Wyoming Unit 19 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 19 elk hunting draws serious interest from hunters willing to invest years of preference points into a tag, and for good reason — this unit consistently produces solid harvest numbers even as it demands patience at the draw. Spanning 476,244 acres with elevations ranging from 4,971 to 8,748 feet, Unit 19 offers a mix of terrain that supports a resident elk herd hunted hard by both residents and nonresidents who've finally cashed in their points.

This is a unit where success rates have held up well in recent years, but where land access — not elk numbers — is the defining challenge. Nearly half the unit is private ground, and hunters who don't do their homework on landowner relations before opening day often find themselves boxed out of the best terrain. Understanding that dynamic, along with what the harvest and survey data actually say about this unit, is critical before committing years of points to draw here.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 19 Worth Applying For?

The harvest numbers make a strong case for Unit 19 as a productive elk unit. In 2024, 695 hunters harvested 348 elk for a 50% success rate — an excellent number for any western elk unit. That followed a 47% success rate in 2023 (302 of 638 hunters) and 47% again in 2022 (287 of 612 hunters). The 2025 season dipped to 41% success (287 of 694 hunters), but even that softer year sits well above what many limited-entry elk units nationwide produce. Across these four seasons, hunter participation has grown steadily, from 612 hunters in 2022 to nearly 700 in both 2024 and 2025, without success rates collapsing — a sign of a herd that's absorbing pressure reasonably well.

That said, the bull:cow ratio data pulled from wildlife surveys between 2021 and 2024 shows an average of just 17 bulls per 100 cows across three survey years. That's a low ratio relative to healthy elk herd benchmarks and suggests bull numbers are on the thinner side relative to the cow population, even though overall harvest success remains strong. Hunters should read this as a signal that while elk are present and huntable, mature bulls may be harder to come by than the success-rate numbers alone would suggest — success often includes cows and younger bulls, not just mature herd bulls.

Access is the other half of the equation, and it's the part that trips up hunters the most. With only 48% of Unit 19 classified as public land, more than half the acreage sits in private hands. That's not a unit where a hunter can show up and expect to find open public ground around every corner. Forum accounts from hunters who've drawn this tag consistently mention the unit being "mostly private," with landowner access requiring advance legwork — phone calls, permission requests, and in some cases working through a licensed outfitter — well before the season starts. Hunters have also noted that portions of the unit sit inside Habitat Management Areas (HMAs) that remain closed to entry until September 1, which limits pre-season scouting on foot even on land that is otherwise accessible in-season.

So is it worth applying for? For hunters focused on filling a tag and willing to do the access legwork — securing landowner permission, potentially working with an outfitter, and scouting hard once HMA restrictions lift — Unit 19 has proven it can deliver. For hunters expecting wide-open public land and easy access to mature bulls, the reality on the ground is tougher than the harvest percentages alone suggest.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 19's harvest data over the past four seasons tells a story of a consistently productive unit:

• 2025: 694 hunters, 287 harvested, 41% success
• 2024: 695 hunters, 348 harvested, 50% success
• 2023: 638 hunters, 302 harvested, 47% success
• 2022: 612 hunters, 287 harvested, 47% success

These are unit-wide totals across all hunt types, and the trend line is notable — success rates sat in the mid-to-high 40% range for three straight years before dropping to 41% in 2025. Hunter numbers have crept upward each year, which could partly explain the recent dip if pressure is spreading harvest opportunity across more tags without a corresponding increase in huntable elk. Even with that dip, a success rate above 40% remains competitive for a unit with significant private land constraints, and it reinforces that elk are present in numbers sufficient to support consistent harvest when hunters can get access to them.

Trophy Quality

Trophy record data tied to the counties overlapping Unit 19 shows a moderate history of trophy-class elk production. This isn't a unit with an extensive or well-known trophy pedigree, but it also isn't devoid of history — some trophy-class bulls have come from this broader area over time. Given the low bull:cow ratio reflected in recent survey data, hunters should temper trophy expectations accordingly; a herd running around 17 bulls per 100 cows across recent survey years is not the profile of a unit loaded with mature, multi-year-class bulls. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-caliber bull in Unit 19 should treat this as a possibility rather than an expectation, and should weigh that against the years of points required to draw a nonresident tag here.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 19 covers four survey years between 2021 and 2024, with an average bull:cow ratio of 17:100 recorded across three of those surveys. That ratio is low by elk herd management standards and suggests the unit is managed with a cow-heavy population structure, whether by design or as a function of hunting pressure on bulls. Hunters should not read the strong harvest success rates as evidence of an abundant bull population — the two data points tell different parts of the story. Elk are clearly present in numbers sufficient to produce harvest, but the ratio data indicates bulls make up a smaller share of that population than cows. Anyone planning a hunt here should factor this into expectations for bull encounters, particularly if targeting a mature animal rather than any legal bull.

Access & Terrain

Unit 19 covers 476,244 acres with elevations ranging from 4,971 feet up to 8,748 feet, offering meaningful topographic variety from lower-elevation foothill and sagebrush terrain up into higher timbered and open country. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit, which means nonresident hunters are not subject to Wyoming's outfitter-required-in-wilderness law here — DIY hunters can legally access and hunt this unit without hiring a guide.

The bigger access constraint is land ownership. At 48% public land, just under half of Unit 19 sits on land open to public hunting access, while the majority — 52% — is private. This is below the threshold where a unit can be called broadly DIY-friendly, and hunters who've drawn tags here consistently report that finding huntable public ground, or securing permission on private parcels, takes real effort. Forum accounts from drawn hunters describe portions of the unit falling inside Habitat Management Areas that remain closed until September 1, which restricts scouting access on foot during the summer months even for hunters trying to prepare early. Hunters serious about this unit should start contacting private landowners well in advance of the season, and should recognize that a licensed outfitter may be a practical option for accessing the private ground that makes up more than half the unit. HuntPilot's data on this unit reflects that split between solid harvest performance and a genuinely mixed-ownership landscape that requires planning well before opening day.

How to Apply

Wyoming's application system for Unit 19 elk runs through the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and hunters need to plan around several key dates and fees depending on residency and tag type.

Nonresidents face a substantially different structure.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Wyoming page at /states/wy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Unit 19? Unit 19 spans elevations from 4,971 feet to 8,748 feet across 476,244 acres, offering a range of terrain from lower foothill country up into higher elevation ground. There is no wilderness acreage in the unit, meaning access doesn't require navigating designated wilderness restrictions, though private land ownership remains the primary terrain-related access challenge.

What is harvest success like in Unit 19? Harvest success has been strong in recent years, with a 50% success rate in 2024 (348 of 695 hunters), 47% in both 2023 and 2022, and 41% in 2025 (287 of 694 hunters). These are among the more consistent success rates found in Wyoming elk units, though hunters should weigh that against the access challenges posed by the unit's private land makeup.

How big are the elk in Unit 19? Trophy record data tied to the counties overlapping this unit shows a moderate trophy history, meaning some trophy-class bulls have come from the broader area but it isn't known as a heavy producer. Combined with a recorded bull:cow ratio averaging 17:100 across recent survey years, hunters should expect that mature, trophy-class bulls are present but not abundant relative to the overall elk population.

Is Unit 19 worth applying for? For hunters willing to put in the access legwork — securing private landowner permission or working with an outfitter — Unit 19 has a track record of solid harvest success, often exceeding 45%. It's a stronger fit for hunters prioritizing a filled tag over trophy potential, given the moderate trophy history and lower bull:cow ratio reflected in survey data. Hunters should check HuntPilot's unit page for current draw odds before committing points to this unit.

Is Unit 19 a good unit for do-it-yourself nonresident hunters? It's workable but challenging. With no wilderness acreage, nonresidents aren't required to hire a guide by law, but at 48% public land, more than half the unit is private. Forum accounts from hunters who've drawn tags here describe needing to line up landowner permission well in advance, and note that portions of the unit inside Habitat Management Areas remain closed to scouting until September 1. DIY hunters should plan for significant pre-season legwork on access rather than assuming open public land will be readily available.