Moose Hunt Area 38, Snowy Range: harvest, draw results and public land
Moose Hunt Area 38 (Snowy Range) covers 3,235 square miles in WGFD's Laramie Region and is 42.8% public land, most of it national forest (512,639 acres), measured from USGS PAD-US 4.1 and Office of State Lands data. WGFD's 2025 harvest report estimates 62 active hunters took 53 moose here, 85.5% success. The 2026 season table lists 2 license rows 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 landNational wildlife refugeArea 38Neighboring areasWGFD access areaLakeHighway
| WGFD region | Laramie Region |
|---|---|
| Herd unit | Snowy Range/Sierra Madre (545) |
| Size | 3,235 square miles (2,070,323 acres) |
| Public land | 42.8% (885,967 acres) |
| Designated wilderness | 37,860 acres |
| Harvest, 2025 | 53 (85.5% of 62 active hunters) |
| Limited quota license types, 2026 | Type 1, Type 4 |
| Special archery opens | September 1 |
| Towns in and near it | Laramie, Rock River, Elk Mountain, Riverside, Saratoga and Medicine Bow |
How much public land is in Moose Area 38?
42.8% of moose Area 38 is public land open to hunting under its manager's rules: 885,967 of 2,070,323 acres. The largest share is national forest, 512,639 acres or 24.8% of the area.
| Manager | Acres | Share of Area 38 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 512,639 | 24.8% |
| BLM | 227,735 | 11% |
| State trust land | 145,593 | 7% |
| National wildlife refuge | 5,842 | 0.3% |
State trust land by access: the Office of State Lands and Investments' own parcel layer has 145,638 acres here (a few parcels overlap federal land in the source maps, so this can differ a little from the table). 70,301 acres no known public access, 58,012 acres road access or reached from other state land, 17,205 acres next to other public land, 80 acres possible access by water and 40 acres access not yet researched. State trust land is open to hunting where it can be reached legally, but not to camping or open fires.
Designated wilderness: Platte River Wilderness (22,561 acres) and Savage Run Wilderness (15,299 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 38
Wildlife Habitat Management Areas: Wick Brothers/Beumee (23,425 acres here), Pennock Mountain (10,174 acres here), Forbes/Sheep Mountain (1,584 acres here) and Jelm (1,098 acres here). Public Access Areas: Saratoga Lake (852 acres here), Twin Buttes (291 acres here), North Platte River-Treasure Island (243 acres here), Gelatt Lake (198 acres here) and Meeboer Lake (195 acres here). Hunter Management Areas: Diamond Lake (43,383 acres here), Simpson Ridge (41,062 acres here), Laramie River (39,706 acres here), Medicine Bow River (23,011 acres here), X-Bar Ranch (14,648 acres here) and Strouss Hill (14,038 acres here) and 6 more. Walk-In Hunting: 6 areas covering 3,827 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 38?
WGFD estimates 53 moose were taken in moose Area 38 in 2025: 31 bulls, 19 cows and 3 calves. 62 hunters hunted, and 85.5% of them took an animal.
| Year | Licenses | Active hunters | Harvest | Bulls | Cows | Calves | Hunter success | Hunter days | Days per animal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65 | 62 | 53 | 31 | 19 | 3 | 85.5% | 494 | 9.3 |
| 2024 | 63 | 59 | 52 | 31 | 20 | 1 | 88.1% | 586 | 11.3 |
| 2023 | 52 | 50 | 45 | 26 | 18 | 1 | 90% | 396 | 8.8 |
| 2022 | 55 | 53 | 51 | 28 | 19 | 4 | 96.2% | 334 | 6.5 |
| 2021 | 48 | 48 | 46 | 25 | 21 | 0 | 95.8% | 422 | 9.2 |
Source: WGFD 2025 moose harvest report, page 9 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.
When is moose season in Moose Area 38 in 2026?
No general license season; every license here is limited quota. Special archery seasons open September 1. Every row WGFD prints for Area 38:
| License type | Special archery season | Regular season | Quota | WGFD's limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 30 | Any moose, except cow moose with calf at side |
| Type 4 | Sep 1 to Sep 30 | Oct 1 to Nov 30 | 35 | Antlerless moose, except cow moose with calf at side |
Source: WGFD Commission Chapter 8 (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 Moose Area 38?
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 | 0 | 386 | not published | |
| Residents, random | 7 | 2,978 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 2 | 388 | 2 | 27 |
| Residents, preference points | 21 | 2,999 | 21 | 28 |
| Drawing | Licenses | First-choice applicants | Drawn | Fewest points that drew |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonresidents, regular, random | 1 | 12 | not published | |
| Residents, random | 7 | 259 | not published | |
| Nonresidents, regular, preference points | 3 | 15 | 3 | 21 |
| Residents, preference points | 24 | 283 | 24 | 10 |
Source: WGFD 2026 moose 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 Moose Area 38?
Highways through the area: I-80 (about 156 miles inside it), US 287 (about 97 miles inside it), WY 130 (about 89 miles inside it), US 30 (about 84 miles inside it) and WY 230 (about 68 miles inside it). Towns inside: Laramie, Rock River, Elk Mountain, Woods Landing-Jelm, Centennial and Albany. Nearby: Riverside (on the line), Saratoga (on the line), Medicine Bow (on the line) and Encampment (on the line).
Which moose hunt areas border Area 38?
Moose Area 38 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 41 | Sierra Madres | 2,745 | 62.9% | 5 (2025) |
| Area 45 | Pole Mountain | 2,176 | 15.7% | 7 (2025) |
Questions hunters ask
How much public land is in Moose Area 38?
42.8% of moose Area 38 is public land: 885,967 of its 2,070,323 acres, the largest share national forest (512,639 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 38?
WGFD's 2025 harvest report puts hunter success at 85.5%: 62 active hunters took 53 moose. In 2024 it was 88.1% (52 taken). WGFD estimates these numbers from its hunter survey.
When does moose season open in Moose Area 38 in 2026?
The special archery season opens September 1. The earliest regular season row opens October 1 and the latest closes November 30, 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 38?
WGFD's 2026 demand reports list 2 limited quota hunts for moose Area 38. The largest, Type 4, had 35 licenses and 569 first-choice applicants across its drawings.
What is the closest town to Moose Area 38?
Laramie, Rock River and Elk Mountain are inside the hunt area. Just outside: Riverside (on the line), Saratoga (on the line) and Medicine Bow (on the line).
Is there wilderness in Moose Area 38?
Yes. Platte River Wilderness (22,561 acres) and Savage Run Wilderness (15,299 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).
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 moose harvest reports, 2021 to 2025, listed here.
- Seasons, quotas and limitations: WGFD Commission Chapter 8 (final, April 2026), page 2.
- 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 Laramie Region Area 41 Area 45