Wyoming Unit 33 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 33 is a limited-quota elk hunting unit covering 400,465 acres, with every hunt in the unit requiring a successful draw — there is no general season fallback for hunters who miss out in the lottery. That makes understanding the unit's harvest trends, tag quota movement, and herd data essential before committing points or cash to an application. This article breaks down what the numbers actually show for Unit 33, using data from HuntPilot, so hunters can decide whether this unit deserves a spot on their application strategy.

Spanning an elevation range of 4,586 to 8,562 feet, Unit 33 offers a mix of lower-elevation foothill terrain and higher country that pushes toward alpine influence. At 54% public land, more than half the unit is accessible without needing landowner permission, though the remaining 46% in private hands means hunters need to pay close attention to land ownership boundaries when planning routes. There is no designated wilderness acreage in this unit, which means access isn't complicated by the stricter guide requirements that apply in Wyoming's wilderness areas.

Because every hunt code here runs through the draw — including hunts for antlered and either-sex animals — Unit 33 functions as a true limited-entry unit. Hunters are not simply picking up an over-the-counter tag and showing up; this is a unit where draw strategy and point accumulation matter from the outset.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 33 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer is that Unit 33 is a mixed-bag unit — solid opportunity data, but not a slam-dunk trophy destination, and the tag quota trend is worth watching closely.

On the positive side, harvest success has been reasonably strong and improving in recent seasons. The 2025 season produced a 29% success rate across 419 hunters, up from 24% in 2024 and a notable jump from the 17% low recorded in 2023. The 2022 season sits in between at 27% success across 371 hunters. That four-year swing — from 17% up to 29% — suggests some year-to-year variability in either animal distribution, weather-driven movement, or hunter effort, rather than a steadily declining or steadily improving unit. Taken as a whole, the recent trend line is encouraging for hunters who prioritize filling a tag over chasing a specific trophy class.

The herd data requires a more careful read. The average bull-to-cow ratio across four survey years (2021–2024) sits at 37:100. That's a modest ratio by elk management standards and points to a unit that is not overloaded with bulls relative to cows — hunters should not expect a herd structure skewed heavily toward mature bulls. It's a realistic, working ratio rather than an exceptional one, and it should temper expectations about bull density on any given hunt.

Tag quotas are the other piece of this puzzle, and the trend here is a real factor for anyone building a multi-year application plan. Type 1 tags have held steady at 200 from 2024 through the 2026 cycle, offering some predictability. Type 4 tags, however, were cut from 150 in 2024–2025 down to 100 for 2026 — a 33% reduction. Type 6 tags saw an even larger raw cut, dropping from 300 in 2024–2025 to 200 in 2026, also a 33% reduction. These are meaningful quota reductions, and hunters relying on Type 4 or Type 6 tags in their planning should expect increased competition for those tags going forward, even though the specific draw odds for any given point level aren't addressed here — check HuntPilot's unit page for the current numbers.

Trophy potential in the counties overlapping Unit 33 is best described as moderate. The record-book history in this area shows some trophy production over time, but it isn't a unit with an exceptional or heavily concentrated trophy pedigree. Hunters targeting a genuine trophy-class bull should treat Unit 33 as a reasonable opportunity unit rather than a unit built around chasing an elite-class animal. It's also worth noting that trophy entries are logged at the county level, not unit level, so any records attributed to this area are shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties.

Taken together: Unit 33 is worth applying for if the priority is a realistic chance at a tag with respectable and improving success rates, in a unit with majority public access. It is not the unit to prioritize if the singular goal is a record-class bull, and the recent quota cuts on Type 4 and Type 6 hunts mean hunters should build flexibility into their point strategy rather than banking on one hunt type indefinitely.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 33's harvest data over the past four seasons shows real movement:

• 2025: 419 hunters, 120 harvested, 29% success
• 2024: 491 hunters, 119 harvested, 24% success
• 2023: 418 hunters, 73 harvested, 17% success
• 2022: 371 hunters, 102 harvested, 27% success

The standout figure is the 2025 season's 29% success rate, the best of the four years shown, despite a hunter count (419) that was actually lower than 2024's 491 hunters. That combination — fewer hunters, more harvested animals, higher success — is a positive signal for recent conditions in the unit. The 2023 season stands out as the outlier, with success dropping to 17% despite a similar number of hunters (418) to 2025. Hunters should view that dip as a reminder that Unit 33's success can swing significantly year to year, likely tied to weather, elk movement, or pressure distribution across hunt types rather than a steady decline.

Overall, the four-year average success rate sits in the mid-20% range, which is a respectable number for a limited-quota elk unit and suggests hunters who draw a tag here have a legitimate, better-than-coinflip-adjacent chance of filling it, even if a top-end trophy isn't guaranteed.

Trophy Quality

Trophy potential in the counties overlapping Unit 33 is best characterized as moderate. The available record-book history shows the area has produced trophy-class elk over time, but it does not carry the exceptional or heavily weighted trophy pedigree seen in some of Wyoming's premier limited-entry units. Hunters should treat this unit as one with genuine but unremarkable trophy upside — a mature bull is possible, but Unit 33 shouldn't be the centerpiece of an application strategy built solely around chasing a record-class animal.

It's also important to remember that trophy entries are recorded by county, not by individual hunt unit. Any records attributed to the counties overlapping Unit 33 are shared with neighboring units that fall within those same county lines, so the records don't necessarily reflect a concentration of trophy animals killed specifically inside Unit 33's boundaries.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 33 covers four years, 2021 through 2024, with an average bull-to-cow ratio of 37:100. This is a moderate ratio — not alarmingly low, but not the kind of bull-heavy ratio that would suggest an abundance of mature bulls relative to the cow population. For context, this ratio sits below the thresholds that typically flag an unusually bull-rich herd, so hunters shouldn't read it as a sign of exceptional bull density.

A 37:100 average across four survey years is a reasonably stable, trustworthy figure precisely because it's drawn from multiple years rather than a single anomalous survey. Hunters should use this ratio to calibrate expectations: Unit 33 supports a working elk population with a normal bull component, not a unit stacked with surplus bulls. Combined with the harvest success data, it paints a picture of a unit that produces tags-filled hunts more reliably than it produces trophy-class bulls.

Access & Terrain

Unit 33 spans an elevation range from 4,586 feet up to 8,562 feet, giving hunters a genuine cross-section of terrain — from lower foothill country to higher-elevation habitat as the season and hunt areas dictate. With 400,465 total acres and 54% public land, the majority of the unit is accessible without needing private landowner permission, though the remaining 46% is in private hands, meaning hunters need to be diligent about verifying land ownership boundaries before setting up a hunt plan, particularly in lower-elevation areas where private land tends to concentrate in many Wyoming units.

There is no wilderness acreage recorded for this unit (0%), which means nonresident hunters do not face Wyoming's wilderness guide requirement here — DIY access is not restricted by that state law in Unit 33, regardless of residency. That's a meaningful advantage over units with heavy wilderness designation, where nonresidents are functionally locked into hiring a licensed outfitter.

Hunters planning access should rely on general terrain themes — rolling foothill country transitioning into higher-elevation habitat — rather than specific route planning from outdated forum posts. For actual on-the-ground scouting, cross-referencing HuntPilot's public land layers against the unit's elevation bands is the most reliable way to identify likely travel corridors and public-access pockets before the season.

How to Apply

Every hunt in Unit 33 is limited-quota, meaning there is no general season option — hunters must apply through Wyoming's draw system to hunt here, regardless of residency. Both resident and nonresident hunters go through separate application processes, and nonresidents in particular should expect this to be a genuine draw unit requiring a deliberate points strategy rather than a unit they can simply show up and hunt in a given year.

Wyoming's elk draw structure includes a preference pool where the highest point holders draw first, running alongside a separate, points-blind random pool. It's worth noting that Wyoming residents do not accumulate preference points for elk — resident elk tags are allocated through a straight random draw process, so there's no "points strategy" for residents to manage here. Nonresidents, by contrast, do accumulate points for elk, and because this unit offers Type 1, Type 4, and Type 6 hunts with differing (and in two cases shrinking) tag quotas, nonresident applicants should factor the quota trend into how they prioritize this unit relative to others.

Given the cuts to Type 4 and Type 6 quotas heading into 2026, hunters building a multi-year plan around this unit should stay current on quota changes and not assume the same number of tags will be available indefinitely. Application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle — for the most up-to-date information, visit HuntPilot's Wyoming state page at /states/wy or the Unit 33 page directly for current numbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wyoming Unit 33 worth applying for? It depends on the goal. For hunters prioritizing a realistic shot at filling an elk tag, Unit 33 has shown improving and respectable success rates — 29% in 2025 and an average in the mid-20% range over the past four years — on a unit that's majority public land (54%) with no wilderness access restrictions. For hunters chasing a record-class trophy specifically, the moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties suggests this unit is a solid opportunity unit rather than a premier trophy destination.

What is harvest success like in Unit 33? Recent harvest success has ranged from 17% (2023) up to 29% (2025), with 2024 and 2022 landing at 24% and 27% respectively. The improving trend into 2025, combined with a drop in hunter numbers that same year, suggests favorable recent conditions, though hunters should expect some year-to-year variability rather than a guaranteed outcome.

How big are the elk in Unit 33? The counties overlapping Unit 33 carry a moderate trophy history — the area has produced trophy-class bulls, but it is not known as an exceptional or elite producer compared to Wyoming's top-tier units. Combined with a modest bull-to-cow ratio (37:100 average across 2021–2024), hunters should expect a working elk population rather than one stacked with mature, trophy-class bulls.

What is the terrain like in Unit 33? Unit 33 covers elevations from 4,586 to 8,562 feet across 400,465 acres, offering a range from lower foothill terrain up into higher-elevation country. With 54% public land, over half the unit is accessible without private permission, though the remaining acreage is privately held and requires careful boundary awareness. There is no wilderness acreage in the unit, so access isn't complicated by Wyoming's wilderness guide law.

Do I need an outfitter to hunt elk in Unit 33? No — because Unit 33 has 0% wilderness acreage, Wyoming's requirement that nonresidents hire a licensed outfitter in wilderness areas does not apply here. Nonresidents can pursue this unit as a DIY hunt, though they still must go through Wyoming's draw system to obtain a tag, since every hunt in this unit is limited-quota.