Elk Hunt Area 9, South Snowy Range: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 9 (South Snowy Range) covers 409 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 61.9% public land, most of it national forest (130,992 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,540 active hunters took 266 elk here, 17.3% success. The 2026 season table lists 4 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 landNational wildlife refugeArea 9Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range (533) |
| Size | 409 square miles (261,821 acres) |
| Public land | 61.9% (162,059 acres) |
| Harvest, 2025 | 266 (17.3% of 1,540 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 (Any elk); Nov 1 to Nov 7 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 6, Type 7 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany, Fox Park and Laramie |
How much public land is in Elk Area 9?
61.9% of elk Area 9 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 162,059 of 261,821 acres. The largest share is national forest, 130,992 acres or 50% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 9 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 130,992 | 50% |
| State trust land | 21,153 | 8.1% |
| BLM | 9,914 | 3.8% |
| National wildlife refuge | 2,549 | 1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 21,159 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 17,143 acres road access or reached from other state land, 2,477 acres no known public access, 1,538 acres next to other public land and 1 acres possible access by water. 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 9
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Forbes/Sheep Mountain (1,584 acres here) and Jelm (909 acres here). Public Access Areas: Twin Buttes (291 acres here), Gelatt Lake (198 acres here) and Meeboer Lake (195 acres here). Hunter Management Area: X-Bar Ranch (14,630 acres here). Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 629 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 9?
WGFD estimates 266 elk were taken in elk Area 9 in 2025: 90 bulls, 12 spikes, 136 cows and 28 calves. 1,540 hunters hunted, and 17.3% of them took an animal. Residents: 1,296 hunters, 13% success; nonresidents: 244 hunters, 39.8% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,540 | 266 | 90 | 12 | 136 | 28 | 17.3% | 12,993 | 48.8 |
| 2024 | 1,553 | 324 | 117 | 17 | 148 | 42 | 20.9% | 11,323 | 34.9 |
| 2023 | 1,251 | 240 | 77 | 4 | 131 | 28 | 19.2% | 8,804 | 36.7 |
| 2022 | 1,207 | 219 | 69 | 21 | 107 | 22 | 18.1% | 8,520 | 38.9 |
| 2021 | 1,192 | 240 | 99 | 7 | 132 | 2 | 20.1% | 10,121 | 42.2 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 6 | 250 | 228 | 34 | 14.9% | 2,571 |
| Type 7 | 348 | 241 | 107 | 44.4% | 1,707 |
| General | not limited | 1,205 | 125 | 10.4% | 8,715 |
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 9 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 31 (any elk); November 1 to 7 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 9:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 | Any elk | |
| General | Nov 1 to Nov 7 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Dec 31 | 250 | Cow or calf |
| Type 7 also Area 10 | Aug 15 to Jan 31 | 350 | Cow or calf valid off national forest |
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 9?
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, reduced price, random | 39 | 99 | not published | |
| Residents | 207 | 213 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 56 | 67 | not published | |
| Residents | 285 | 100 | not published |
Nonresidents hunt the general license here on WGFD's Region S general license. In the 2026 draw it had 1,019 licenses; 2,680 nonresidents put it first in the regular preference point drawing and 459 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 9?
Highways through the area: WY 130 (about 17 miles inside it), WY 230 (about 14 miles inside it), WY 11 (about 11 miles inside it) and WY 10 (about 7 miles inside it). Towns inside: Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany and Fox Park. Nearby: Laramie (on the line).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 9?
Elk Area 9 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 8 | Boulder Ridge | 377 | 18.2% | 189 (2025) |
| Area 10 | Rock Creek | 662 | 29.1% | 306 (2025) |
| Area 12 | Kennaday Peak | 446 | 56.5% | 561 (2025) |
| Area 110 | Upper Platte River | 457 | 72.7% | 596 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 9?
61.9% of elk Area 9 is public land: 162,059 of its 261,821 acres, the largest share national forest (130,992 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 9?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 17.3%: 1,540 active hunters took 266 elk. In 2024 it was 20.9% (324 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 9 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 9?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for elk Area 9. The largest, Type 7, had 341 licenses and 167 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 9?
Woods Landing-Jelm, Albany and Fox Park are inside the hunt area. Just outside: 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.
Wyoming hunting Elk hunt areas Laramie Region Area 8 Area 10 Area 12 Area 110