Elk Hunt Area 35: Hunter Mesa
In the 2026 draw for the Type 1 any elk license, nonresidents needed about 10 preference points, and residents' first-choice odds were about 26%.
- Herd unit
- North Bighorn (321)
- Size
- 251 sq mi
- WGFD region
- Western
- License types drawn
- 4
Type 1 · Any elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 9 licenses. Everyone with 10 points or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds just under 13 2 100% 11 5 100% 10 2 100% just under 10 66 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 3 licenses, 66 first-choice applicants (about 5%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 7 licenses. The draw ran out at just under 7 points: 50% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 11 1 100% 7 4 100% just under 7 4 50% 6 or fewer 37 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 2 licenses, 37 first-choice applicants (about 5%).
- Resident: 122 licenses, 476 first-choice applicants (about 26%).
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 21 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident, random draw: 6 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 9 licenses. Nobody applied for it as a first choice.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 3 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Resident: 147 licenses, 82 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 7 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 68 licenses, 16 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 403 licenses, 37 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 9 · Any elk, archery onl
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 6 licenses. Everyone with 11 points or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 13 4 100% 12 1 100% 11 1 100% just under 11 48 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 1 license, 48 first-choice applicants (about 2%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 4 licenses. The draw ran out at just under 9 points: 33.3% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 9 3 100% just under 9 3 33.33% 8 or fewer 26 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 1 license, 26 first-choice applicants (about 4%).
- Resident: 61 licenses, 212 first-choice applicants (about 29%).
Nearby elk areas
- Area 34: Upper Powder River
- Area 36: Rock Creek
- Area 37: Goose
- Area 45: Paint Rock Creek
- Area 129: Non-Herd Unit
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.