Wyoming Unit 48 Elk Hunting Guide

Wyoming Unit 48 elk hunting draws attention from hunters looking at a mid-sized western unit that spans 596,180 acres between 4,529 and 9,100 feet in elevation. With 61% public land, the unit offers a solid base of huntable ground for both resident and nonresident applicants, and recent harvest data shows this is a unit that produces consistent results year after year. For hunters weighing whether to spend points or apply fresh in Wyoming Unit 48, understanding the actual numbers behind the unit — harvest trends, herd composition, and trophy potential — matters more than word-of-mouth reputation.

This unit sits in the elevation band typical of Wyoming's mixed foothill-to-timber elk country, with enough vertical relief to push elk through multiple habitat types across a season. At nearly 600,000 acres, Unit 48 gives hunters room to spread out, and with 61% of that acreage in public ownership, DIY access is realistic for hunters willing to do their homework on where the public and private boundaries fall. There's no wilderness acreage in this unit, which means nonresident hunters aren't subject to Wyoming's mandatory guide requirement that applies in designated wilderness areas — this unit is open to unguided nonresident DIY hunts under standard licensing rules.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 48 Worth Applying For?

The short answer, based on the data available through HuntPilot, is that Unit 48 is a solid opportunity unit with real, trackable harvest success — but it's not a unit defined by trophy headlines. Success rates over the past four years have ranged from 38% to 52%, which is a meaningfully strong band of outcomes for elk hunting anywhere in the West. That's the kind of consistency that makes a unit worth building a season around, especially for hunters more interested in filling a tag than chasing a specific score.

Where the unit is more measured is in herd composition. Survey data across four years (2021–2024) shows an average bull-to-cow ratio of 37:100. That's a below-average ratio by regional standards, and it signals a herd with fewer mature bulls per cow than hunters would find in a unit managed more conservatively for bull age structure. This matters directly for hunters chasing older, larger-antlered bulls — a 37:100 ratio suggests a herd shaped more by general opportunity management than trophy management, and hunters should calibrate their expectations accordingly.

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 48 shows a moderate track record — not a unit with a deep or standout trophy pedigree, but one that has produced recognized animals over time. As with all Wyoming units, record-book entries are logged at the county level, so any trophy history associated with Unit 48 is shared with neighboring units drawing from the same counties. Hunters should treat this as background context rather than a guarantee — the unit's real strength is in harvest consistency and access, not headline bulls.

For hunters prioritizing tag-filling odds and accessible public ground over trophy potential, Unit 48 is worth serious consideration. For hunters solely chasing a wall-hanger, this isn't a unit with the data to support that specific goal, and expectations should be set on solid, mature-but-not-exceptional bulls rather than elite-class animals.

Harvest Success Rates

Unit 48's harvest data over the last four seasons tells a story of a genuinely productive elk unit:

• 2025: 1,103 hunters, 420 harvested, 38% success
• 2024: 1,166 hunters, 605 harvested, 52% success
• 2023: 972 hunters, 464 harvested, 48% success
• 2022: 965 hunters, 417 harvested, 43% success

Across these four years, success rates have ranged between 38% and 52%, averaging in the mid-40s. That's a strong, dependable success range for a unit of this size and public land composition. The dip in 2025 to 38% is worth noting — it could reflect weather, hunter pressure, or herd distribution shifts that year, but it still sits within a reasonable band relative to the three prior seasons. Hunters should view the 2024 season (52% success) as closer to a strong year rather than the baseline, and plan around the multi-year average rather than any single outlier season.

Total hunter numbers have also stayed relatively steady, ranging from roughly 965 to 1,166 hunters per year, which suggests this unit isn't seeing wild swings in tag allocation or hunter interest — a good sign for hunters who want predictability when planning a trip.

Herd Health & Population Trends

The wildlife survey data available for Unit 48 covers four survey years between 2021 and 2024, showing an average bull-to-cow ratio of 37:100. This ratio is on the lower end for elk herds generally, and it reflects a bull segment that is likely younger on average, with fewer bulls surviving multiple seasons to reach full maturity. Hunters should read this ratio as an indicator of a herd managed for broader harvest opportunity rather than for producing large numbers of older-age-class bulls.

There isn't enough year-by-year granularity in the provided survey data to identify a clear upward or downward trend across the four years — the 37:100 figure represents the average across that period. Hunters serious about targeting more mature bulls in this unit should factor this ratio into their expectations: it doesn't rule out mature bulls being present, but it does suggest they'll be a smaller percentage of the total bull population compared to units with higher ratios.

Trophy Quality

Trophy potential in Unit 48 is best described as moderate. The counties overlapping this unit have a track record of producing some recognized trophy-class elk over time, but the volume and consistency of that production doesn't place this unit among Wyoming's elite trophy destinations. Because record-book entries are attributed at the county level rather than the unit level, any trophy history tied to Unit 48 is shared with adjacent units drawing from the same counties — so it's not possible to say precisely how many, if any, of those recognized animals came specifically from within Unit 48's boundaries.

Combined with the below-average bull-to-cow ratio from recent surveys, the realistic picture for Unit 48 is a unit where hunters can expect a fair number of harvestable bulls, but where truly exceptional, record-class animals are the exception rather than the rule. Hunters targeting Unit 48 should set their sights on a solid, representative bull rather than banking on a unit-defining trophy.

Access & Terrain

Unit 48 spans an elevation range of 4,529 to 9,100 feet, giving hunters a wide range of habitat to work with — from lower-elevation sagebrush and foothill terrain up into higher timbered country as the season progresses and elk respond to weather and pressure. With 596,180 total acres and 61% in public ownership, there's a meaningful base of accessible ground for DIY hunters, though the remaining 39% in private hands means careful attention to land ownership boundaries is essential for anyone planning to hunt this unit without local knowledge or a guide.

There is no wilderness acreage recorded for this unit, meaning nonresident hunters are not bound by Wyoming's wilderness guide mandate here — DIY access is legally straightforward for both residents and nonresidents. That said, "no wilderness" doesn't mean easy terrain; the elevation swing from valley floor to over 9,000 feet still requires hunters to be prepared for genuine mountain conditions, especially later in the season as elk push toward higher, more remote pockets of public land.

Hunters should plan on a mix of accessible, road-adjacent public ground for early scouting and higher-effort backcountry travel for hunters willing to get away from pressure points as the season progresses.

How to Apply

Wyoming's elk application system separates residents and nonresidents into different fee structures and deadlines, and hunters need to track both the application window and the license/tag fees carefully.

For 2026:

• Resident elk (antlerless tag): application fee $5, tag fee $43, opens January 2, 2026, deadline June 1, 2026
• Resident elk (regular tag): application fee $5, tag fee $57, opens January 2, 2026, deadline June 1, 2026
• Nonresident elk (antlerless tag): application fee $15, tag fee $288, point fee $52, opens January 2, 2026, deadline February 2, 2026, with a point-only deadline of November 2, 2026
• Nonresident elk (regular tag): application fee $15, tag fee $692, point fee $52, opens January 2, 2026, deadline February 2, 2026, with a point-only deadline of November 2, 2026
• Nonresident elk (special tag): application fee $15, tag fee $1,950, point fee $52, opens January 2, 2026, deadline February 2, 2026, with a point-only deadline of November 2, 2026

Looking ahead, HuntPilot's draw application calendar shows the 2028 application cycle opening January 5, 2028, with a deadline of March 1, 2028 for all regular applications — a useful marker for hunters planning multiple seasons out.

Nonresident hunters should note the meaningfully earlier deadline (February 2) compared to residents (June 1), along with the separate point fee structure that applies specifically to nonresident applicants. Wyoming's nonresident elk draw operates on a true preference point system, meaning higher accumulated points are drawn before lower point holders — but a successful draw consumes those points, resetting the applicant's point total for future seasons. Hunters should check the HuntPilot unit page for Unit 48 for current, year-specific draw odds data, since draw percentages and quota numbers change annually and aren't part of this evergreen overview.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Wyoming Unit 48? Unit 48 covers elevations from 4,529 to 9,100 feet across nearly 600,000 acres, offering a mix of lower foothill and sagebrush terrain transitioning into higher timbered country. There's no wilderness acreage in the unit, so access for both residents and nonresidents is straightforward from a legal standpoint, though the elevation range still demands preparation for real mountain conditions, especially later in the season.

What is harvest success like in Wyoming Unit 48? Harvest success has been strong and consistent over the past four seasons, ranging from 38% in 2025 up to 52% in 2024, with 2023 and 2022 landing at 48% and 43% respectively. This places Unit 48 among the more dependable units for hunters focused on filling a tag rather than chasing a specific trophy outcome.

How big are the elk in Wyoming Unit 48? Trophy potential in Unit 48 is moderate. The surrounding counties have some history of producing recognized trophy-class bulls, but that history is shared across neighboring units drawing from the same counties and isn't concentrated specifically in Unit 48. Combined with a below-average bull-to-cow ratio of 37:100 from recent surveys, hunters should expect a realistic mix of bulls rather than a unit known for consistently producing exceptional, record-class animals.

Is Wyoming Unit 48 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing solid harvest odds and accessible public land — 61% of the unit's 596,180 acres — Unit 48 is a strong candidate, backed by four consecutive years of harvest data showing success rates in the high-30s to low-50s percentage range. For hunters whose primary goal is a trophy-class bull, the moderate trophy history and lower bull-to-cow ratio suggest tempering expectations; this unit rewards hunters focused on opportunity and consistency over score-book chasing.

Do nonresidents need a guide to hunt elk in Wyoming Unit 48? No. Since Unit 48 has 0% wilderness acreage, Wyoming's mandatory outfitter requirement for nonresidents hunting wilderness areas does not apply here. Nonresident hunters can pursue elk in Unit 48 as DIY hunters under standard Wyoming nonresident lic