Wyoming Unit 40 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 40 is a limited-quota elk hunting unit that gives hunters a shot at public-land elk across nearly 300,000 acres of mixed sagebrush, desert, and timbered terrain. With 90% of the unit sitting on public land and no wilderness designation to complicate access, Unit 40 is a unit where hunters willing to draw a tag can get after elk without needing an outfitter or dealing with restrictive backcountry travel rules.

This is not a general-season unit. Every elk hunt in Unit 40 runs through Wyoming's draw system, and that includes hunts for antlered and either-sex animals. There's no over-the-counter fallback here — hunters need to draw a tag before they set foot in the field, and the demand for those tags has historically been significant given the unit's reputation among Wyoming elk hunters.

Elevation in the unit ranges from 3,628 feet up to 10,162 feet, which tells hunters a lot about what they're dealing with terrain-wise. That's a massive vertical spread — from low desert basins to high timbered country — and it means elk can be found at dramatically different elevations depending on time of year, weather, and hunting pressure. Old forum chatter comparing Unit 40 to neighboring Unit 41 describes the ground as roughly a quarter timber and the rest open desert and sage, which lines up with the elevation range in the data: hunters should expect a mix of open country where spot-and-stalk tactics dominate, and pockets of timber that hold elk during pressure or midday bedding.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 40 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer, based on the harvest data available through HuntPilot, is that Unit 40 delivers real, tangible success — but that success has been trending in the wrong direction recently, and hunters need to go in with realistic expectations.

Looking at four years of harvest data:

• 2022: 614 hunters, 206 harvested, 34% success
• 2023: 585 hunters, 274 harvested, 47% success
• 2024: 493 hunters, 151 harvested, 31% success
• 2025: 469 hunters, 131 harvested, 28% success

The 2023 season stands out as a strong year, with harvest success spiking to 47% — nearly half of all hunters in the unit tagged out. But that number has fallen in each of the two years since, dropping to 31% in 2024 and 28% in 2025. At the same time, hunter numbers have declined too, from 614 in 2022 down to 469 in 2025. Fewer hunters afield and declining success together suggest either tag allocations have tightened, elk distribution has shifted, or both. Whatever the cause, hunters should not plan their trip around the 47% number from 2023 — the two most recent years are the more reliable baseline, and both sit closer to the 30% mark.

That said, a success rate in the high-20s to low-30s percent range is still respectable for a limited-quota elk unit, especially one with 90% public land access. Hunters aren't fighting for scraps of public ground here or dealing with a patchwork of private inholdings that locks up movement corridors. The land is largely open to hunt, which matters enormously when success rates start softening — public access gives hunters room to adjust strategy, scout new drainages, and get away from other hunters if pressure builds.

On trophy potential, the counties overlapping Unit 40 show a moderate history of trophy-class elk. This isn't a unit defined by a steady stream of record-book bulls, but it has produced trophy-class animals historically. Hunters should treat this as a unit where a genuinely big bull is possible but not the expectation — most tags here are filled with solid, mature elk rather than record-book giants. As always with county-level trophy data, it's worth remembering those records are shared across neighboring units in the same counties, not unique to Unit 40 alone.

The wildlife survey data adds another layer worth understanding. Across four survey years from 2021 to 2024, the average bull-to-cow ratio came in at 26:100. That's a modest ratio by elk herd standards and points to a bull segment that isn't heavily stacked with mature males relative to the cow population. It's not an alarming number, but it does reinforce that this unit is not producing an outsized bull class, and hunters should calibrate trophy expectations accordingly — this lines up with the moderate trophy history noted above rather than contradicting it.

Bottom line: Unit 40 is worth applying for if hunters value public land access and are realistic about success odds in the high-20s to low-30s percent range based on the most recent two seasons. It's not the unit to chase if the goal is a guaranteed tag or a near-lock on a record-book bull. It rewards hunters who can commit to scouting the mix of sage/desert and timbered terrain and who are comfortable working a large unit — nearly 300,000 acres — to find where elk are concentrated in a given year.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 40's harvest data over the past four years shows real variability, and hunters need to understand the trend rather than fixate on any single year:

| Year | Hunters | Harvested | Success Rate | |------|---------|-----------|---------------| | 2022 | 614 | 206 | 34% | | 2023 | 585 | 274 | 47% | | 2024 | 493 | 151 | 31% | | 2025 | 469 | 131 | 28% |

The pattern here is worth dwelling on. Hunter numbers have steadily declined across all four years — from 614 down to 469 — while success has been anything but steady, spiking in 2023 before falling back in the two most recent seasons. A 47% success rate, as seen in 2023, is an excellent number for any limited-quota elk unit in the West. But hunters applying today should weight the 2024 and 2025 figures more heavily, since they represent the current state of the herd and hunting pressure rather than a single strong year. Planning around 28-31% success is the more conservative, realistic approach.

Trophy Quality

Trophy history in the counties overlapping Unit 40 is best described as moderate. This means the area has produced trophy-class bulls over time, but it isn't among the handful of Wyoming units known for consistently pushing out record-book animals. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy bull can find one here, but it would be the exception rather than the rule.

The bull-to-cow ratio data reinforces this picture. An average of 26 bulls per 100 cows across the four surveyed years (2021-2024) is a modest ratio, suggesting a bull segment that isn't heavily weighted toward mature, older-age-class animals relative to the cow herd. Hunters should treat Unit 40 as a unit that can produce a quality, mature bull for a patient and mobile hunter, but should not expect it to compete with Wyoming's elite trophy units. Most tags filled here will be solid, respectable bulls rather than record-book contenders.

Access & Terrain

Access is one of Unit 40's strongest selling points. With 90% of the unit's 296,068 acres classified as public land, hunters have room to roam without needing to negotiate private land access or lease arrangements. There's no wilderness designation in this unit, which means hunters can use motorized access where legally permitted and aren't restricted to foot-and-horseback-only travel in any zoned wilderness area — a meaningful advantage for hunters covering large amounts of ground in a unit this size.

The elevation range — 3,628 to 10,162 feet — spans nearly 6,500 vertical feet, which is a huge swing for a single unit. This tells hunters they'll encounter everything from low desert basins to high, likely timbered country at the top end of that range. Forum discussion comparing Unit 40 to the neighboring Unit 41 describes the terrain as roughly a quarter timber, with the rest being open desert and sage country. That matches the wide elevation band in the data — hunters should expect open, rolling sage and desert terrain dominating much of the unit's acreage, with pockets of timber concentrated at higher elevations that likely hold elk during heavier pressure periods or warmer weather.

For hunters using HuntPilot's mapping tools, this unit is a strong candidate for pre-season scouting work using public land overlays — identifying where the timbered high country meets the open sage flats can help narrow down likely elk concentration areas before ever setting boots on the ground.

How to Apply

Every elk hunt in Wyoming Unit 40 is a limited-quota draw hunt — there is no general season fallback here. Hunters, resident and nonresident alike, must apply through Wyoming Game and Fish Department's draw system to have a chance at a tag in this unit.

Wyoming's draw structure works differently for residents and nonresidents. Nonresidents face a preference-pool structure where the highest point holders draw first in a portion of available tags, while a separate random pool exists alongside it — importantly, points do not improve a nonresident's odds in that random-draw portion; every applicant there has equal footing regardless of point total. A successful draw consumes accumulated points, meaning nonresidents who draw a tag effectively restart their point total afterward.

Wyoming residents applying for elk do not accumulate preference points under the current system — resident elk draws function as a straight random draw, so there's no "points strategy" to manage on the resident side. Residents should simply apply for the units that best match their goals each year.

Because Unit 40 requires a draw tag regardless of residency, hunters should plan their application strategy around the unit's demand level, keeping in mind that tags here have historically been contested given the unit's public-land access and elk harvest history. Application dates and fees change every cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, hunters should check HuntPilot's Wyoming page at /states/wy for the most current numbers before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Wyoming Unit 40 worth applying for?

Based on recent harvest data, Unit 40 is a reasonable draw choice for elk hunters who value public land access and can accept success rates in the high-20s to low-30s percent range, based on the two most recent seasons (28% in 2025, 31% in 2024). It's not a unit defined by exceptional trophy production, but it does offer legitimate hunting opportunity across a large, mostly public landscape.

What is harvest success like in Unit 40?

Success has ranged from 28% to 47% over the past four recorded seasons, with the most recent two years (2024 and 2025) sitting in the 28-31% range. The standout year was 2023 at 47% success, but hunters should treat that as an outlier rather than the expected outcome, given the downward trend since.

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 40?

The unit spans a huge elevation range, from 3,628 feet to 10,162 feet, and covers 296,068 acres. Terrain is a mix of open desert and sagebrush country with pockets of timber, according to hunter discussion of the area — roughly a quarter of the ground is timbered, with the rest being open sage and desert. With 90% public land and no wilderness designation, hunters have substantial room to move and access is not restricted by wilderness travel rules.

How big are the elk in Unit 40?

Trophy history in the counties overlapping this unit is moderate — trophy-class bulls have come from the area, but it's not a unit known for consistent record-book production. Survey data from 2021-2024 shows an average bull-to-cow ratio of 26:100, suggesting a bull segment that isn't heavily skewed toward older age classes. Most hunters should expect solid, mature bulls rather than record-book giants.

Does Unit 40 have a general season for elk?

No. Every elk hunt in Unit 40 is limited-quota and requires a successful draw application — there is no general-season, over-the-counter option in this unit. Hunters must apply through Wyoming's draw system, whether resident or nonresident, to hunt elk here.