Wyoming Unit 26 Moose Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 26 is one of the most storied moose hunting destinations in the American West — and one of the hardest to draw. For hunters willing to put in decades of patience, this unit consistently delivers some of the highest harvest success rates found anywhere in Wyoming's moose program, along with a long-standing reputation for producing quality bulls. If moose hunting in the Rocky Mountain West is on the bucket list, Unit 26 deserves a hard look, even if it means a very long wait.

Spanning elevations from 6,064 to 10,438 feet across roughly 1.15 million acres, Unit 26 offers a dramatic cross-section of terrain — from lower river-bottom willow flats to high alpine basins. With 83% of the unit in public ownership and no designated wilderness acreage, nonresident hunters can plan a fully DIY hunt without the Wyoming outfitter requirement that applies in wilderness areas elsewhere in the state. That combination of public access and terrain diversity is part of what makes Unit 26 a perennial name in moose hunting circles.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 26 Worth Applying For?

The short answer: yes, if a hunter has the patience for a long-term point strategy and the DIY skills to hunt public land moose country without guide support. The harvest numbers alone make a compelling case. Across the last four seasons of available data, Unit 26 has posted success rates that most western big game hunters only dream about — 95% in 2025, 96% in 2024, and back-to-back 100% seasons in 2023 and 2022. With hunter numbers running in the 41-47 range annually, this is not a hunt where drawing a tag means gambling on whether you'll fill it. Once a hunter has a tag in hand, the odds of putting a bull on the ground are about as good as it gets in Wyoming's moose program.

Trophy potential adds to the appeal. The counties overlapping Unit 26 carry a strong history of trophy-class moose entries in the record books, which signals that mature bulls capable of turning heads have consistently come from this landscape over multiple decades. That said, prospective applicants should treat this as a strong indicator rather than a guarantee — trophy quality in any given year depends heavily on bull age structure, hunting pressure, and a hunter's own effort in the field.

The wildlife survey data requires an honest caveat. A recorded bull:cow ratio of 80:100 sounds impressive, but it's drawn from only two survey years within the broader four-year dataset (2021-2024), and ratios that high are a textbook sign of a small sample size rather than an accurate herd health signal. Hunters should not read this number as evidence of an exceptionally bull-heavy herd. Instead, weigh it alongside the sustained harvest success rates, which are a far more reliable multi-year indicator that Unit 26's moose population is holding up well and supporting consistent hunter success.

The real limiting factor isn't quality — it's access to a tag. Moose permits in Unit 26 are extremely limited and heavily contested, particularly for nonresidents. This is a unit built for hunters already deep into a long-term point strategy, not for someone hoping to hunt moose in Wyoming next season. For a full breakdown of current draw statistics, hunters should check the HuntPilot Wyoming Unit 26 page directly, since permit numbers and applicant pools shift from year to year.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 26's harvest data is about as strong as it gets:

• 2025: 44 hunters, 42 harvested — 95% success
• 2024: 45 hunters, 43 harvested — 96% success
• 2023: 47 hunters, 47 harvested — 100% success
• 2022: 41 hunters, 41 harvested — 100% success

Four consecutive years of success rates at or above 95% is a remarkable trend line. It suggests a healthy, huntable moose population combined with a manageable number of tag holders relative to available bulls and cows. For context, many western moose units struggle to crack 60-70% success in a given year. Unit 26's numbers put it firmly among the top-tier moose hunts in the region, and hunters who finally draw a tag here can go into the season with real confidence that persistence in the field will pay off.

Trophy Quality

While specific scores aren't part of this discussion, the counties overlapping Unit 26 carry a strong trophy history in the record books, reflecting sustained production of trophy-class bulls across multiple decades. This is the kind of long-running trophy pedigree that separates a handful of western moose units from the pack. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-caliber bull — not just meat in the freezer — have real reason for optimism here, particularly given the high harvest success rates that mean most tag holders get the opportunity to be selective rather than settling for the first animal they see.

As with any moose hunt, trophy potential still comes down to time in the field, glassing effort, and willingness to pass young bulls early in the season. But the underlying data supports Unit 26's reputation as one of Wyoming's better moose trophy units.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The available survey data (2021-2024) shows an average bull:cow ratio of 80:100, but this figure is based on only two of the four survey years and is flagged as an unusually high ratio likely tied to a small sample size. Hunters should not treat this number as representative of the broader herd structure. Ratios this elevated typically reflect limited survey coverage rather than an actual surplus of bulls relative to cows.

A more dependable gauge of herd health in Unit 26 is the harvest success trend itself. Four straight years of success rates between 95% and 100%, with stable hunter numbers in the low-to-mid 40s, points to a population that continues to support consistent hunting outcomes even as broader moose declines have been documented across parts of the Rocky Mountain West. That stability is a positive sign, but hunters should still expect year-to-year variability in survey methodology and treat any single-year ratio with caution.

Access & Terrain

Unit 26 covers elevations from 6,064 feet up to 10,438 feet, offering hunters a wide range of habitat types to work with — from lower-elevation river drainages favored by moose for willow browse to higher alpine terrain as the season progresses. With 83% of the unit's roughly 1.15 million acres in public ownership, access is a genuine strength here. This is a unit where DIY hunters can realistically plan a public-land hunt without needing to negotiate private land permission for the majority of their hunting time.

Importantly, Unit 26 carries 0% designated wilderness acreage. That matters directly for nonresident hunters: Wyoming law requires nonresidents hunting in designated wilderness to hire a licensed outfitter, but since Unit 26 has no wilderness acreage, that requirement does not apply here. Nonresidents are free to hunt this unit unguided, which — combined with the high public land percentage — makes Unit 26 one of the more accessible do-it-yourself moose hunts in the state for hunters who eventually draw a tag.

Terrain within the unit is varied enough that hunters should expect a mix of accessible bottomland and more demanding higher-elevation country as the fall progresses and bulls move. Scouting efforts should focus on identifying willow-heavy riparian corridors and transitional timber at mid-elevations, and hunters can use HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays to identify specific drainages and access points worth investigating before the season.

How to Apply

Wyoming's moose draw operates on a preference point system for both residents and nonresidents, meaning points accumulate each year an applicant applies without drawing, and a successful draw resets that point balance. For nonresidents in particular, drawing a Unit 26 moose tag has historically required decades of point accumulation — one forum account referenced needing point levels well beyond what was originally anticipated just a few years earlier, underscoring how competitive this specific hunt has become over time. Hunters serious about ever drawing this tag should begin applying as early as possible and treat it as a true long-term investment.

Hunters should also note that Wyoming requires holding a qualifying hunting license before applying for the moose draw — factor this cost in alongside the application and point fees when budgeting for a Unit 26 attempt. For the most current draw statistics and application requirements specific to Unit 26, visit HuntPilot's Wyoming state page at /states/wy or the HuntPilot Unit 26 page directly.

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

Is Wyoming Unit 26 worth applying for as a moose hunt? Based on the available data, yes. Unit 26 combines exceptionally high harvest success (95-100% over the last four recorded seasons), a strong public land base (83%), no wilderness restrictions for nonresidents, and a trophy history strong enough to warrant serious long-term point investment. The primary drawback is the extremely competitive draw, which requires patience measured in decades rather than years for nonresidents.

What is harvest success like in Unit 26? Harvest success has been outstanding in recent years — 95% in 2025, 96% in 2024, and 100% in both 2023 and 2022, with hunter numbers ranging from 41 to 47 per season. This places Unit 26 among the more reliable moose hunts in Wyoming once a tag is drawn.

What is the terrain like in Unit 26? The unit spans a wide elevation range from 6,064 to 10,438 feet, offering everything from lower river-bottom and willow habitat to higher alpine terrain. With 83% public land and zero designated wilderness, hunters have substantial access for a self-guided hunt across varied moose habitat.

How big are the moose in Unit 26? Specific scores aren't published here, but the counties overlapping Unit 26 have a strong history of trophy-class entries in the record books, suggesting the unit has consistently produced mature, quality bulls over multiple decades. Combined with high harvest success, hunters who draw a tag have a genuine opportunity to be selective for a trophy-caliber animal.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt moose in Unit 26? No. Unit 26 has 0% designated wilderness acreage, so Wyoming's nonresident wilderness guide requirement does not apply here. Nonresidents who draw a tag can hunt this unit on a fully DIY basis, provided they're prepared for the remoteness and physical demands of the terrain.