Wyoming – Top 2025 Elk Areas for 10 Points or Less

If you have done the arithmetic, you probably know the chances of catching the top point levels for a premier hunt in any state are slim to none if you are not within striking distance now. Wyoming is no exception. Many folks who saw a top tag go for 15 points a few years ago are now seeing it go for 18 points and you are no closer to drawing than you were a handful of preference points ago. 

Luckily in Wyoming, you are not in a no-man’s land with the plentiful opportunities to hunt on licenses which can be drawn 8-10 preference points. The General Regions can be a great place to put your points if you know where you want to go and/or have additional intel from a friend, previous experience hunting there, or hire an outfitter. For those looking for a bit of a different hunt experience however, there are options for archery-only and limited-quota rifle hunts to maximize your hunt for 10 preference points or less. 

There are two different draws at different price points in Wyoming; the Special for $1950 for an elk tag and the Regular for $692. The price differential increased drastically last year to create more distance between the demand in the Special and what tags your extra money can get you. These 5 elk hunts/areas focus on the hunter who REALLY wants to burn their points and get out from under point creep in 2025 by using the Special Draw. 

Keep in mind the 2024 drawing statistics are NOT predictive, but explain what these licenses took to draw last year. They serve as a guideline for expectations, however, perform your due diligence watching tag numbers and be ready for the possibility of point creep if you are running your preference points close to the line on any of these hunts. 

1. Area 39 (Type-1)

The Deer Creek area in the northern Bighorns is a great option for hunters who want to avoid grizzly bears but still can get around in rugged canyon country and big mountains to dig up bulls. 

The Type-1 rifle tag in area 39 runs from October 15 until November 5 and is usually well within grasp for the Special applicant with 10 points. It’s a tough hunt because the rut is over and there are general rifle deer hunters afield at the same time, making the main road systems feel busy for drawing a limited quota license. However, if you treat this hunt like any other bull hunt and work hard to dig up lone bulls in the roadless canyon country found in the Area, it can be good. If you are nervous about climbing around cliffs or shooting a bull in the bottom of a nasty hole in the mountain, you may consider looking for another hunt. 

2. Area 35 (Type-1 or Type-9)

Area 35 is called Hunter Mesa, and provides a good experience for someone looking for a classic mountain, timbered elk hunt. Hunters can choose to go into the high country at the start of rifle season, pound timber for bulls in the steeper canyons, or hunt the edge of the transition zone by private where elk get pushed to from hunter pressure.

The bull quality is good, but really big bulls are few and far between. That may be a factor of lower age class, or a factor of the thick terrain making it difficult to glass up the oldest bulls, because there still is a stud bull or two coming out of here every year. It may get more difficult to draw as people who applied in Area 38 or hunted Area 37 may be looking to the southeast Bighorn Areas in the year following the nearly 100,000 acre Elk Fire. 

3. Area 11 (Type-9) 

The low license numbers in Area 11 make the archery tag volatile to swings in preference points from year-to-year, but it can be a quality hunt for the DIY, public-land archer who draws. The elk herd here is one of the biggest in the state, and the timbered-aspen country here is classic for the bugling elk hunter. The high country is good early, but the bulls still get pushed into the harder-to-access areas, especially when the Type-1 hunters enter the field on September, 15th. 

Keep in mind there are low-country elk in Area 11 that often get overlooked, but some of the bigger bulls year-to-year can be found in this part of the Area. Private-public access issues come into play with these low-land elk, but it’s worth poking around down there if you draw the license. 

4. Area 117 (Type-1)

The Type-1 hunt in Area 117 offers long season dates from October 15 until November 30th. The Black Hills are not the classic big mountain Wyoming landscape most folks think about when they dream about elk hunting the Cowboy State, but there is good escapement from hunter pressure with private land sanctuaries and difficulty glassing which makes it so bulls get old here.

The best situation is for someone who wants to draw this tag to have a trespass fee or other private land access nailed down in addition to hunting the public ground that’s available in the Area. Plus, if you hunt the late parts of this season, snow will help hunters cut bull tracks and glass up bedded elk right after a storm. If you want more seclusion, avoid hunting this unit during the heart of deer season, which ends on November 20th, though picking up the deer tag after you draw the elk license could make for a fun combo hunt. 

5. Area 51 (Type-2 & Type-9)

If you do not mind managing grizzly bears, any of the hunts in the Sunlight-Crandall area can be a great experience for chasing big bulls. It’s glassing-friendly country in the higher-elevations, which allows hunters to look over bulls and find the upper-age class before getting in striking distance. 

For the Type-2 rifle tag, there are lower elk numbers in the northeast corner in accessible areas and the backcountry is rugged, but it still holds good quality and can offer a good hunt for tagholders. 

We cannot emphasize caution around grizzly bears enough in this area however, and hunters must be smart about managing camp and elk meat if successful to prevent any hairy situations, pun intended.