Wyoming Unit 45 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 45 elk hunting draws a steady stream of nonresident and resident applicants each year, and for good reason: this is a big block of high-country public land — 497,941 total acres with 85% public ownership — sitting entirely inside a limited-quota draw structure. There is no general season here. Every elk hunt in Unit 45, including hunts for antlered and either-sex animals, requires drawing a tag first, which changes the entire calculus for hunters trying to decide whether to put in.

With elevations ranging from 3,886 feet up to 13,137 feet, Unit 45 covers a huge vertical range, from valley floors to true high-alpine terrain. That kind of elevation spread typically means elk have room to move seasonally, and it also means hunters need to be prepared for very different conditions depending on where in the unit — and when in the season — they end up hunting. Add in 12% wilderness acreage, and Unit 45 has a real backcountry component that separates it from more road-accessible units nearby.

This article breaks down what the harvest data, survey numbers, and terrain profile actually say about hunting Unit 45, so hunters can decide whether it's worth spending points and application dollars on.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 45 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer, based on the data pulled together by HuntPilot, is that Unit 45 is a solid but not spectacular option — a unit that rewards hunters willing to work for it rather than one that reliably produces easy tags or giant bulls.

Start with harvest success. Over the past four recorded seasons, unit-wide success rates have run 34% (2025), 32% (2024), 35% (2023), and 37% (2022). That's a fairly consistent band in the low-to-mid 30s, which is respectable for a limited-quota western elk unit but not exceptional. Hunters should walk in expecting roughly a one-in-three chance of tagging out, not a guaranteed hunt.

Hunter numbers have also fluctuated meaningfully — 547 hunters afield in 2022 jumping to over 1,100 in both 2023 and 2024, then settling back to 914 in 2025. That swing suggests tag numbers or hunt structures have shifted year to year, which is worth watching closely on the current draw odds pages rather than assuming a fixed pattern.

The bull:cow ratio, averaged across four survey years (2021-2024), sits at 34:100. That's a modest ratio by elk herd health standards — it doesn't scream a bull-heavy population, and it lines up with anecdotal hunter reports of a tough season. One hunter account after burning 14 points in Unit 45 described seeing only "one broke 6 point and raghorns," with disappointing sightings across low, mid, and high elevations, and noted that other local hunters reported similarly thin results that year. That kind of firsthand account, paired with a 34:100 ratio, suggests hunters should keep expectations realistic rather than assuming a max-point application guarantees a mature bull encounter.

On the trophy side, the counties overlapping Unit 45 carry a moderate history of trophy-class record entries — not a blank slate, but not a unit with an outsized reputation either. Because record-book entries are logged by county rather than by unit boundary, that trophy history is shared with neighboring units in the same counties, and the specific animals may well have come from elsewhere in that broader area. Treat it as evidence that mature bulls exist in the region, not as a promise that Unit 45 itself is a trophy factory.

Where Unit 45 does stand out is access. At 85% public land across nearly half a million acres, with 12% falling in designated wilderness, this is a unit where DIY hunters have real room to roam without needing to negotiate private land access. That combination of huge public acreage and genuine elevation relief (from below 4,000 feet to over 13,000 feet) means hunters can chase elk through multiple habitat types and escape pressure by going higher or into rougher terrain, if they're willing to put in the physical effort.

Bottom line: Unit 45 is worth applying for if hunters value public-land access, elk density, and are realistic about success rates in the low-to-mid 30% range and a herd structure that isn't loaded with mature bulls. It's not a unit to burn max points on if the sole goal is a giant bull — the data supports a solid, physically demanding public-land elk hunt rather than a trophy guarantee.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 45's harvest numbers over the last four tracked seasons:

• 2025: 914 hunters, 314 harvested, 34% success
• 2024: 1,125 hunters, 362 harvested, 32% success
• 2023: 1,150 hunters, 406 harvested, 35% success
• 2022: 547 hunters, 203 harvested, 37% success

Success rates have been remarkably stable in a 32%–37% range despite hunter participation more than doubling between 2022 and 2023-2024. That stability suggests the unit's elk population and hunt structure have been managed to hold success rates in a consistent band even as pressure changes — a useful data point for hunters trying to gauge what kind of hunt to expect regardless of the exact tag numbers issued in a given year. It's worth noting these figures represent unit-wide totals across all hunt types, so individual hunt codes and sex-specific tags (antlered vs. antlerless) may perform differently than the blended average.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 45 shows 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 among the standout units known for producing an outsized number of record-book bulls. Because trophy entries are attributed at the county level, the moderate history here is shared with neighboring units drawing from the same counties — a bull entered in the records could have come from Unit 45 or an adjacent unit.

Combined with the modest 34:100 bull:cow ratio and the on-the-ground hunter report of seeing mostly younger bulls (a broken 6-point and raghorns) during a recent season, the realistic expectation for Unit 45 is a legitimate shot at a mature bull for a patient, mobile hunter — but not a unit where trophy encounters are common or guaranteed. Hunters chasing a genuine trophy-class animal should treat Unit 45 as a possibility rather than a sure bet, and should be prepared to hunt hard and cover elevation to find older-age-class bulls that other hunters haven't already pushed off easier terrain.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The available survey data covers four years (2021-2024) and shows an average bull:cow ratio of 34:100. This is on the lower end for elk herds and indicates a population with more cows relative to bulls than herds carrying ratios in the 40s or 50s. A lower ratio can result from several factors — hunting pressure on bulls, winter mortality, or herd management objectives — and the forum report referencing possible winter kill as an explanation for a rough season lines up with that possibility, though it isn't confirmed in the structured survey data itself.

Hunters should read the 34:100 average as the most reliable signal available, rather than expecting a bull-rich herd. Given that harvest success has held in the low-to-mid 30% range across the same period, the data paints a consistent picture: a huntable, accessible elk population, but not one with a heavy surplus of bulls sitting untouched.

Access & Terrain

Unit 45 offers substantial access advantages for public-land hunters. With 85% of the unit's 497,941 acres in public ownership, DIY hunters have room to explore without needing to secure private land permission for the bulk of their hunt. The 12% wilderness component adds a genuine backcountry element — hunters willing to pack in can find terrain with less day-to-day pressure than more road-accessible pockets of the unit.

The elevation range is the standout terrain feature: from 3,886 feet at the low end to 13,137 feet at the highest points, Unit 45 spans nearly 9,300 vertical feet. That range covers everything from lower-elevation foothill and valley terrain to true alpine basins above treeline. Elk can be found across this spectrum depending on time of year, weather, and pressure, so hunters should be prepared to hunt multiple elevation bands rather than committing to a single strategy.

Because Wyoming law requires nonresidents to hire a licensed outfitter when hunting in designated wilderness areas, and Unit 45 carries 12% wilderness acreage, nonresident hunters planning to hunt in the wilderness portion of the unit need to factor in a guide requirement. At only 12% wilderness, however, the large majority of Unit 45's public land sits outside that restriction, so DIY nonresident hunters still have substantial unguided public acreage to work with across the non-wilderness portion of the unit.

Given the size and vertical relief of this unit, hunters should expect a physically demanding hunt if they intend to get away from roads and other hunters — the kind of terrain where scouting elevation bands, water sources, and access points ahead of time pays off. HuntPilot's mapping tools, including public land overlays, can help hunters identify specific access points and terrain features worth scouting before the season.

How to Apply

Every elk hunt in Unit 45 is a limited-quota draw hunt — there is no general season option here, and that includes hunts for antlered and either-sex animals. This means both resident and nonresident hunters must apply through Wyoming's draw system and be selected before they can hunt elk in this unit; there's no over-the-counter fallback tag available for Unit 45 specifically.

Wyoming's elk draw works differently depending on residency. Nonresidents compete for tags through a system that includes a preference-based pool (where the highest point holders draw first) running alongside a separate random pool that is blind to points — meaning points don't improve odds in that random portion at all. A successful draw consumes a nonresident's accumulated points, so hunters need to plan their long-term application strategy accordingly.

Wyoming residents applying for elk do not accumulate preference points — resident elk hunts, including those in Unit 45, are decided through a straight random draw each year regardless of how many times a resident has applied previously. Residents should not expect "point status" to factor into their odds here.

Given that Unit 45 offers no general season alternative, both residents and nonresidents need to treat the draw application as the only path into this unit's elk hunting. Application dates, fees, and current draw odds change every cycle — for the most current numbers, see HuntPilot's Wyoming page at /states/wy before submitting an application.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Unit 45 a general season or draw-only elk unit? Unit 45 is entirely draw-only. There is no general season for elk here — every hunt, including those for antlered and either-sex animals, requires drawing a limited-quota tag through Wyoming's application system.

What is harvest success like in Unit 45? Recent harvest success has ranged from 32% to 37% over the last four tracked seasons (2022-2025), landing at 34% in 2025. That's a fairly consistent success rate for a limited-quota unit, though it means the majority of hunters in any given year still go home without an elk.

How big are the elk in Unit 45? The counties overlapping Unit 45 have a moderate history of trophy-class record entries, shared with neighboring units in the same county-level data. Combined with a modest average bull:cow ratio of 34:100 and hunter reports describing mostly younger bulls in recent seasons, hunters should expect a real but not high-percentage chance at a mature, trophy-class bull rather than an unusually bull-heavy herd.

What is the terrain like in Unit 45? Unit 45 spans an enormous elevation range, from 3,886 feet to 13,137 feet, across 497,941 total acres. Public land makes up 85% of the unit, with 12% falling in designated wilderness, giving hunters access to everything from lower valley terrain to rugged high-alpine basins. Expect a physically demanding hunt if targeting the higher-elevation or wilderness portions.

Is Unit 45 worth applying for as a nonresident? Based on the data, Unit 45 is a reasonable application for hunters prioritizing public-land access and a fair — not exceptional — chance at success, with success rates in the low-to-mid 30% range across recent seasons. It's less compelling for hunters specifically chasing a high-probability trophy hunt, given the moderate trophy history and modest bull:cow ratio. Nonresidents should also factor in Wyoming's outfitter requirement for the unit's 12% wilderness acreage if planning to hunt that portion of Unit 45.