Wyoming has some of the best elk hunting in the West, from the Bighorns and the Absarokas to the high country around Jackson and the Wyoming Range. It also has a few rules that catch nonresidents off guard. Nonresident elk licenses are issued through a draw (with leftovers sold afterward), you choose between a regular and a much more expensive special price license, and you cannot hunt designated wilderness without a guide.

This guide pulls it all together. Start here, then use the links at the bottom to go deeper on each step.

Wyoming elk hunting at a glance

Where to apply	Online through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD)
Nonresident applications	January, with a deadline in late January or early February. The 2026 window was January 2 – February 2
Nonresident results	Late May (May 21 in 2026)
Resident applications	January 2 – June 1 in 2026, results June 18
Leftover draw	Late June, results in early July. Remaining licenses go on sale mid-July (July 16 in 2026)
Nonresident elk license	$707 regular price, $1,965 special price (both include fishing, 2026)
Resident elk license	$62 (2026, includes the application fee)
Seasons	Archery mostly in September. Rifle seasons mostly open October 1 or October 15, with some late cow hunts into December or January

Fees and dates are from WGFD for 2026. The 2027 dates and fees have not been posted yet, so confirm them before you apply.

Step 1: Understand the license types

Wyoming sells two broad kinds of elk license:

• General licenses. Residents can buy these over the counter. Nonresidents draw a region general license that is good in any general hunt area inside one of three regions (Eastern, Southern, and Western). You get lots of country and long seasons, but also more hunters.
• Limited quota licenses. These are good only in one hunt area, for set dates and a set type of elk (any elk, antlerless, archery only, and so on). They take preference points to draw in the better areas.

See how general and limited quota licenses work

Step 2: Apply in the draw

Nonresidents apply once a year, in January. You pick regular or special price, list up to three hunt choices, and pay the full license fee up front. If you do not draw, the license fee is refunded but the application fee is not. Wyoming gives 75% of licenses to the applicants with the most preference points and 25% at random, so first-time applicants still have a real chance.

Read our step-by-step draw guide

Step 3: Pick your season

Most Wyoming archery seasons run through September, during the rut. Rifle seasons vary a lot by area. Many open October 1 or October 15, some close in mid-October, and some cow seasons run into December.

See 2026 Wyoming elk season dates

Step 4: Set a realistic budget

A nonresident on a regular price license will spend roughly $730 to $840 on licenses, stamps, and permits before travel. A special price license adds $1,258. Guided hunts commonly run from about $6,500 to $11,000 or more.

Break down the full cost of a Wyoming elk hunt

Step 5: Decide guided, DIY, or a drop camp

This is where Wyoming differs from most states. Nonresidents hunting big game in a federally designated wilderness area must hunt with a licensed outfitter or a resident guide. A resident guide can take no more than two nonresidents a year and cannot be paid. Outside wilderness, on national forest, BLM, and state land, you can hunt on your own.

Compare guided, DIY, and drop camp hunts

Before you go: requirements every hunter needs

• Hunter education. Anyone born on or after January 1, 1966, needs a hunter education card to hunt with a firearm. Other states’ cards are accepted.
• Conservation stamp. Required for anyone licensed to hunt or fish, with a few exemptions ($21.50 in 2026).
• Archery license. Needed to hunt a special archery season, on top of your elk license ($72 nonresident, $16 resident). Type 9 archery-only licenses do not need it.
• Elk Special Management Permit. $15.50, required in Hunt Areas 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, and 80 to 98 in northwest Wyoming.
• Fluorescent orange or pink. Required during rifle seasons. Archers in archery seasons are exempt.
• Private land. You need the landowner’s permission. WGFD’s Access Yes program opens some private land through Walk-in Areas and Hunter Management Areas.

Find a Wyoming elk outfitter

Horn & Fin lists guides, outfitters, drop camps, and DIY hunting options across Wyoming. Each listing shows the species, seasons, and areas they hunt, plus reviews from other hunters.

Hunting deer too? See our Wyoming deer hunting guide.

More Wyoming elk guides

• How to apply for the Wyoming elk draw
• Wyoming general vs. limited quota elk licenses
• Wyoming elk season dates
• How much does a Wyoming elk hunt cost?
• Guided vs. DIY vs. drop camp elk hunts
• How Wyoming draw points work
• Wyoming draw odds by unit