Elk Hunt Area 6, Iron Mountain: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 6 (Iron Mountain) covers 2,175 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 15.7% public land, the largest part state trust land (108,726 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,236 active hunters took 614 elk here, 49.7% success. The 2026 season table lists 6 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 landOther public (state parks, military)Area 6Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Iron Mountain (531) |
| Size | 2,175 square miles (1,392,309 acres) |
| Public land | 15.7% (218,060 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 614 (49.7% of 1,236 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 (Any elk valid off national forest); Nov 1 to Dec 31 (Antlerless elk valid off national forest) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 4, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Warren AFB, Chugwater, Laramie and Cheyenne |
How much public land is in Elk Area 6?
15.7% of elk Area 6 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 218,060 of 1,392,309 acres. The largest share is state trust land, 108,726 acres or 7.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 6 |
|---|---|---|
| State trust land | 108,726 | 7.8% |
| National forest | 55,324 | 4% |
| BLM | 54,010 | 3.9% |
| Other public (state parks, military) | 5,880 | 0.4% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 108,742 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 66,969 acres no known public access, 39,969 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,804 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.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 6
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Pilot Hill (3,012 acres here) and John/Annie Woodhouse (679 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Lone Tree Creek (15,312 acres here), North Crow (6,215 acres here), Hart Monolith Ranch (3,211 acres here), Pilot Hill (3,012 acres here) and FE Warren (2,057 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 6 areas covering 6,378 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 6?
WGFD estimates 614 elk were taken in elk Area 6 in 2025: 321 bulls, 5 spikes, 255 cows and 33 calves. 1,236 hunters hunted, and 49.7% of them took an animal. Residents: 856 hunters, 35.6% success; nonresidents: 380 hunters, 81.3% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,236 | 614 | 321 | 5 | 255 | 33 | 49.7% | 8,387 | 13.7 |
| 2024 | 1,283 | 623 | 284 | 9 | 308 | 22 | 48.6% | 8,089 | 13.0 |
| 2023 | 1,274 | 632 | 224 | 6 | 363 | 39 | 49.6% | 8,050 | 12.7 |
| 2022 | 1,169 | 577 | 226 | 10 | 298 | 43 | 49.4% | 7,831 | 13.6 |
| 2021 | 1,274 | 635 | 280 | 13 | 329 | 13 | 49.8% | 8,145 | 12.8 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 50 | 44 | 24 | 54.5% | 785 |
| Type 4 | 28 | 26 | 4 | 15.4% | 249 |
| Type 8 | 635 | 505 | 248 | 49.1% | 2,817 |
| General | not limited | 738 | 338 | 45.8% | 4,536 |
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 6 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 31 (any elk valid off national forest); November 1 to December 31 (antlerless elk valid off national forest). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 6:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | Any elk valid off national forest | |
| General | Nov 1 to Dec 31 | Antlerless elk valid off national forest | ||
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 50 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Nov 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | 25 | Antlerless elk |
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid off national forest |
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 6?
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 | 0 | 48 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 11 | not published | |
| Residents | 42 | 471 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 1 | 49 | 1 | 13 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 13 | 2 | 7 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 0 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 21 | 26 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 18 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 64 | 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 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 6?
Highways through the area: I-80 (about 93 miles inside it), US 87 (about 78 miles inside it), I-25 (about 78 miles inside it), US 30 (about 72 miles inside it) and WY 210 (about 38 miles inside it). Towns inside: Warren AFB. Nearby: Chugwater (on the line), Laramie (on the line), Cheyenne (3 miles) and Wheatland (6 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 6?
Elk Area 6 touches 4 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 3 | Rawhide | 5,295 | 8.8% | 253 (2025) |
| Area 7 | Laramie Peak | 4,042 | 28.5% | 2,386 (2025) |
| Area 8 | Boulder Ridge | 377 | 18.2% | 189 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rock Creek | 662 | 29.1% | 306 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 6?
15.7% of elk Area 6 is public land: 218,060 of its 1,392,309 acres, the largest share state trust land (108,726 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 6?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 49.7%: 1,236 active hunters took 614 elk. In 2024 it was 48.6% (623 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 6 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 6?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 3 limited quota hunts for elk Area 6. The largest, Type 1, had 45 licenses and 592 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 6?
Warren AFB is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Chugwater (on the line), Laramie (on the line) and Cheyenne (3 miles).
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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.
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