Wyoming Unit 37 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 37 elk hunting draws attention from both resident and nonresident hunters looking at western Wyoming's mix of high country and accessible public ground. Spanning 437,729 acres with elevations ranging from 3,627 feet up to 13,142 feet, this unit offers a dramatic vertical range that puts everything from sagebrush benches to alpine basins in play depending on where elk are sitting during the season. At 54% public land, hunters have a legitimate base of accessible ground to work with, though the remaining private land means access planning matters before hunters commit to a specific drainage or trailhead.

The unit carries 13% wilderness designation, which is a meaningful factor for nonresident hunters — Wyoming state law requires nonresidents hunting in designated wilderness to be accompanied by a licensed Wyoming outfitter or guide. With wilderness making up a modest but real slice of the unit, hunters planning DIY trips should map out which drainages fall outside wilderness boundaries before assuming they can hunt unguided everywhere on the map.

Recent harvest data shows Unit 37 producing consistent, if unspectacular, results. Success rates have ranged from 17% to 22% over the past four seasons, and understanding those trends — along with what the tag quota structure and trophy history suggest — is essential before hunters spend points or application dollars here.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 37's harvest numbers over the last four years tell a story of gradual softening. In 2022, 1,650 hunters harvested 358 elk for a 22% success rate — the strongest of the recent stretch. That number slipped to 20% in 2023 (314 harvested out of 1,533 hunters), then dropped further to 18% in 2024 with 217 harvested among 1,189 hunters. In 2025, hunter numbers rebounded to 1,685 with 282 harvested, landing at a 17% success rate.

The trend is worth flagging: success has declined in three of the last four years even as hunter participation has fluctuated. A hunter chasing this unit today should plan around a success rate in the high teens to low twenties rather than assuming the stronger 2022 numbers reflect current conditions. This isn't a unit where tags are easy meat — hunters need to put in the scouting and effort to be in the top quartile of that success percentage.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 37 point to a moderate history of trophy-class elk production. This isn't a unit with a thin or nonexistent trophy record, but it also isn't in the tier of units producing elite-caliber bulls on a regular basis. Hunters should treat this as a unit capable of producing a genuine trophy bull for a patient, mobile hunter, while recognizing that record-book animals are the exception rather than something to expect on a given tag.

It's worth remembering that trophy-record entries are logged at the county level, not the unit level, so the moderate history reflected in the data is shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties. Bulls counted in that trophy history may have come from anywhere across that broader landscape, not necessarily from within Unit 37's exact boundary. Hunters looking purely for a trophy bull should weigh this moderate-but-real history against the harvest success data — getting into elk here happens at a modest rate, and quality within that harvest will vary hunt to hunt.

Herd Health & Population Trends

Wildlife survey data collected across four seasons (2021–2024) shows an average bull-to-cow ratio of 26:100 in Unit 37. That's a modest ratio by regional standards and suggests a herd with a comparatively low proportion of mature bulls relative to cows. Hunters should read this as a signal that bull encounters, while possible, aren't guaranteed to be frequent, and that the herd's bull segment isn't as robust as some neighboring units with richer bull:cow ratios.

This ratio, drawn from a multi-year sample rather than a single anomalous survey, is a more reliable indicator of the actual state of the herd than any single-year snapshot would be. Hunters should factor this into expectations: this is a unit where elk are present and huntable, but the bull component of the population is on the leaner side.

Access & Terrain

At 54% public land, Unit 37 gives hunters a solid — if not overwhelming — base of accessible ground relative to units where private land dominates. Just over half the unit is open to public hunting, meaning hunters need to identify which specific blocks of public land border private parcels and plan accordingly, especially in lower-elevation areas where private ranchland is more likely to concentrate.

The elevation range here is enormous — from 3,627 feet at the low end up to 13,142 feet at the highest points. That spread means Unit 37 hunters can encounter everything from valley floor sagebrush and foothill terrain to steep alpine basins near timberline. Early-season elk are more likely found at higher elevations, while hunters later in the year should expect elk pushed toward lower, more accessible terrain as weather and snow move them off summer range. The 13% wilderness designation adds a real backcountry component to the unit — for nonresident hunters, that wilderness ground requires a licensed Wyoming outfitter to hunt legally, so DIY nonresidents should confirm which portions of their planned hunting area fall inside or outside that wilderness boundary before finalizing plans.

Given the terrain's vertical relief, hunters should expect a physically demanding hunt if they're chasing elk into the higher basins, and a more moderate, foothill-style hunt if focusing on lower-elevation public tracts.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 37 Worth Applying For?

Unit 37 sits in a middle tier for elk hunters weighing where to spend an application. The data, compiled and tracked by HuntPilot, points to a unit with real public access (54%), a moderate trophy history, and harvest success that has trended downward from 22% in 2022 to 17% in 2025. None of these figures scream "must-draw" unit, but none of them disqualify it either.

The tag quota trends add a useful data point for hunters trying to gauge opportunity. Type 6 tags increased from 500 in 2025 to 600 in 2026 — a 20% jump that signals increased opportunity, whether driven by herd management goals or harvest objectives. Type 9 tags remained flat at 150 for both years, suggesting a stable, more predictable allocation for that hunt type. Hunters weighing which hunt type to pursue should note that Type 6's growing quota may translate to slightly better draw prospects going forward, though current-year draw odds should always be checked directly for the most accurate picture.

Where Unit 37 makes the most sense is for hunters who value a mix of accessible public land, a real (if modest) bull population, and a unit that isn't purely an OTC-style pressure cooker. It's a reasonable target for hunters building a Wyoming point strategy who want a unit with moderate trophy upside without needing an extreme point balance to be competitive. It's a tougher sell for hunters solely chasing top-end record-book potential — the moderate trophy history and 26:100 bull:cow ratio suggest this unit rewards persistence and terrain knowledge more than it guarantees a wall-hanger. Hunters should check HuntPilot's Unit 37 page for the latest draw odds specific to their residency and point status before committing an application here.

How to Apply

Wyoming's elk application system separates residents and nonresidents into different fee structures and deadlines, and hunters need to track both dates carefully.

For 2026, nonresident elk applicants face an application fee of $15, with three tag fee tiers listed in the data: $1,950, $692, and $288 depending on hunt type and tag category. All three carry a $0.00 license fee (still required to apply) and a $52 point fee. Nonresident applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of February 2, 2026. Nonresidents building points should also note the separate point deadline of November 2, 2026, for those managing point purchases outside the main application window.

For 2026, resident elk applicants face a $5 application fee, with tag fees of $57 or $43 depending on hunt type, and a $0.00 license fee (required to apply). Resident applications open January 2, 2026, with a deadline of June 1, 2026 — considerably later than the nonresident window.

Looking ahead, for 2028, the broader application calendar shows all regular applications opening January 5, 2028, with a deadline of March 1, 2028. This is a useful marker for hunters planning multi-year point strategies who want to anticipate future application windows.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website before applying. Hunters can also track deadlines and requirements at HuntPilot's Wyoming state page (/states/wy).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 37? Unit 37 spans an unusually wide elevation range, from 3,627 feet up to 13,142 feet, meaning hunters can encounter everything from lower sagebrush and foothill country to high alpine basins near timberline. With 54% public land and 13% wilderness, there's a genuine mix of road-accessible terrain and more remote backcountry, though nonresidents hunting the wilderness portion must be accompanied by a licensed Wyoming outfitter under state law.

What is harvest success like in Unit 37? Success rates have ranged between 17% and 22% over the last four years on record. The unit posted 22% success in 2022, dropping to 20% in 2023, 18% in 2024, and 17% in 2025. Hunters should plan around success in the high teens to low twenties rather than expecting the stronger numbers from earlier years to hold.

How big are the elk in Unit 37? Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 37 reflect a moderate history of trophy-class bulls. This isn't a unit known for consistent elite-level production, but it has produced trophy animals historically. Because trophy records are logged by county rather than by exact unit boundary, that history is shared with neighboring units overlapping the same counties.

Is Unit 37 worth applying for? It depends on what a hunter is prioritizing. Unit 37 offers a solid public land base (54%), a moderate trophy history, and a bull population reflected in a 26:100 bull:cow ratio from recent surveys — modest numbers rather than standout ones. It's a reasonable option for hunters wanting accessible terrain and a real shot at elk without needing a top-tier point balance, but it's not a unit to target purely for record-book odds. Check HuntPilot's Unit 37 page for current draw odds specific to residency and point level.

What is the bull-to-cow ratio in Unit 37, and what does it mean for hunters? Survey data from four years between 2021 and 2024 shows an average bull:cow ratio of 26:100. That's on the lower end and suggests bull encounters may be less frequent than in units with richer ratios. Hunters should treat this as a signal to invest extra time scouting and covering ground rather than expecting high bull density in any given drainage.