Wyoming Mule Deer Elk

Unit 036 (Ferris-Seminoe Mule Deer)

Wyoming Hunting Guide — Mule Deer, Elk

Mule Deer Area 36 overlaps the Ferris and Seminoe Mountains in central Wyoming — island-mountain mule deer country with BLM sage-pine access. About 242 tags against 571 3-year applicants place it in Wyoming's solid mid-tier draws.

View Draw Odds Wyoming Hunting Guide

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 036

Where to Find Mule Deer in Area 36

Area 36 mule deer use the timbered benches of the Ferris and Seminoe ranges with sage-pine transitions on the lower slopes.

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Area 36

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Mule Deer Success Rates

Rifle35%

Ferris-Seminoe mule deer hunts typically show rifle success in the 40-55% range per WGFD harvest data.

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Rifle— General	66	155	42.6%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Non-resident Type 1 tags typically require 1-3 preference points under the 75/25 draw.

Elk Hunting in Unit 036

Elk Area 36 covers the Sierra Madre Range and Encampment River country of south-central Wyoming, a rugged chunk of the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest straddling the Colorado line. We like this area for its mix of dark timber, aspen benches, and open parks between 7,500 and 11,000 feet. Tag numbers are generous relative to applicants, bulls in the 270-310 class show up every season, and the Encampment River Wilderness gives residents and Wyoming-licensed guides a quieter corner to hunt away from the road system.

Where to Find Elk in Area 36

Elk in Area 36 follow a predictable elevation pattern tied to the Sierra Madre's three main drainages — the Encampment River, Hog Park Creek, and Battle Creek.

Archery Season (September)

Bulls hold in the dark spruce-fir and aspen pockets between 8,500 and 10,500 feet. The upper Encampment River, Green Mountain, and the timbered benches east of Battle Pass consistently produce rutting bulls. Wallows cluster along the spring-fed seeps in the spruce stringers.

Rifle Season (October)

Snow and hunting pressure push elk down into the aspen-sage transition between 7,500 and 9,000 feet. The Willow Creek, Big Sandstone Creek, and Hog Park drainages concentrate animals once timber snow gets deep. Focus on north-facing timber pockets that bump elk back to feeding benches at first and last light.

Late Season

By late October, elk slide toward the foothills west of Encampment and toward the Continental Divide saddle near Battle Pass. Winter-range migration starts early in heavy snow years — watch the Forest Road 550 corridor for moving herds.

How to Hunt Elk in Area 36

Area 36 is a classic dark-timber unit. We lean on glassing into openings, still-hunting aspen edges, and walking a mile or two off the road to find untouched country.

Glass the Parks at First Light

Pick a ridge that overlooks aspen benches and mountain parks above 8,500 feet and glass hard from 30 minutes before light until the sun hits the slopes. Elk feed into timber within an hour of sunrise — you need to be set up early.

Still-Hunt Timber Edges

Once elk are bedded, still-hunt the downwind side of aspen-to-conifer transitions. Move 100 yards, glass and listen for 10 minutes, move another 100 yards. Bulls bed on shaded north slopes and will tolerate a slow, quiet approach.

Cover Ground on Foot

The road network inside Area 36 is extensive, which means road hunters cover the easy spots. Any basin that takes more than 45 minutes to reach on foot will hold bulls. We routinely find the best hunting within a mile of trailheads on Forest Roads 496, 550, and 801 — just far enough to outwalk day-trippers.

Wilderness Option

The Encampment River Wilderness carries Wyoming's non-resident wilderness-guide requirement: non-residents must be accompanied by a licensed guide or a Wyoming-resident companion. Residents have a quiet, lightly hunted zone available to them with a simple drop camp.

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Elk Success Rates

Archery22%

Rifle44%

Area 36 rifle success has run 25-32% across the past decade, with archery success between 12 and 18%. Residents with Type 1 tags post the highest numbers because they can time the hunt around weather windows. The Sierra Madre's dense timber rewards patient hunters over mileage-pushers.

Elk Draw Odds

Season	Tags	Applicants	Draw %	Pts Req
Archery— General	63	21	100.0%	0
Rifle— General	265	23	100.0%	0

Data from 2025 draw results. Resident odds shown.

Open in Draw Odds Engine

Wyoming splits non-resident elk tags 75% to max preference-point holders and 25% through a weighted random draw. Area 36 Type 1 (any weapon) non-resident tags have historically drawn at 4-6 preference points, with the random component pulling in 2-3 point applicants in a good year. Type 9 (Oct. cow/calf) is effectively a zero-point tag in most years. Residents draw reliably for Type 1 with 1-2 points.

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Area 36 overlap with Elk Area 37?

Largely yes — the Ferris-Seminoe country hosts both species. We plan combo trips around the shared terrain.

How many preference points do non-residents need for Area 36 elk?

Type 1 tags usually draw at 4-6 preference points in the max-point pool, with the 25% random pool picking up applicants at 2-3 points. Type 9 cow/calf tags are typically zero-point draws.

Do I need a guide to hunt Area 36?

Only if you are a non-resident hunting inside the Encampment River Wilderness. Wyoming law requires non-residents in designated wilderness to hunt with a licensed outfitter or a Wyoming-resident companion. The rest of Area 36 is open to unguided non-residents.

Is Area 36 a trophy or an opportunity unit?

It is an opportunity unit with solid trophy potential. Most bulls taken run 270-310 inches, and occasional bulls over 320 come out every season.

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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 — Mule Deer — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Mule Deer Area 36 boundaries · accessed 2026-04-17
2025 Wyoming Hunting Regulations — Deer — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Season dates, License structure · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Drawing Statistics — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 36 historical draw odds · accessed 2026-04-17
BLM Rawlins Field Office — Bureau of Land Management · supports: Ferris-Seminoe public-land access · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Hunt Planner — Elk — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Area 36 boundary in the Sierra Madre, Type 1, 6, and 9 season structure, Non-resident quota split · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Harvest Reports & Surveys — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: Historic Area 36 hunter success near 30% on rifle tags, Three-year applicant and tag totals · accessed 2026-04-17
WGFD Preference Points — Wyoming Game and Fish Department · supports: 75/25 preference/random draw split, Preference-point purchase period · accessed 2026-04-17
Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest — USDA Forest Service · supports: Encampment River Wilderness boundary, Forest road network in the Sierra Madre · accessed 2026-04-17

Unit 036 (Ferris-Seminoe Mule Deer)

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 036

Where to Find Mule Deer in Area 36

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Area 36

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 036

Where to Find Elk in Area 36

Archery Season (September)

Rifle Season (October)

Late Season

How to Hunt Elk in Area 36

Glass the Parks at First Light

Still-Hunt Timber Edges

Cover Ground on Foot

Wilderness Option

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

Planning Notes

Water

Road Conditions

Hunting Pressure

Weather

Cell Service

Nearest Town

Frequently Asked Questions

Plan Your Hunt with ProHunt Pro+AI

Sources & Verification

Unit 036 (Ferris-Seminoe Mule Deer)

Mule Deer Hunting in Unit 036

Where to Find Mule Deer in Area 36

How to Hunt Mule Deer in Area 36

Mule Deer Success Rates

Mule Deer Draw Odds

Elk Hunting in Unit 036

Where to Find Elk in Area 36

Archery Season (September)

Rifle Season (October)

Late Season

How to Hunt Elk in Area 36

Elk Success Rates

Elk Draw Odds

Unit Logistics & Expectations

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Sources & Verification