Elk Hunt Area 48: Upper Nowood
In the 2026 draw for the Type 1 any elk license, nonresidents needed about 7 preference points, and there were enough licenses for every resident who put it first.
- Herd unit
- South Bighorn (322)
- Size
- 930 sq mi
- WGFD region
- Western
- License types drawn
- 4
Type 1 · Any elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 27 licenses. Everyone with 7 points or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 14 1 100% 10 5 100% 9 5 100% just under 9 2 100% 8 3 100% just under 8 5 100% 7 6 100% just under 7 66 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 9 licenses, 66 first-choice applicants (about 14%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 18 licenses. Everyone with 4 points or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 9 3 100% just under 9 2 100% 7 3 100% just under 7 2 100% 5 5 100% 4 3 100% just under 4 16 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 6 licenses, 16 first-choice applicants (about 38%).
- Resident: 309 licenses, 239 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 4 · Antlerless elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 15 licenses. Every applicant drew, whatever their points.
- Nonresident, random draw: 5 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 6 licenses. Nobody applied for it as a first choice.
- Nonresident special, random draw: 2 licenses, 0 first-choice applicants.
- Resident: 118 licenses, 1 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 6 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 96 licenses, 64 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 522 licenses, 59 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 7 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 48 licenses, 8 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 291 licenses, 24 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Nearby elk areas
- Area 23: Rattlesnake
- Area 33: Middle Fork
- Area 34: Upper Powder River
- Area 47: Copper Mountain
- Area 49: Otter Creek
- Area 120: Buffalo Creek
- Area 128: Muskrat
- 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.