Elk Hunt Area 98, Boulder: harvest, draw results and public land
Elk Hunt Area 98 (Boulder) covers 1,931 square miles in WGFD's Pinedale Region and is 92.2% public land, most of it BLM (887,266 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1,089 active hunters took 392 elk here, 36% success. The 2026 season table lists 10 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 landBureau of ReclamationNational wildlife refugeWind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it)Area 98Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Pinedale Region (also Green River) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Pinedale (108) |
| Size | 1,931 square miles (1,235,566 acres) |
| Public land | 92.2% (1,138,757 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 95,499 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 392 (36% of 1,089 active hunters) |
| General license seasons, 2026 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 (Any elk); Oct 16 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 | Boulder, La Barge, Big Piney and Marbleton |
How much public land is in Elk Area 98?
92.2% of elk Area 98 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 1,138,757 of 1,235,566 acres. The largest share is BLM, 887,266 acres or 71.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 98 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 887,266 | 71.8% |
| National forest | 130,778 | 10.6% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 77,185 | 6.2% |
| State trust land | 43,528 | 3.5% |
| National wildlife refuge | 3,677 | 0.3% |
| Wind River Reservation (as PAD-US maps it) | 18 | under 0.1% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 43,613 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 21,935 acres road access or reached from other state land, 21,589 acres next to other public land, 47 acres possible access by water and 42 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 (95,394 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (105 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).
PAD-US maps 18 acres here inside the Wind River Reservation. Tribal land there is not open to hunting on Wyoming licenses; some ground inside the reservation line is private or managed by WGFD and follows its own rules.
WGFD access areas in Elk Area 98
Public Access Area: Boulder Rearing Station (449 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Chimney Butte (10,690 acres here) and Chimey Butte (1,569 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 98?
WGFD estimates 392 elk were taken in elk Area 98 in 2025: 178 bulls, 19 spikes, 175 cows and 20 calves. 1,089 hunters hunted, and 36% of them took an animal. Residents: 947 hunters, 35% success; nonresidents: 142 hunters, 43% success.
| Year | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Spikes | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,089 | 392 | 178 | 19 | 175 | 20 | 36% | 8,219 | 21.0 |
| 2024 | 1,117 | 446 | 186 | 29 | 188 | 43 | 39.9% | 8,567 | 19.2 |
| 2023 | 899 | 404 | 148 | 17 | 199 | 40 | 44.9% | 7,270 | 18.0 |
| 2022 | 917 | 284 | 136 | 7 | 112 | 29 | 31% | 7,353 | 25.9 |
| 2021 | 867 | 242 | 96 | 4 | 115 | 27 | 27.9% | 7,246 | 29.9 |
| License type | Licenses sold | Active licenses | Harvest | Success | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | 359 | 347 | 168 | 48.4% | 2,792 |
| Type 4 | 123 | 101 | 33 | 32.7% | 773 |
| Type 6 | 301 | 260 | 110 | 42.3% | 1,835 |
| Type 8 | 18 | 10 | 0 | 0% | 34 |
| General | not limited | 464 | 81 | 17.5% | 2,785 |
Source: WGFD 2025 elk harvest report, page 18 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 98 in 2026?
General license seasons: October 1 to 15 (any elk); October 16 to November 20 (antlerless elk). Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 98:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General | Sep 1 to Sep 19 | Oct 1 to Oct 15 | Any elk | |
| General | Oct 16 to Nov 20 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 19 | Sep 20 to Oct 31 | 350 | Any elk |
| Type 1 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Antlerless elk | ||
| Type 1 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River | ||
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 19 | Sep 20 to Nov 30 | 125 | Antlerless elk |
| Type 4 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Antlerless elk valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River | ||
| Type 6 | Sep 1 to Sep 19 | Sep 20 to Nov 30 | 300 | Cow or calf |
| Type 6 | Dec 1 to Jan 31 | Cow or calf valid between Scab Creek and the East Fork River | ||
| Type 8 | Nov 1 to Nov 30 | Unlimited | Cow or calf valid on private land |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 7 (final, April 2026), pages 17 to 18. 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 98?
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 | 109 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 5 | 13 | not published | |
| Residents | 294 | 338 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 25 | 136 | 27 | 6 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 18 | 34 | 21 | 4 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 5 | 0 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, special, random | 2 | 0 | not published | |
| Residents | 107 | 3 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 15 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Nonresidents, special, preference points | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | 48 | 81 | not published | |
| Residents | 252 | 310 | not published |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, reduced price, random | no limit | 1 | not published | |
| Residents | no limit | 3 | 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. On some rows WGFD prints more licenses drawn than the quota; they are shown as printed.
How do you get to Elk Area 98?
Highways through the area: US 191 (about 42 miles inside it), WY 353 (about 16 miles inside it), WY 351 (about 15 miles inside it) and WY 28 (about 8 miles inside it). Towns inside: Boulder. Nearby: La Barge (on the line), Big Piney (3 miles), Marbleton (3 miles) and Pinedale (8 miles).
Which elk hunt areas border Area 98?
Elk Area 98 touches 8 other elk hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 28 | Cony Mountain | 542 | 82% | 398 (2025) |
| Area 92 | Piney-Horse Creek | 658 | 54.7% | 497 (2025) |
| Area 94 | South Piney | 976 | 75.3% | 548 (2025) |
| Area 97 | Pinedale | 473 | 83.5% | 140 (2025) |
| Area 99 | Big Sandy | 688 | 91.5% | 153 (2025) |
| Area 100 | Steamboat | 3,735 | 72.6% | 425 (2025) |
| Area 102 | West Green River | 1,490 | 73.6% | 559 (2025) |
| Area 127 | Crowheart Butte | 3,080 | 0% | 54 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Elk Area 98?
92.2% of elk Area 98 is public land: 1,138,757 of its 1,235,566 acres, the largest share BLM (887,266 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 98?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 36%: 1,089 active hunters took 392 elk. In 2024 it was 39.9% (446 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does elk season open in Elk Area 98 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens September 20 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 98?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 4 limited quota hunts for elk Area 98. The largest, Type 1, had 350 licenses and 630 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Elk Area 98?
Boulder is inside the hunt area. Just outside: La Barge (on the line), Big Piney (3 miles) and Marbleton (3 miles).
Is there wilderness in Elk Area 98?
Yes. Bridger Wilderness (95,394 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (105 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).
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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), pages 17 to 18.
- 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 28 Area 92 Area 94 Area 97 Area 99 Area 100 Area 102 Area 127