Elk Hunt Area 51, Sunlight-Crandall: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 51 (Sunlight-Crandall) covers 650 square miles in WGFD's Cody Region and is 97.6% public land, most of it national forest (405,650 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 281 active hunters took 120 elk here, 42.7% success. The 2026 season table lists 4 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 forestNational park (no general hunting)Area 51Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Cody Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Clark's Fork (217) |
| Size | 650 square miles (415,806 acres) |
| Public land | 97.6% (405,650 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 200,770 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 120 (42.7% of 281 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 2, Type 4, Type 9 |
| Towns in and near it | Cody |
How much public land is in Elk Area 51?
97.6% of elk Area 51 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 405,650 of 415,806 acres. The largest share is national forest, 405,650 acres or 97.6% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 51 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 405,650 | 97.6% |
| National park (no general hunting) | 210 | 0.1% |
Designated wilderness: North Absaroka Wilderness (177,121 acres) and Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (23,649 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).
210 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 51
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Sunlight Basin (1,410 acres here).
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 51?
WGFD estimates 120 elk were taken in elk Area 51 in 2025: 92 bulls, 0 spikes, 23 cows and 5 calves. 281 hunters hunted, and 42.7% of them took an animal. Residents: 232 hunters, 37.9% success; nonresidents: 49 hunters, 65.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 281 | 120 | 92 | 0 | 23 | 5 | 42.7% | 2,005 | 16.7 |
| 2024 | 264 | 83 | 59 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 31.4% | 2,221 | 26.8 |
| 2023 | 251 | 124 | 85 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 49.4% | 1,583 | 12.8 |
| 2022 | 281 | 101 | 54 | 4 | 39 | 4 | 35.9% | 2,258 | 22.4 |
| 2021 | 277 | 71 | 56 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 25.6% | 2,273 | 32.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 123 | 123 | 58 | 47.2% | 762 |
| Type 2 | 40 | 40 | 11 | 27.5% | 324 |
| Type 4 | 48 | 46 | 24 | 52.2% | 209 |
| Type 9 | 81 | 71 | 27 | 38% | 710 |
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 51 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Every row WGFD prints for Area 51:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Oct 1 to Nov 5 | 100 | Any elk south and west of the Clark's Fork River | |
| Type 2 | Oct 1 to Nov 5 | 30 | Any elk north and east of the Clark's Fork River | |
| Type 4 | Nov 16 to Dec 15 | 25 | Antlerless elk | |
| Type 9 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | 60 | Any elk, archery only |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 8. 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 51?
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 | 2 | 328 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 62 | not published | |
| Residents | 82 | 309 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 7 | 335 | 7 | 16 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 68 | 6 | 15 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 0 | 22 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 4 | not published | |
| Residents | 25 | 82 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 2 | 24 | 2 | 11 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 6 | 2 | 7 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 27 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 21 | 85 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 30 | 3 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 32 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 1 | 10 | not published | |
| Residents | 50 | 81 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 5 | 37 | 5 | 9 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 3 | 13 | 3 | 5 |
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 51?
Highways through the area: WY 296 (about 33 miles inside it) and US 212 (about 29 miles inside it). Nearby: Cody (18 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 51?
Elk Area 51 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 54 | Bald Ridge | 523 | 68% | 195 (2025) |
| Area 55 | Grinnell | 392 | 99.8% | 40 (2025) |
| Area 56 | Wapiti Ridge | 473 | 87.7% | 212 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 51?
97.6% of elk Area 51 is public land: 405,650 of its 415,806 acres, the largest share national forest (405,650 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 51?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 42.7%: 281 active hunters took 120 elk. In 2024 it was 31.4% (83 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 51 in 2026?
The earliest regular season row opens September 1 and the latest closes December 15, 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 51?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for elk Area 51. The largest, Type 1, had 98 licenses and 1,102 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 51?
No town is inside it. The nearest is Cody (18 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 51?
Yes. North Absaroka Wilderness (177,121 acres) and Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (23,649 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 8.
- 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 54 Area 55 Area 56