 163 | 14 | 232 | 33 | 37.6% | 7,572 | 17.1 |
| 2023 | 1,107 | 349 | 169 | 13 | 135 | 32 | 31.5% | 8,619 | 24.7 |
| 2022 | 1,084 | 513 | 222 | 30 | 225 | 36 | 47.3% | 6,701 | 13.1 |
| 2021 | 1,049 | 253 | 126 | 3 | 104 | 20 | 24.1% | 8,405 | 33.2 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 255 | 236 | 86 | 36.4% | 1,564 |
| Type 2 | 76 | 72 | 38 | 52.8% | 463 |
| Type 3 | 27 | 23 | 20 | 87% | 145 |
| Type 4 | 350 | 305 | 75 | 24.6% | 2,115 |
| Type 6 | 101 | 70 | 40 | 57.1% | 365 |
| Type 7 | 201 | 156 | 75 | 48.1% | 744 |
| Type 9 | 104 | 104 | 22 | 21.2% | 971 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 12 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 41 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Every row WGFD prints for Area 41:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Oct 15 to Nov 4 | 250 | Any elk | |
| Type 2 | Nov 5 to Nov 20 | 75 | Any elk | |
| Type 3 | Sep 1 to Oct 14 | 25 | Any elk valid off national forest north of Trapper Creek | |
| Type 4 | Nov 5 to Dec 21 | 350 | Antlerless elk | |
| Type 6 | Dec 1 to Dec 21 | 150 | Cow or calf | |
| Type 7 | Sep 1 to Dec 21 | 200 | Cow or calf valid off national forest north of Trapper Creek | |
| Type 9 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | 100 | Any elk, archery only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 7. 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 41?
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 | 5 | 122 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 4 | 27 | not published | |
| Residents | 206 | 348 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 17 | 139 | 17 | 11 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 12 | 39 | 12 | 8 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 38 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 5 | not published | |
| Residents | 56 | 100 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 6 | 45 | 7 | 9 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 0 | 7 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 10 | not published | |
| Residents | 17 | 48 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 1 | 8 | 1 | 10 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 1 | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 14 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 5 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 310 | 46 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 42 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 18 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 24 | 72 | not published | |
| Residents | 125 | 274 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 32 | 83 | not published | |
| Residents | 167 | 80 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 2 | 68 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 15 | not published | |
| Residents | 82 | 167 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 7 | 76 | 8 | 10 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 21 | 6 | 9 |
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. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Elk Area 41?
Highways through the area: US 14 (about 16 miles inside it) and WY 31 (about 15 miles inside it). Towns inside: Manderson. Nearby: Greybull (on the line), Basin (on the line), Ten Sleep (17 miles) and Worland (17 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 41?
Elk Area 41 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 37 | Goose | 684 | 52.9% | 282 (2025) |
| Area 38 | Tongue | 564 | 76.5% | 407 (2025) |
| Area 40 | Horse Creek | 462 | 82.2% | 131 (2025) |
| Area 45 | Paint Rock Creek | 777 | 82.9% | 314 (2025) |
| Area 66 | Basin | 1,915 | 78.2% | 76 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 41?
84.9% of elk Area 41 is public land: 361,630 of its 426,029 acres, the largest share BLM (256,277 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 41?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 41%: 869 active hunters took 356 elk. In 2024 it was 37.6% (442 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 41 in 2026?
The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 21, 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 41?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 7 limited quota hunts for elk Area 41. The largest, Type 4, had 389 licenses and 52 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 41?
Manderson is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Greybull (on the line), Basin (on the line) and Ten Sleep (17 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 41?
Yes. Cloud Peak Wilderness (31,563 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).
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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 7.
- 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 Cody Region Area 37 Area 38 Area 40 Area 45 Area 66