Wyoming Unit 35 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 35 sits in elk country that draws serious attention from point-holders willing to wait for a quality tag. Spanning 160,704 acres with elevations ranging from 4,622 to 12,420 feet, this unit offers the kind of vertical relief and habitat diversity that produces mature bulls — but it also demands a realistic look at harvest trends, herd data, and access before hunters commit years of points to drawing a tag here. This article breaks down what the data actually shows for Unit 35, using recent harvest figures, survey data, and application information sourced through HuntPilot.

With 71% public land and 18% designated wilderness, Unit 35 gives hunters plenty of room to roam, but the terrain spans nearly 8,000 feet of elevation change — meaning early-season elk and late-season elk can be found in dramatically different parts of the unit. Understanding that spread, along with the unit's herd health and harvest patterns, is the difference between burning a hard-earned nonresident tag on a mediocre hunt and capitalizing on a unit with real trophy upside.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Unit 35 shows a unit that produces a fair, if not spectacular, opportunity for hunters who draw. Over the last four years:

• 2025: 552 hunters, 143 elk harvested, 26% success
• 2024: 639 hunters, 200 elk harvested, 31% success
• 2023: 548 hunters, 188 elk harvested, 34% success
• 2022: 643 hunters, 145 elk harvested, 23% success

Success rates have fluctuated between 23% and 34% across this four-year window, with no clear upward or downward trend — 2023 stands out as the strongest year, while 2022 and 2025 were noticeably tougher. Hunter numbers have also swung meaningfully, from a low of 548 to a high of 643, which suggests tag allocations or hunter interest have varied year to year. For a limited-entry unit, a success rate hovering in the mid-20s to mid-30s percent range is respectable, but it also tells hunters that this is not an easy-limit unit — putting in the time scouting and understanding elk movement across the unit's elevation gradient matters.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 35 show a moderate history of trophy-class bulls. This isn't a unit with a thin or nonexistent trophy record, but it also isn't among the elite handful of units that consistently stack record-book entries. Hunters should interpret this as moderate trophy potential — mature bulls are present and have been taken from this area, but they are not a given, and the bulk of harvested bulls in any given season will fall well short of trophy-class scores.

It's worth noting that record-book entries are attributed at the county level, not the unit level, so trophy history here is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties. That means the moderate trophy pedigree associated with this area isn't necessarily concentrated inside Unit 35's boundaries — bulls contributing to that record could have come from adjacent units as well. Combined with the unit's low observed bull:cow ratio (more on that below), hunters should temper trophy expectations and focus on hunting the unit's better habitat and elevation transitions rather than assuming a high concentration of mature bulls.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected across four survey years (2021–2024) shows an average bull:cow ratio of 26:100 for Unit 35. This is a notably low ratio compared to what's considered healthy for a limited-entry bull unit, and it's a meaningful data point for hunters weighing whether to apply here. A 26:100 ratio suggests that bull numbers relative to cows are on the thinner side, which can translate to fewer mature bulls in the population and more hunting pressure concentrated on a smaller pool of bulls during the season.

Unlike some units where a single anomalous survey year skews the picture, this average is drawn from four consecutive years, giving it more credibility as a genuine reflection of herd structure rather than a survey artifact. Hunters should factor this ratio into their expectations: a lower bull:cow ratio generally means it takes more effort — more days afield, more country covered — to locate a shooter bull, even in a unit with a moderate trophy history. This aligns with the unit's harvest data, where success rates in the 20s-to-30s percent range suggest bulls aren't behind every tree.

Access & Terrain

Unit 35 offers 71% public land, which gives DIY hunters a strong base to plan a hunt without needing to negotiate private land access for the bulk of their scouting and hunting. With 18% of the unit designated wilderness, hunters — particularly nonresidents — need to understand Wyoming's guide law: nonresidents hunting within designated wilderness areas in Wyoming are required by state law to hire a licensed Wyoming outfitter or guide. At 18% wilderness, this unit is not majority-wilderness, so DIY nonresident hunting remains practical across most of the unit, but hunters planning to access the wilderness-designated portion specifically will need to arrange a guide.

The elevation range of 4,622 to 12,420 feet is substantial — nearly 7,800 feet of vertical relief across the unit. This kind of spread means hunters can expect everything from lower-elevation sagebrush and foothill terrain to high alpine basins near treeline. Early-season elk are likely to be found in higher-elevation summer range, while hunters targeting the tail end of the season should expect elk pushed toward lower elevations as weather changes. Given the size of the unit at over 160,000 acres, scouting efforts should be focused on identifying where elk are concentrated relative to elevation and water at the specific time of the hunt — HuntPilot's mapping tools, including public land overlays and elevation layers, are useful for narrowing down likely areas before boots hit the ground.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 35 worth applying for? The honest answer is: it depends on what a hunter is looking for. This is not a unit defined by sky-high success rates or an outstanding bull:cow ratio — the herd data points to a below-average bull population relative to cows, and harvest success has ranged from 23% to 34% over the past four years, meaning roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of hunters go home without a bull in a typical year.

What Unit 35 does offer is a large, mostly public-land unit (71%) with substantial elevation diversity and a moderate trophy history — meaning mature bulls are present and have been taken here, even if they aren't common. For a nonresident willing to invest years of points and a hunter who's willing to put in serious scouting and physical effort across a demanding elevation gradient, this unit can produce a quality hunt. For someone expecting an easy tag or a high-percentage bull encounter, the data suggests tempering those expectations.

This unit is best suited to hunters who value the hunt itself — big country, real elevation challenges, and a legitimate shot at a mature bull — over hunters purely chasing the highest possible success percentage. Given the point cost associated with drawing a nonresident regular or special tag here, hunters should weigh the moderate trophy potential and modest bull:cow ratio against the significant point investment before committing.

How to Apply

Wyoming's application system for Unit 35 elk tags involves separate fee structures for residents and nonresidents, along with distinct deadlines depending on tag type.

Nonresidents should note that a successful draw consumes accumulated preference points, so hunters drawing a tag here should expect to rebuild their point total from scratch afterward. Wyoming's nonresident elk draw structure includes both a preference-based pool where the highest point holders draw first, and a separate points-blind random pool where points offer no advantage — hunters should check current draw odds and structure details on HuntPilot's Wyoming state page for the most up-to-date breakdown by point level.

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 Wyoming Unit 35? Unit 35 spans a dramatic elevation range from 4,622 to 12,420 feet across 160,704 acres, meaning hunters will encounter everything from lower-elevation sagebrush and foothill country to high alpine terrain near treeline. With 71% public land and 18% wilderness, most of the unit is accessible without needing to arrange private land permission, though the wilderness-designated portion requires a licensed guide for nonresidents under Wyoming law.

What is harvest success in Unit 35? Harvest success has ranged from 23% to 34% over the past four hunting seasons (2022–2025), with 2023 producing the highest success rate at 34% and 2022 the lowest at 23%. Hunter numbers during this span ranged from 548 to 643 per year, and success has not shown a consistent upward or downward trend.

How big are the elk in Unit 35? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 35 show a moderate history of trophy-class bulls, meaning mature, record-class bulls have come from this area but aren't common. Combined with a below-average bull:cow ratio of 26:100 observed across four survey years (2021–2024), hunters should expect that finding a genuine trophy bull here requires real effort and time in the field rather than a high-percentage encounter.

Is Unit 35 worth applying for? It depends on hunter goals. The unit offers a large, mostly public-land footprint with significant elevation diversity and a moderate trophy history, but the bull:cow ratio and harvest success data suggest this is not a high-percentage or trophy-guaranteed unit. It suits hunters willing to invest points and put in demanding, physical scouting effort for a legitimate — but not easy — shot at a mature bull.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt Unit 35? Not for the entire unit. Unit 35 is 18% designated wilderness, which is below the threshold where a guide becomes essentially mandatory for all huntable land. However, Wyoming state law requires nonresidents to hire a licensed Wyoming outfitter or guide specifically within the wilderness-designated portion of the unit. Nonresidents hunting the remaining 82% of the unit outside wilderness boundaries can hunt DIY.