Elk Hunt Area 56: Wapiti Ridge
In the 2026 draw for the Type 1 any elk license, nonresidents needed about 20 preference points, and residents' first-choice odds were about 3%.
- Herd unit
- Cody (216)
- Size
- 473 sq mi
- WGFD region
- Western
- License types drawn
- 4
Type 1 · Any elk
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 1 license. The draw ran out at 20 points: 25% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 20 4 25% just under 20 38 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 0 licenses, 41 first-choice applicants (under 1%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 1 license. The draw ran out at 20 points: 33.3% of applicants there drew, and everyone above it drew.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 20 3 33.33% just under 20 15 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 0 licenses, 17 first-choice applicants (under 1%).
- Resident: 8 licenses, 264 first-choice applicants (about 3%).
Type 6 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 31 licenses, 46 first-choice applicants (about 67%).
- Resident: 166 licenses, 217 first-choice applicants (about 76%).
Type 7 · Cow or calf
- Nonresident: 30 licenses, 11 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
- Resident: 180 licenses, 39 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Type 9 · Any elk, archery onl
- Nonresident, preference-point draw: 3 licenses. Everyone with just under 3 points or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds just under 3 3 100% 2 or fewer 7 0% - Nonresident, random draw: 0 licenses, 7 first-choice applicants (under 1%).
- Nonresident special, preference-point draw: 2 licenses. Everyone with 1 point or more drew; nobody below that did.
Point-by-point results
Points First-choice applicants Odds 11 1 100% 1 1 100% just under 1 2 0% - Nonresident special, random draw: 0 licenses, 2 first-choice applicants (under 1%).
- Resident: 25 licenses, 2 first-choice applicants (everyone drew).
Nearby elk areas
- Area 51: Sunlight-Crandall
- Area 54: Bald Ridge
- Area 55: Grinnell
- Area 58: Sage Creek
- Area 59: Boulder Basin
- Area 60: Thorofare
- Area 61: North Greybull River
- Area 65: Heart Mountain
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.