Wyoming Unit 24 Moose Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 24 sits among the most sought-after moose tags in the state, and for good reason. This is a unit where public land access is total, harvest success runs consistently high, and the herd data points to a mature, well-balanced bull population. For hunters lucky — or patient — enough to draw a tag here, Unit 24 offers one of the better DIY moose hunting opportunities in Wyoming, provided they understand the terrain and physical demands that come with it.

Covering 245,002 acres with elevations ranging from 7,573 to 11,360 feet, Unit 24 is entirely public land — 100% by the numbers — with no wilderness acreage listed in the unit's designation. That last point matters: because there's no wilderness component here, nonresident hunters are not subject to Wyoming's mandatory outfitter requirement that applies in designated wilderness areas elsewhere in the state. This is a unit hunters can legally pursue on their own, though as forum accounts and the terrain data both suggest, "DIY" doesn't mean "easy."

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data for Unit 24 is a strong selling point. Across four survey years from 2021 to 2024, the average bull:cow ratio came in at 69:100 — a healthy, mature ratio that reflects a herd with a solid buck-to-cow, or in this case bull-to-cow, structure and limited pressure on breeding-age bulls. Ratios in this range are unusual for moose populations across the West, and they indicate a herd that's neither over-harvested nor imbalanced. Hunters should still treat any single-unit multi-year average as the more reliable signal rather than looking too hard at any one year in isolation, but a four-survey average at this level is a good indicator of herd stability going into a hunt.

Harvest Success Rates

Few Wyoming moose units post the kind of consistent harvest numbers Unit 24 has delivered in recent seasons. The unit-wide totals tell the story plainly:

• 2025: 17 hunters, 16 harvested — 94% success
• 2024: 20 hunters, 16 harvested — 80% success
• 2023: 20 hunters, 19 harvested — 95% success
• 2022: 20 hunters, 18 harvested — 90% success

Over these four years, success rates have never dipped below 80%, and three of the four seasons cleared 90%. This is about as high as moose harvest success gets anywhere in the West. For context, moose are not an easy species to locate blind — they're solitary, spread across large home ranges, and require real legwork to find — but once hunters are in Unit 24 with a tag in hand, the data says they are very likely to fill it. A tag in this unit is, statistically, close to a guaranteed harvest given a full and honest hunting effort.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 24 shows a strong history of record-book entries, which puts this unit in rare company among Wyoming moose zones. That trophy pedigree is shared across the broader county area and neighboring units rather than being exclusive to Unit 24's boundaries, but the pattern is clear: this general region has consistently produced trophy-class bulls over time. Combined with the healthy bull:cow ratio noted above, the data supports genuine trophy potential here — hunters willing to be selective, rather than take the first legal bull encountered, have a real chance at a mature, well-developed animal. That said, moose scoring is a specialized pursuit, and hunters should approach any specific bull with realistic expectations built on time in the field rather than assumptions from general trophy history alone.

Access & Terrain

With 100% public land, Unit 24 removes the access headaches that plague many Western big game units where private ranches lock up prime bottomland and river corridors. Every acre in this unit is accessible to hunters holding a valid tag, which is a significant advantage over units where public-private checkerboard patterns force expensive access negotiations or long detours around posted ground.

The terrain itself is demanding. Elevations span from 7,573 feet up to 11,360 feet, meaning hunters can expect to move through a wide range of habitat — from lower forested drainages and riparian willow bottoms (classic moose habitat) up into high alpine basins near timberline. Forum accounts from hunters who've drawn this tag consistently emphasize how physically taxing a moose hunt in this country can be, particularly when it comes to packing out an animal. Moose are simply enormous — even a young bull can require multiple pack trips over rough ground — and hunters should plan logistics, whether that's game carts, packframes, or additional help, well before they're standing over a downed bull miles from the truck.

There's no wilderness acreage documented for this unit, which means motorized access on established routes is more available here than in wilderness-designated moose units elsewhere in Wyoming. That's a meaningful advantage for older hunters or those without extensive backcountry experience, though the elevation and rugged pockets of this unit still call for solid physical conditioning.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 24 worth applying for? Based on the data available through HuntPilot, the answer leans strongly toward yes for hunters who can handle the physical demands of high-elevation moose hunting and who value a combination of harvest reliability and trophy upside.

The case for this unit rests on three pillars: total public land access removing the access-negotiation problem that plagues so many western units, harvest success rates that have consistently landed in the 80-95% range over the last four seasons, and a bull:cow ratio that suggests a mature, stable herd. Layer in a county-level trophy history that points to genuine trophy potential, and Unit 24 checks nearly every box a moose hunter could ask for.

The trade-off is the draw itself. Wyoming moose tags — especially nonresident tags — are notoriously difficult to secure, and forum chatter around this unit reflects exactly that reality, with successful applicants describing decades of accumulated points before drawing. This is not a unit hunters should expect to draw quickly; it's a long-term investment for nonresidents and a competitive draw even for residents given how few tags moose hunts typically allocate relative to demand. Hunters serious about this unit should check current draw odds on HuntPilot's Wyoming unit pages to understand what point level realistically puts them in range, since specific odds shift from year to year and shouldn't be assumed from anecdotal forum reports.

For hunters who do draw, the physical reality deserves equal weight in the planning process. This isn't a spike-camp-and-glass-from-the-truck unit — the elevation range and terrain variety mean hunters need to be prepared to work, and pack-out logistics for an animal the size of a moose should be planned well in advance, not figured out after the shot.

How to Apply

Wyoming moose tags are allocated through the state's annual draw, and the numbers below reflect the most recently published application details.

For 2026, nonresident applicants face an application fee of $15, a tag fee of $2,752, and a point fee of $150. The nonresident application window opens January 2, 2026, with a deadline of April 30, 2026, and a separate point deadline of November 2, 2026 for hunters looking to purchase a preference point without applying for a tag that year.

Resident applicants for 2026 pay a much lower cost structure: a $5 application fee, a $152 tag fee, and a $7 point fee. The resident application window mirrors the nonresident timeline, opening January 2, 2026 with the same April 30, 2026 deadline and November 2, 2026 point deadline.

Looking ahead, HuntPilot's draw application calendar shows the 2028 application cycle opening January 5, 2028, with a deadline of March 1, 2028 for all regular applicants. Note that this 2028 deadline is notably earlier than the 2026 deadline pattern, so hunters planning multi-year point strategies should not assume deadlines stay fixed year over year — always confirm current dates before applying.

Wyoming's moose draw uses a preference point system for residents and nonresidents alike, meaning point accumulation plays a direct role in draw competitiveness over time. A successful draw consumes accumulated points, so hunters who draw a tag should expect to rebuild their point total from the beginning in subsequent application cycles.

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 24? Unit 24 spans a wide elevation range from 7,573 to 11,360 feet, covering everything from lower forested drainages and willow-lined riparian habitat typical of moose country up to high alpine terrain near timberline. The unit is physically demanding, and hunters should be prepared for rugged ground and significant elevation gain when planning a hunt, particularly around pack-out logistics for a harvested animal.

What is harvest success like in Unit 24 for moose? Harvest success has been excellent in recent years, ranging from 80% to 95% across the 2022-2025 seasons. In 2025, 16 of 17 hunters harvested a bull (94% success), while 2023 saw 19 of 20 hunters succeed (95%). This places Unit 24 among the more reliable moose units in Wyoming for hunters who draw a tag.

How big are the moose in Unit 24? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 24 point to a strong history of trophy-class bulls, and the unit's healthy bull:cow ratio (averaging 69:100 across recent surveys) supports genuine trophy potential for hunters willing to be selective. Because trophy records are logged by county rather than by exact unit boundary, this trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same county footprint, but it's a strong regional signal nonetheless.

Is Unit 24 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — particularly for hunters who value 100% public land access, consistently high harvest success, and solid trophy potential. The primary obstacle is the draw itself, which for Wyoming moose tags typically requires significant point accumulation, especially for nonresidents. Check HuntPilot's Wyoming unit pages for current draw odds by point level before committing to a long-term application strategy.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt moose in Unit 24? No wilderness acreage is documented for Unit 24, so Wyoming's mandatory outfitter requirement for wilderness areas does not apply here. Nonresidents can legally hunt this unit without a licensed guide, though given the terrain and the physical demands of a moose pack-out, many hunters — as reflected in forum accounts — still choose to bring extra help or plan carefully for the workload involved.