Wyoming Pronghorn Elk

Unit 008 (Moorcroft / Black Hills West)

Wyoming Hunting Guide — Pronghorn, Elk

Area 8 covers the far northeast Wyoming country between Moorcroft and the Black Hills — grass-sage rangeland, ponderosa pine stringers, and the western edge of the Black Hills National Forest. Pronghorn densities are excellent, access is a mix of Thunder Basin NG, BLM, state sections, and HMAs. The unit delivers high success and reasonable buck quality in classic prairie-meets-timber country.

View Draw Odds Wyoming Hunting Guide

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 008

Where to Find Pronghorn in Area 8

Area 8 pronghorn favor grass-sage mosaics and the pine-stringer edges near the Black Hills.

Opening Week

Bachelor groups on benches across Thunder Basin NG and BLM north of Moorcroft. Focus the country along WY-14/I-90 and east toward the forest edge.

Mid-Season

Animals shift to HMAs and less-pressured parcels. Transition zones near ponderosa pine produce mid-season bucks.

Late Season

Winter herds concentrate on south-facing benches and ag edges.

How to Hunt Pronghorn in Area 8

Classic glass-and-stalk with meaningful HMA access.

Morning Circuits

Drive WY-14, I-90, and county gravels at dawn. Glass every ridgetop.

HMA Walk-Ins

Area 8 HMAs are consistent producers. Sign in, walk, find bucks.

Pine-Sage Edges

The transition where ponderosa pine meets sage along the Black Hills foothills holds bucks in shade during warm weather.

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Pronghorn Success Rates

Area 8 rifle success averages 82-90%. Days-per-harvest 2-3. The unit's mix of public and walk-in access, combined with strong pronghorn numbers, produces reliable results.

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	180	54	100.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Area 8 Type 1 non-resident tags draw at 0-2 preference points. Wyoming's 75/25 system applies. Doe tags draw at 0 points.

Elk Hunting in Unit 008

Area 8 covers the Sierra Madre and western Medicine Bow Range in south-central Wyoming — dark timber, aspen pockets, and steep drainages. General license applies for residents, with limited-quota non-resident tags. Reduced-price cow/calf tags help manage the herd. We build Area 8 hunts around timber still-hunting and storm-driven movement.

Where to Find Elk in Area 8

Sierra Madre elk use dense timber and aspen benches in predictable ways.

Archery

Bulls bugle in the aspen pockets and dark timber between 8,500 and 9,500 feet. Battle Pass and the upper Encampment drainage are reliable zones.

Rifle

Elk slide into timbered benches at 7,500-8,500 feet once weather stacks up. Glass burns and edges at first and last light.

How to Hunt Elk in Area 8

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Elk Success Rates

Rifle44%

Area 8 rifle success typically runs 25-35%; archery 10-15%. Public-land effort pays here because the thick timber filters out casual hunters.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	116	140	82.9%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Non-resident any-elk tags in Area 8 limited-quota hunts have historically required 2-5 preference points. Reduced-price cow/calf tags often clear with 0-1 point and frequently go to leftover.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

🚐

RV Sites

Gillette and Moorcroft RV parks. Keyhole SP accommodates trailers.

⛺

Camp Sites

Dispersed Thunder Basin NG camping. Keyhole State Park has developed sites. Black Hills NF campgrounds on the east side.

🛻

Trailer Access

I-90 and paved county roads. NG gravel mains handle trailers in dry weather.

💧

Water

Belle Fourche River tributaries, abundant stock water.

🛣️

Road Conditions

Paved primaries. NG gravel maintained. 4WD for secondary roads.

🥾

Terrain Difficulty

Easy. Rolling grass-sage with pine stringers. 3,500-5,000 feet.

👥

Hunting Pressure

Moderate. Regional hunters from Gillette and the Black Hills corridor.

🌦️

Weather

October: 55-75°F days, 30-45°F nights. Milder than most WY units due to lower elevation.

📱

Cell Service

Good along I-90 and near towns. Fades on NG interior.

🏘️

Nearest Town

Moorcroft (base, I-90). Full fuel/grocery. Gillette (30 minutes west) for larger services. Sundance (east) for Black Hills access.

Note: Moorcroft is a tiny town on I-90 — Gillette is the practical base with full services. Black Hills side trips (Devils Tower 30 minutes east) pair well with the hunt.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I combine with Devils Tower?

Yes — Devils Tower National Monument is 30 minutes east of Moorcroft. Many hunters visit before or after the hunt.

How's the drive from the Black Hills?

Excellent — Rapid City, SD is 2 hours east. Many Dakota hunters stage in Rapid and day-hunt Wyoming side.

Are there any unique challenges?

Checkerboard private/public in some sections requires careful map work. Otherwise a straightforward, high-success unit.

Does Battle Highway close during elk season?

WY-70 typically closes when snow stacks up, usually late October to early November. We monitor WYDOT's 511 system closely during late-season hunts.

Is Area 8 a DIY-friendly unit?

Yes. Medicine Bow-Routt NF provides strong public access, and the timber rewards self-sufficient hunters who read the terrain well.

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Sources & Verification

Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-04-17.

WGFD Hunt Planner — Pronghorn — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 8 boundary and quotas · accessed 2026-04-17
Black Hills National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Black Hills NF Wyoming-side public lands, Travel management · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Walk-In & HMA — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 8 walk-in blocks and HMAs · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Hunt Planner — Elk — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 8 boundaries, Season structure, License types · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Wyoming Elk Hunting Regulations — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Season dates, Reduced-price tags, License classes · accessed 2026-04-17
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest — Sierra Madre — USDA Forest Service · supports: Public land access, Trailheads, Camping rules · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 008 (Moorcroft / Black Hills West)

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 008

Where to Find Pronghorn in Area 8

Opening Week

Mid-Season

Late Season

How to Hunt Pronghorn in Area 8

Morning Circuits

HMA Walk-Ins

Pine-Sage Edges

Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 008

Where to Find Elk in Area 8

Archery

Rifle

How to Hunt Elk in Area 8

Still-Hunting

Weather Windows

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

RV Sites

Camp Sites

Trailer Access

Water

Road Conditions

Terrain Difficulty

Hunting Pressure

Weather

Cell Service

Nearest Town

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Sources & Verification

Unit 008 (Moorcroft / Black Hills West)

Pronghorn Hunting in Unit 008

Where to Find Pronghorn in Area 8

Opening Week

Mid-Season

Late Season

How to Hunt Pronghorn in Area 8

Pronghorn Success Rates

Pronghorn Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 008

Where to Find Elk in Area 8

Archery

Rifle

How to Hunt Elk in Area 8

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Explore Related Units

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Sources & Verification