Bell Otte Hunter Management Area: hunting, access and rules
Bell Otte Hunter Management Area is 9,798 acres in WGFD's Laramie Region. Hunter Management Areas are private and leased lands where WGFD arranges hunting access; hunters need a WGFD permission slip for the area. WGFD lists antlerless elk (hunt area 7) for big game hunting here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: WGFD's HMA data. Boundary: WGFD GIS. Harvest: WGFD reports to 2025.
National forestBLMState trust landBell Otte HMAElk hunt area lineLakeHighway
| Size | 9,798 acres (WGFD) |
|---|---|
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
| Big game listed | Antlerless elk |
| Nearest towns | Esterbrook (13 mi), Douglas (29 mi) and El Rancho (29 mi) |
What is Bell Otte HMA?
The Bell Otte Ranch HMA straddles the Fetterman Road in Hunt Area 7 approximately 36 miles north of Rock River.
What are the rules on Bell Otte HMA?
A permission slip from WGFD is needed to hunt an HMA; WGFD issues them on its website, often by drawing or first come, first served, with limits per hunter. WGFD's page for Bell Otte has the current slips and rules.
WGFD's permission slip and its page for Bell Otte set the rules for this private and leased ground.
What can you hunt on Bell Otte HMA?
WGFD lists the hunt area each big game species is hunted under here: antlerless elk in area 7.
What did hunters take in the hunt areas around Bell Otte HMA?
WGFD reports harvest by hunt area, not by access area. The hunt areas that overlap Bell Otte HMA, with the acres of the HMA in each and WGFD's latest harvest for the whole hunt area:
| Hunt area | HMA acres in it | Harvest, whole area | Hunter success |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elk Area 7 | 9,799 | 2,386 (2025) | 46.4% |
| Deer Area 64 | 9,294 | 538 (2025) | |
| Deer Area 65 | 504 | 841 (2025) | |
| Antelope Area 42 | 9,294 | 287 (2025) | 97.3% |
| Antelope Area 30 | 505 | 424 (2025) | 84.5% |
| Bighorn sheep Area 19 | 9,799 | 10 (2025) | 90.9% |
Harvest: WGFD harvest reports, latest year each area was reported (WGFD harvest reports). Acres measured by FilledTag from WGFD's boundaries.
What land is around Bell Otte HMA?
Inside the HMA boundary, by manager (WGFD's own holdings and leases are not in the federal and state layers, so they show as unlisted land):
| Manager | Acres inside |
|---|---|
| National forest | 99 |
| BLM | 80 |
| State trust land | 30 |
| Other land (WGFD-held, leased or private) | 9,590 |
Measured by FilledTag from USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land) inside WGFD's boundary (9,799 acres as drawn).
How do you get to Bell Otte HMA?
Nearest towns: Esterbrook (13 miles), Douglas (29 miles) and El Rancho (29 miles).
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Bell Otte HMA?
WGFD lists antlerless elk for big game. Each species follows the season of the hunt area the ground is in.
Where is Bell Otte HMA?
About 13 miles from Esterbrook, and 29 miles from Douglas, measured from the area's boundary.
Do you need permission to hunt Bell Otte HMA?
Yes. Hunters need a WGFD permission slip for a Hunter Management Area; WGFD's page for Bell Otte lists the slips and the area's rules.
Which hunt areas is Bell Otte HMA in?
By WGFD's boundaries it lies in elk Area 7, deer Areas 64 and 65 and antelope Areas 42 and 30. Each hunt area's season applies to the ground inside it.
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Where these numbers come from
- Area facts, access dates, rules and species: WGFD Hunter Management Area details; WGFD, Bell Otte.
- Boundary: WGFD Hunter Management Area boundaries. Surrounding land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (federal land) and the Office of State Lands and Investments (state trust land).
- Hunt area harvest: WGFD harvest reports, 2021 to 2025.
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 Laramie Region Elk Area 7 Deer Area 64 Deer Area 65 Antelope Area 42 Antelope Area 30 Bighorn sheep Area 19