Elk Hunt Area 73, Targhee-Alta: harvest, draw results and public land

Elk Hunt Area 73 (Targhee-Alta) covers 382 square miles in WGFD's Jackson Region and is 96.2% public land, most of it national forest (233,979 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 143 active hunters took 57 elk here, 39.9% 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.

How much public land is in Elk Area 73?

96.2% of elk Area 73 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 235,480 of 244,739 acres. The largest share is national forest, 233,979 acres or 95.6% of the area.

Designated wilderness: Jedediah Smith Wilderness (123,310 acres) and Winegar Hole Wilderness (10,658 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).

670 acres are National Park Service land, where general hunting licenses are not valid.

WGFD access areas in Elk Area 73

Public Access Area: Coco Belle Van Meerendonk (43 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 73?

WGFD estimates 57 elk were taken in elk Area 73 in 2025: 37 bulls, 12 spikes, 8 cows and 0 calves. 143 hunters hunted, and 39.9% of them took an animal. Residents: 109 hunters, 39.4% success; nonresidents: 34 hunters, 41.2% success.

Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 15 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 73 in 2026?

General license seasons: September 20 to October 25 (any elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 73:

Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 12. 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 73?

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.

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 73?

Highways through the area: WY 22 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Alta. Nearby: Jackson (9 miles).

Which elk hunt areas border Area 73?

Elk Area 73 touches 4 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:

Questions hunters ask

How much public land is in Elk Area 73?

96.2% of elk Area 73 is public land: 235,480 of its 244,739 acres, the largest share national forest (233,979 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 73?

WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 39.9%: 143 active hunters took 57 elk. In 2024 it was 39.6% (72 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.

When does elk season open in Elk Area 73 in 2026?

The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens August 15 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 73?

WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for elk Area 73. Type 6 had 35 licenses and 33 first-choice applicants across its drawings.

What is the closest town to Elk Area 73?

Alta is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Jackson (9 miles).

Is there wilderness in Elk Area 73?

Yes. Jedediah Smith Wilderness (123,310 acres) and Winegar Hole Wilderness (10,658 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).

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 12.
• 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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