Elk Hunt Area 8, Boulder Ridge: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 8 (Boulder Ridge) covers 377 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 18.2% public land, most of it BLM (24,219 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 377 active hunters took 189 elk here, 50.1% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 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 landNational wildlife refugeArea 8Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range (533) |
| Size | 377 square miles (240,977 acres) |
| Public land | 18.2% (43,873 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 189 (50.1% of 377 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Laramie |
How much public land is in Elk Area 8?
18.2% of elk Area 8 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 43,873 of 240,977 acres. The largest share is BLM, 24,219 acres or 10.1% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 8 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 24,219 | 10.1% |
| State trust land | 19,648 | 8.2% |
| National wildlife refuge | 2,005 | 0.8% |
| National forest | 6 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 19,665 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 9,785 acres no known public access, 8,062 acres road access or reached from other state land and 1,818 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 8
Wildlife Habitat Management Area: Jelm (189 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Hart Monolith Ranch (13,505 acres here), Lewis Ranch (11,570 acres here), Spiegelberg (5,975 acres here) and Cherokee Park (3,284 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 8?
WGFD estimates 189 elk were taken in elk Area 8 in 2025: 53 bulls, 3 spikes, 130 cows and 3 calves. 377 hunters hunted, and 50.1% of them took an animal. Residents: 297 hunters, 50.2% success; nonresidents: 80 hunters, 50% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 377 | 189 | 53 | 3 | 130 | 3 | 50.1% | 3,249 | 17.2 |
| 2024 | 528 | 182 | 27 | 4 | 117 | 34 | 34.5% | 3,825 | 21.0 |
| 2023 | 310 | 180 | 46 | 4 | 121 | 9 | 58.1% | 2,827 | 15.7 |
| 2022 | 277 | 178 | 45 | 3 | 117 | 13 | 64.3% | 2,142 | 12.0 |
| 2021 | 256 | 85 | 26 | 0 | 55 | 4 | 33.2% | 2,469 | 29.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 152 | 134 | 66 | 49.3% | 1,390 |
| Type 8 | 412 | 265 | 123 | 46.4% | 1,859 |
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 8 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 8:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Jan 31 | 150 | Any elk |
| Type 8 | Aug 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 2. 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 8?
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 | 3 | 23 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 115 | 116 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 12 | 35 | 12 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 15 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 55 | not published |
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 8?
Highways through the area: WY 230 (about 21 miles inside it), US 287 (about 10 miles inside it), I-80 (about 3 miles inside it) and WY 10 (about 2 miles inside it). Nearby: Laramie (on the line).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 8?
Elk Area 8 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 6 | Iron Mountain | 2,175 | 15.7% | 614 (2025) |
| Area 9 | South Snowy Range | 409 | 61.9% | 266 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rock Creek | 662 | 29.1% | 306 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 8?
18.2% of elk Area 8 is public land: 43,873 of its 240,977 acres, the largest share BLM (24,219 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 8?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 50.1%: 377 active hunters took 189 elk. In 2024 it was 34.5% (182 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 8 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 8?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 8. The largest, Type 1, had 138 licenses and 176 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 8?
No town is inside it. The nearest is Laramie (on the line).
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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 2.
- 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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