Elk Hunt Area 96, New Fork: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 96 (New Fork) covers 250 square miles in WGFD's Pinedale Region and is 66.2% public land, most of it national forest (95,700 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 647 active hunters took 155 elk here, 24% success. The 2026 season table lists 7 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 landArea 96Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Pinedale Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Upper Green River (107) |
| Size | 250 square miles (160,270 acres) |
| Public land | 66.2% (106,025 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 61,795 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 155 (24% of 647 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 15 to Oct 31 (Any elk); Nov 1 to Nov 20 (Antlerless elk) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 4, Type 6, Type 8 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Pinedale |
How much public land is in Elk Area 96?
66.2% of elk Area 96 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 106,025 of 160,270 acres. The largest share is national forest, 95,700 acres or 59.7% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 96 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 95,700 | 59.7% |
| BLM | 6,777 | 4.2% |
| State trust land | 3,548 | 2.2% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 3,549 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 2,032 acres road access or reached from other state land, 1,276 acres next to other public land and 241 acres no known public access. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Bridger Wilderness (61,795 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).
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 96
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Soda Lake (4,115 acres here) and Luke Lynch (362 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 96?
WGFD estimates 155 elk were taken in elk Area 96 in 2025: 71 bulls, 6 spikes, 63 cows and 15 calves. 647 hunters hunted, and 24% of them took an animal. Residents: 447 hunters, 21.5% success; nonresidents: 200 hunters, 29.5% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 647 | 155 | 71 | 6 | 63 | 15 | 24% | 6,448 | 41.6 |
| 2024 | 744 | 215 | 63 | 9 | 119 | 24 | 28.9% | 5,813 | 27.0 |
| 2023 | 487 | 107 | 62 | 0 | 37 | 8 | 22% | 3,792 | 35.4 |
| 2022 | 678 | 240 | 86 | 12 | 112 | 30 | 35.4% | 5,274 | 22.0 |
| 2021 | 611 | 149 | 101 | 5 | 43 | 0 | 24.4% | 5,513 | 37.0 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 277 | 248 | 72 | 29% | 2,166 |
| Type 4 | 149 | 127 | 19 | 15% | 1,198 |
| Type 6 | 150 | 124 | 29 | 23.4% | 1,129 |
| Type 8 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 |
| General | not limited | 225 | 35 | 15.6% | 1,955 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 17 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 96 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 15 to 31 (any elk); November 1 to 20 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 96:
| 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 20 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Oct 31 | 275 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 150 | Antlerless elk |
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 150 | Cow or calf |
| Type 8 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid on private land west of the elk fence and south of the New Fork Lake Road |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), page 17. 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 96?
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 | 8 | 50 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 4 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 231 | 57 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 27 | 77 | 27 | 2 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 14 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 6 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 144 | 13 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 18 | 0 | 0 | |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 24 | 39 | not published | |
| Residents | 126 | 109 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 1 | not published |
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 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 96?
Highways through the area: US 191 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Pinedale.
Which elk hunt areas border Area 96?
Elk Area 96 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 92 | Piney-Horse Creek | 658 | 54.7% | 497 (2025) |
| Area 93 | Waterdog Lakes | 260 | 65.1% | 162 (2025) |
| Area 95 | Green River | 322 | 99.5% | 169 (2025) |
| Area 97 | Pinedale | 473 | 83.5% | 140 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 96?
66.2% of elk Area 96 is public land: 106,025 of its 160,270 acres, the largest share national forest (95,700 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 96?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 24%: 647 active hunters took 155 elk. In 2024 it was 28.9% (215 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 96 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 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 96?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for elk Area 96. The largest, Type 1, had 284 licenses and 189 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 96?
Pinedale is inside the hunt area.
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 96?
Yes. Bridger Wilderness (61,795 acres) lies 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).
Get notified about FilledTag in Wyoming
Leave your email and we will let you know when FilledTag adds something new for Wyoming hunters.
The free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Wyoming included.
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 17.
- 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 Pinedale Region Area 92 Area 93 Area 95 Area 97