Wyoming Unit 37 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 37 sits in the mix of general-season and limited-quota elk hunting that defines much of the state's western big game country, spanning 437,729 acres with elevations ranging from 3,627 feet up to 13,142 feet. That kind of vertical relief means hunters here can encounter everything from sage-covered benches to high alpine basins within the same unit boundary, and it explains why this unit shows up so often in nonresident forum discussions as a unit worth a hard look. With 54% public land and 13% wilderness, Unit 37 offers a genuine mix of accessible ground and deeper backcountry for hunters willing to work for it.

This unit draws attention because it isn't a pure lottery draw unit — Unit 37 runs both general season hunts (including antlered and either-sex opportunities) and limited-quota draw hunts. That structural detail matters enormously for anyone building a hunt plan, because it means residents typically can buy a general license over the counter, while nonresidents still generally need to draw the general license itself. This is not a unit where every hunter is stuck competing solely for scarce limited-quota tags — understanding which path is which is the first step to planning a season here.

Recent harvest data pulled from HuntPilot shows this is a moderately productive but far from easy unit, with success rates bouncing between 17% and 22% over the last four years. That's useful context for anyone weighing whether to spend points or apply here versus elsewhere in Wyoming's elk country.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 37 Worth Applying For?

Unit 37 is a solid, realistic option for hunters who want a general-season opportunity at elk in a large, topographically diverse unit — but it is not a slam-dunk trophy destination, and hunters need to walk in with accurate expectations.

Start with the harvest numbers. Over the past four hunting seasons tracked in HuntPilot's data, success rates have run:

• 2025: 1,685 hunters, 282 harvested, 17% success
• 2024: 1,189 hunters, 217 harvested, 18% success
• 2023: 1,533 hunters, 314 harvested, 20% success
• 2022: 1,650 hunters, 358 harvested, 22% success

That's a four-year trend moving in the wrong direction — success has slipped from 22% in 2022 down to 17% in 2025, even as hunter numbers have stayed roughly in the 1,200-1,700 range. This isn't a unit where success rates are collapsing overnight, but the trend is worth noting for anyone comparing Unit 37 against other Wyoming elk units. A hunter should walk in expecting somewhere in the high-teens to low-20s percentage range for success, not higher.

On the tag side, Type 6 quotas have actually increased, moving from 500 tags in both 2024 and 2025 up to 600 tags in 2026 — a 20% jump. Type 9 quotas have held flat at 150 tags across all three years. More tags on the Type 6 side generally means more opportunity to draw, though it can also mean more hunters in the field competing for the same elk, which may partly explain the softening success rates.

Herd health data adds another layer worth understanding correctly. The average bull:cow ratio across four survey years (2021-2024) sits at 26:100. That's a modest ratio by elk standards and suggests a bull segment that isn't heavily stacked relative to the cow population — hunters should not expect the kind of bull density seen in units with much higher ratios. This is a realistic, working-herd ratio rather than an exceptional one, and it lines up with the general-season, higher-harvest-pressure character of the unit.

On trophy potential, the counties overlapping Unit 37 carry a moderate history of trophy-class elk records. That places this unit in the middle of the pack — not devoid of quality bulls, but not a unit with an outsized trophy pedigree either. Because record-book entries are logged at the county level and shared with neighboring units, that moderate trophy history reflects the broader region rather than Unit 37 exclusively. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy bull should treat Unit 37 as a solid opportunity unit first and a trophy unit second.

Terrain-wise, the elevation spread from 3,627 to 13,142 feet, combined with 54% public land and 13% wilderness, gives hunters real options. There's enough public ground to build a DIY plan, and the wilderness component offers a legitimate backcountry option for hunters willing to pack in. Because Wyoming law requires nonresidents hunting in designated wilderness to use a licensed Wyoming outfitter, nonresident hunters eyeing the wilderness portion of Unit 37 need to factor guide costs into their planning — but at 13% wilderness, the large majority of the unit's public land is accessible without that requirement.

Bottom line: Unit 37 is worth applying for if a hunter wants a general-season elk opportunity with reasonable, historically-verified success rates in a big, topographically varied unit, understanding this is an opportunity-focused hunt rather than a guaranteed trophy play. Hunters chasing an exceptional bull should look at the moderate trophy history here as a realistic ceiling, not a promise.

Harvest Success Rates

Success in Unit 37 has ranged from 17% to 22% over the past four tracked seasons, a range that's respectable for a general-season Wyoming elk unit but far from a sure thing. The trend line matters: success peaked at 22% in 2022 with 358 elk harvested from 1,650 hunters, then declined each subsequent year to the 2025 mark of 17% (282 harvested from 1,685 hunters). Hunter numbers have stayed relatively stable in the 1,200-1,700 range across this window, so the declining success rate isn't simply a function of more hunters flooding the unit — it points to tougher hunting conditions, herd dynamics, or both. Hunters should budget for a realistic one-in-five (or worse) chance of tagging out based on this multi-year track record, and build backup plans — extra days afield, flexibility on elevation, willingness to hunt both general and limited-quota areas if drawn — into their trip planning accordingly.

Trophy Quality

Trophy potential in Unit 37 is best described as moderate. The counties overlapping this unit carry a documented history of producing trophy-class elk, but that history is shared with neighboring units, since record-book entries are attributed at the county level rather than to a single unit boundary. This means Unit 37 sits in a region with some trophy pedigree, but it's not among the standout units that consistently produce elite, top-tier bulls. Hunters should treat this as a unit where a genuinely exceptional bull is possible but far from the norm — most hunters here are pursuing a solid, representative bull rather than chasing a once-in-a-lifetime score. Given the modest bull:cow ratio recorded in recent surveys, this expectation lines up logically: a unit without a heavily bull-skewed herd structure is less likely to be quietly hiding a disproportionate number of mature, old-age-class bulls.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The four-year survey window from 2021 to 2024 shows an average bull:cow ratio of 26:100 for Unit 37. This is a modest ratio and reflects a herd structure typical of a heavily hunted, general-season unit rather than a limited-entry, trophy-managed area. Ratios in this range typically mean plenty of cows and a workable but not overloaded bull segment — enough bulls in the population to support reasonable success rates, but not the kind of bull density that would suggest an unusually mature or lightly-hunted herd. Hunters should read this ratio as consistent with the unit's overall profile: a general-season opportunity unit with real, but not exceptional, bull numbers. No single-year outlier data was present in this four-year window, so the 26:100 figure can be treated as a reasonably stable, multi-year indicator of the current herd state rather than a fluke reading.

Access & Terrain

Unit 37 covers 437,729 acres with an elevation range from 3,627 feet at the low end to 13,142 feet at the high end — one of the more dramatic vertical spans a hunter will find in Wyoming elk country. That range alone tells hunters this unit likely offers everything from lower-elevation foothill and sagebrush terrain to true high-alpine basins near treeline and above, giving elk plenty of room to move seasonally within the unit's own boundaries.

Public land makes up 54% of the unit, meaning a majority — but not an overwhelming majority — of the ground is open to public access. That's enough to support a legitimate DIY hunt, but hunters should expect some private land intermixed with public tracts, particularly at lower elevations where access points may be more limited. Careful pre-season mapping of public/private boundaries is essential here.

Wilderness accounts for 13% of the unit. That's a meaningful backcountry component but far from unit-dominating — the large majority of Unit 37's public land sits outside designated wilderness. For nonresident hunters, this matters specifically because Wyoming state law requires nonresidents hunting in wilderness areas to be accompanied by a licensed Wyoming outfitter. With wilderness making up only 13% of the unit, nonresident DIY hunters still have substantial public, non-wilderness ground to work with, while those wanting to push into the wilderness portion for a more remote hunt will need to budget for outfitter costs.

Given the terrain's vertical range, hunters — especially nonresidents unfamiliar with the area — should plan for physically demanding conditions if hunting the upper elevations, and should use HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays to scout drainages, water sources, and access routes before the season.

How to Apply

Wyoming Unit 37 offers two distinct paths into the field, and understanding which one applies to a hunter's situation is critical before building an application strategy.

General season hunts: Because Unit 37 has general season opportunities — including antlered and either-sex hunts — Wyoming residents can typically purchase a general elk license over the counter without needing to draw. Nonresidents, however, still generally need to draw the general license itself; Wyoming does not offer nonresidents unlimited over-the-counter elk licenses statewide. This distinction is important: a general-season unit does not mean nonresidents can simply walk up and buy a tag.

Limited-quota hunts: Unit 37 also has limited-quota draw hunts, covering antlered and either-sex animals, that operate through Wyoming's standard draw application system. These hunts are separate from the general license and typically involve their own application and odds.

Residency differences: Wyoming's draw system treats residents and nonresidents differently, and — critically for elk specifically — Wyoming residents do not accumulate preference points for elk. Resident elk draws (where a draw is required) run as a straight random process each year, not a point-based system. Nonresidents applying for limited-quota elk hunts do operate within Wyoming's broader point system for elk, where a portion of tags go to top point holders and a separate portion is drawn at random regardless of points.

Applying: Regardless of residency, hunters need to submit their application by the published deadline for the relevant hunt type. Application dates and fees change every cycle, so rather than relying on fixed figures, hunters should check HuntPilot's Wyoming state page at /states/wy for the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds tied to Unit 37's specific hunt codes before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 37? Unit 37 spans a dramatic elevation range from 3,627 feet up to 13,142 feet across 437,729 acres, meaning hunters can encounter lower-elevation sagebrush and foothill terrain as well as true high-alpine basins within the same unit. With 54% public land and 13% wilderness, there's a solid mix of easily accessible ground and more remote backcountry for hunters willing to hike deeper into the unit.

What is harvest success like in Unit 37? Success rates have ranged from 17% to 22% over the past four tracked seasons (2022-2025), with a declining trend from 22% in 2022 down to 17% in 2025. Hunters should plan around roughly a one-in-five chance of success based on this recent multi-year data, understanding that success has been trending downward even as hunter numbers stayed relatively stable.

How big are the elk in Unit 37? Trophy potential in Unit 37 is moderate. The counties overlapping this unit have a documented but moderate history of producing trophy-class elk, shared with neighboring units due to how record-book entries are attributed by county. Combined with a modest recorded bull:cow ratio of 26:100 across recent surveys, hunters should expect solid, representative bulls rather than a high likelihood of an exceptional trophy animal.

Is Unit 37 worth applying for? Yes, for hunters seeking a general-season elk opportunity in a large, terrain-diverse unit with historically documented, if declining, success rates. It's a strong choice for hunters prioritizing opportunity and experience over trophy potential, particularly given the unit's mix of general-season access for residents and both general and limited-quota draw paths for nonresidents.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt Unit 37? Only if hunting within the unit's designated wilderness, which makes up 13% of Unit 37. Wyoming law requires nonresidents hunting in wilderness areas to be accompanied by a licensed Wyoming outfitter. Since the majority of the unit's public land lies outside wilderness, nonresident DIY hunters still have substantial non-wilderness public access options within Unit 37.