Moose Hunt Area 30, Sweetwater: harvest, draw results and public land
Moose Hunt Area 30 (Sweetwater) covers 805 square miles in WGFD's Pinedale Region and is 91.8% public land, most of it BLM (326,999 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 1 active hunters took 1 moose here, 100% success. The 2026 season table lists 1 license row here.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: WGFD reports for 2021 to 2025. Seasons: WGFD Commission Chapter 8, 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 ReclamationArea 30Neighboring areasLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Pinedale Region (also Lander) |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Lander (620) |
| Size | 805 square miles (515,489 acres) |
| Public land | 91.8% (473,301 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 42,402 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 1 (100% of 1 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Farson and Lander |
How much public land is in Moose Area 30?
91.8% of moose Area 30 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 473,301 of 515,489 acres. The largest share is BLM, 326,999 acres or 63.4% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 30 |
|---|---|---|
| BLM | 326,999 | 63.4% |
| National forest | 105,960 | 20.6% |
| State trust land | 28,153 | 5.5% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 12,189 | 2.4% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 28,505 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 20,873 acres next to other public land and 7,632 acres road access or reached from other state land. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Bridger Wilderness (42,265 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (137 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 Moose Area 30
Walk-In Hunting: 1 area covering 161 acres of private land enrolled in WGFD's Access Yes program.
Measured by FilledTag inside WGFD's hunt area boundary (WGFD moose hunt areas (2026)) 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 moose are harvested in Moose Area 30?
WGFD estimates 1 moose were taken in moose Area 30 in 2025: 1 bull, 0 cows and 0 calves. 1 hunters hunted, and 100% of them took one.
| Year | Licenses | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 15 | 15.0 |
| 2024 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 6 | 6.0 |
| 2023 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | 9 | 9.0 |
Source: WGFD 2025 moose harvest report, page 8 of the PDF; earlier years from 2024 and 2023. WGFD counts a hunter as active if he hunted. Days per animal is worked out from WGFD's own two figures.
When is moose season in Moose Area 30 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 30:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 also Area 2 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 20 | 5 | Antlered moose |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 8 (final, April 2026), page 1. WGFD can change a season by emergency rule: check WGFD's regulations page before you go.
What did the 2026 draw look like in Moose Area 30?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents, random | 1 | 258 | not published | |
| Residents, preference points | 4 | 262 | 4 | 22 |
Source: WGFD 2026 moose demand report, resident 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. A license valid in more than one area is listed under the first area WGFD prints for it.
How do you get to Moose Area 30?
Highways through the area: US 191 (about 5 miles inside it) and WY 28 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Farson. Nearby: Lander (20 miles).
Which moose hunt areas border Area 30?
Moose Area 30 touches 2 other moose hunt areas. Their size, public land and latest WGFD harvest, for comparison:
| Hunt area | Name | Square miles | Public land | Harvest (year) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Area 2 | Lander Area | 1,810 | 83.1% | 4 (2025) |
| Area 3 | Pinedale | 1,247 | 74.9% | 15 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Moose Area 30?
91.8% of moose Area 30 is public land: 473,301 of its 515,489 acres, the largest share BLM (326,999 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 Moose Area 30?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 100%: 1 active hunters took 1 moose. In 2024 it was 100% (1 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does moose season open in Moose Area 30 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 20, by WGFD Commission Chapter 8. Each license type has its own dates and limitations, listed on this page.
How many licenses were in the 2026 draw for Moose Area 30?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 1 limited quota hunt for moose Area 30. Type 1 had 5 licenses and 520 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Moose Area 30?
Farson is inside the hunt area. Just outside: Lander (20 miles).
Is there wilderness in Moose Area 30?
Yes. Bridger Wilderness (42,265 acres) and Popo Agie Wilderness (137 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 moose harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 8 (final, April 2026), page 1.
- Draw: WGFD 2026 demand reports; deadlines and fees on the Wyoming draw page.
- Hunt area boundary: WGFD moose hunt areas (2026). 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 Moose hunt areas Pinedale Region Area 2 Area 3