Elk Hunt Area 117: South Black Hills
In the 2026 draw for the Type 1 any elk license, nonresidents needed about 10 preference points, and residents' first-choice odds were about 64%.
- Herd unit
- Black Hills (740)
- Size
- 873 sq mi
- WGFD region
- Eastern
- License types drawn
- 4
Type 1 · Any elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 27 licenses. The draw ran out at just under 10 points: 86.7% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 15 1 100% just under 13 2 100% 12 2 100% 11 3 100% 10 6 100% just under 10 15 86.67% 9 or fewer 219 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 8 licenses, 219 first-choice applicants (about 4%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 18 licenses. The draw ran out at 8 points: 50% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 13 1 100% 10 1 100% 9 1 100% just under 9 11 100% 8 8 50% just under 8 42 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 6 licenses, 43 first-choice applicants (about 14%).
- Resident: 335 licenses, 526 first-choice applicants (about 64%).
Type 3 · Spike or antlerless
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 39 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident, random draw: 13 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 17 licenses. Nobody applied for it as a first choice.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 5 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Resident: 294 licenses, 7 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 6 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 22 licenses, 111 first-choice applicants (about 20%).
- Resident: 121 licenses, 223 first-choice applicants (about 54%).
Type 8 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 1,597 licenses, 40 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 9,939 licenses, 42 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Nearby elk areas
How to read this
Odds are what happened in the 2026 draw, published by Wyoming Game and Fish. They are not a forecast; quotas and applicant numbers change every year. Preference-point odds are WGFD's own figures. For random and resident draws WGFD publishes licenses and applicant counts, so the percentage shown is the share of first-choice applicants there were licenses for, before second and third choices. Rows marked “just under” a number are applicants between two point levels, which happens when a party applies together and its points are averaged.
Sources: WGFD draw results and odds (2026) and the WGFD elk hunt area boundaries. Boundaries are for general location, not a survey. Check season dates and boundary descriptions in the WGFD regulations before you hunt.