Wyoming Unit 104 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 104 offers elk hunters a large, mostly public block of country in the heart of Wyoming's elk range, with 432,830 total acres and 78% public land ownership. For hunters sorting through Wyoming's elk units trying to find a place that combines real public access with consistent harvest, Unit 104 deserves a close look. Elevations in the unit range from 6,067 feet up to 10,332 feet, giving hunters a mix of lower sagebrush and foothill country up through timbered mid-elevation slopes and into higher basins near timberline.

This is not a wilderness unit — the structured data shows 0% wilderness designation here, which matters a great deal for nonresident hunters, since Wyoming's guide requirement for nonresidents only applies inside designated wilderness areas. That means Unit 104 is open to nonresident DIY hunters without the mandatory outfitter requirement that governs many of Wyoming's high-profile wilderness units. Combined with the acreage and public land percentage, this is a unit built for hunters who want to do their own scouting and hunting rather than book a guided wilderness pack trip.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 104 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 104 is a solid, opportunity-driven elk unit rather than a unit chasing giant bulls. Recent harvest data pulled from HuntPilot shows success rates that are respectable for a public-land unit of this size: hunters posted a 33% success rate in 2025, 32% in 2024, 26% in 2023, and 38% in 2022. That's a four-year range of 26–38%, which tells hunters two things — first, that a meaningful share of hunters connect on elk here, and second, that success rates do swing year to year, likely tied to weather, elk distribution, and hunting pressure rather than a herd in decline.

The bull:cow ratio recorded across the available survey data averages 18:100 across the 2021–2024 survey window, based on a single survey per year. That ratio is on the low side compared to a healthy, mature bull segment, and it suggests that while cow elk numbers and overall herd presence support strong harvest opportunity, the number of mature bulls relative to cows is limited. Hunters chasing a trophy-class bull should treat this figure as a caution flag — it points toward a unit that produces meat hunts and opportunity more reliably than it produces old, heavy-antlered bulls in volume.

On trophy potential, the counties overlapping Unit 104 carry a moderate history of trophy-class records. Remember that record-book entries are tied to the county, not the exact unit boundary, so those entries are shared with neighboring units that fall in the same counties — an animal credited to the area could have come from anywhere within that broader county footprint. That moderate history means trophy-class bulls have come from this general area historically, but hunters shouldn't bank on a unit-wide reputation for exceptional bulls. This lines up with the survey data: Unit 104 is better understood as a dependable opportunity unit than a destination trophy unit.

Put together, Unit 104 is worth applying for if a hunter's priority is a good chance at putting an elk on the ground on mostly public land without a mandatory guide requirement. It's a tougher sell for a hunter whose only goal is a wall-hanger bull, given the modest bull:cow ratio and moderate trophy history.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 104's harvest numbers over the last four seasons show real, if inconsistent, opportunity:

• 2025: 1,798 hunters, 588 harvested — 33% success
• 2024: 1,762 hunters, 558 harvested — 32% success
• 2023: 1,452 hunters, 378 harvested — 26% success
• 2022: 1,676 hunters, 633 harvested — 38% success

Hunter numbers have stayed fairly steady in the range of roughly 1,450 to 1,800 hunters per season, which suggests this unit sees consistent pressure rather than a boom-and-bust applicant pool. The dip to 26% success in 2023 stands out against the other three years, all of which cleared 30%, peaking at 38% in 2022. Hunters should read this as a unit where success is realistic in most years but not guaranteed — weather, snow timing, and elk movement likely play a role in why 2023 underperformed relative to the other three years in this window.

For a unit of this size and public land percentage, a success rate consistently in the 26–38% range is a good sign for hunters weighing time and travel investment against the odds of filling a tag.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data available for Unit 104 points to moderate trophy potential. The counties overlapping this unit have produced trophy-class record-book entries over time, but the depth and recency of that record isn't in the exceptional or strong tier — it's a moderate history, meaning bulls capable of reaching trophy-book minimums have come from this broader area, but they aren't common.

This assessment is reinforced by the bull:cow ratio data, which sits at 18:100 across recent survey years. A ratio at that level typically reflects a herd where a large share of bulls are harvested at younger age classes before they reach full maturity, limiting the number of true trophy-class bulls in the population at any given time. Hunters targeting an exceptional or elite-class bull should treat Unit 104 as a long-shot proposition rather than a primary trophy destination, and should set expectations toward a solid, mature bull rather than a record-book giant.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 104 covers four survey years between 2021 and 2024, with an average bull:cow ratio of 18:100 based on a single survey conducted during that window. This is a low ratio relative to what's generally considered a balanced post-season bull segment, and it signals that bull harvest pressure is high relative to the cow segment of the herd, or that bull survival to maturity is limited.

Because this figure is drawn from a single survey rather than multiple annual survey passes, hunters should treat it as directionally useful rather than a precise year-over-year trend line. There isn't enough multi-year survey depth in the available data to say definitively whether the ratio is improving, holding steady, or declining. What the harvest data does support is a herd that continues to produce a consistent number of harvestable elk each season — cow and bull combined — even if the bull segment specifically skews young.

Access & Terrain

Unit 104 covers 432,830 acres with 78% public land, which is a strong foundation for DIY hunters. With more than three-quarters of the unit open to public access, hunters have real room to spread out, scout, and hunt without needing to negotiate private land access for the majority of their hunt.

Elevation in the unit spans from 6,067 feet up to 10,332 feet — over 4,000 feet of vertical relief. That range gives hunters options: lower sagebrush and foothill terrain that can hold elk early and late in the day, mid-elevation timbered slopes that provide security cover, and higher basin country near the top of the range that elk use as summer and transition habitat before weather pushes them lower. Hunters willing to work the higher end of that elevation band in early-season conditions, then shift focus to mid- and lower-elevation terrain as conditions change, should be able to stay on elk through a range of weather patterns.

With 0% of the unit classified as wilderness, there are no wilderness-specific access restrictions here, and — critically for nonresidents — no mandatory outfitter requirement tied to wilderness designation. That makes Unit 104 a more practical target for nonresident DIY hunters than Wyoming units with significant wilderness acreage, where the state's guide law would apply. Hunters should still expect a mix of road-accessible country and areas that require hiking in to get away from pressure, given the acreage involved and the terrain's elevation range.

How to Apply

Wyoming's elk application system runs on separate fee structures and deadlines for residents and nonresidents, and hunters need to track both an application deadline and, for nonresidents, a point deadline.

For 2026:

• Resident elk (antlerless tag): $5 application fee, $43 tag fee. Applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of June 1, 2026.
• Resident elk (regular tag): $5 application fee, $57 tag fee. Applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of June 1, 2026.
• Nonresident elk (antlerless tag): $15 application fee, $288 tag fee, plus a $52 point fee. Applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of February 2, 2026. A separate point deadline falls on November 2, 2026.
• Nonresident elk (regular tag): $15 application fee, $692 tag fee, plus a $52 point fee. Applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of February 2, 2026. A separate point deadline falls on November 2, 2026.
• Nonresident elk (special tag): $15 application fee, $1,950 tag fee, plus a $52 point fee. Applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of February 2, 2026. A separate point deadline falls on November 2, 2026.

Looking ahead, HuntPilot's draw calendar shows the 2028 application cycle opening January 5, 2028, with a deadline of March 1, 2028 for all regular applications — a useful marker for hunters planning multiple seasons out.

Nonresidents should note that Wyoming's nonresident elk draw does not use preference points in the same way as deer or pronghorn — points here function within a separate, points-blind random pool alongside a preference-based pool where the highest point holders draw first. Demand for elk tags in Wyoming is heavily contested across residencies, so hunters should check the HuntPilot Unit 104 page and Wyoming's state page for current draw odds before committing an application strategy.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 104? Unit 104 spans a wide elevation range from 6,067 to 10,332 feet, offering a mix of lower sagebrush and foothill terrain, mid-elevation timber, and higher basin country near the top end of the range. With 432,830 total acres and 78% public land, there's substantial room for hunters to explore different elevation bands and terrain types depending on weather and elk movement. The unit carries 0% wilderness designation, meaning access is generally more straightforward than in Wyoming's wilderness-heavy units, without the special guide requirements that apply there.

What is harvest success in Unit 104? Recent harvest data shows success rates of 33% in 2025, 32% in 2024, 26% in 2023, and 38% in 2022, with hunter numbers ranging from roughly 1,450 to 1,800 per year. That's a consistent, respectable success range for a large public-land unit, though hunters should expect some year-to-year variability.

How big are the elk in Unit 104? Trophy data for the surrounding counties points to moderate trophy potential rather than an exceptional trophy reputation. The bull:cow ratio recorded in recent survey years averages 18:100, which suggests a bull segment weighted toward younger age classes rather than a large population of mature, trophy-class bulls. Hunters can expect a realistic shot at a solid bull, but should not treat this as a premier trophy destination.

Is Unit 104 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing opportunity, public access, and a workable DIY hunt without Wyoming's wilderness guide requirement, yes — the harvest success data and 78% public land make this a practical, dependable option. For hunters solely chasing an exceptional or elite-class bull, the moderate trophy history and low bull:cow ratio suggest looking elsewhere or tempering expectations.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt elk in Unit 104? No. Wyoming's mandatory outfitter requirement for nonresidents only applies within designated wilderness areas, and Unit 104 carries 0% wilderness designation according to the structured data. Nonresident hunters can legally hunt this unit DIY,