Wyoming Unit 56:elk draw odds & harvest
3 hunt codes for elk, Wapiti Ridge. Part of elk herd unit El216 - Cody. 2026: 8 to 25 tags, 4 to 271 applicants per hunt.
Wyoming · Unit 56
Unit 56Neighbor units
Hardest draw in Unit 562026 draw
ELK 56-18 tags, 271 applied, under 1% drew.
One of Wyoming's hardest elk draws: 3rd hardest of 169 in 2026.
Hunt codes
Elk huntsin Unit 56
Whole-hunt draw results: applicants, tags and the share that drew.
| Hunt code | What it is | Draw result · 2026 | Tags | Success 3-yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELK 56-1 | Any elk; also valid in Area 55 · regular season dates · Sep 1–Sep 30Hunt area 56 | 8 tags · 264 applied | 8 | 28–58% |
| ELK 56-5 | Antlerless elk valid off national forest · regular season dates · Sep 1–Sep 30Hunt area 56 | 42 tags · 18 applied | 42 | 44% |
| ELK 56-9 | Any elk, archery only · regular season dates · Sep 1–Sep 30Hunt area 56 | 25 tags · 2 applied | 25 | 0–32% |
Some hunt codes cover several units; the hunt page lists them all.
Harvest & herd
How hunters didand how the herd is doing.
Harvest success by hunt, 2021–2025
% successAll hunters27–38%
27%
35%
38%
27%
32%
20212022202320242025
ELK 56-128–80%
33%
80%
56%
28%
58%
20212022202320242025
ELK 56-90–32%
4%
29%
0%
13%
32%
20212022202320242025
ELK 56-544%
44%
2021
45%+28–45%Under 28%
How the herd is doing
Herd unit El216 - Cody
Bulls / 100 cows 2025
21
Bulls per 100 cowsFalling
20212022202320242025
Before you apply
- Points
- “Preference points are utilized in conducting the resident and nonresident moose, resident and nonresident full price bighorn sheep, nonresident elk, nonresident deer and nonresident antelope drawings.”
- Tag fee
- “PERMIT | ELK SPECIAL MANAGEMENT PERMIT | $15.50”
- Tag fee
- “ELK | NONRESIDENT COW/CALF ELK | $288.00 | If applying for license through drawing, application fee must also be remitted. Application Fee $15.00.”
- Tag fee
- “ELK | RESIDENT COW/CALF ELK | $43.00 | If applying for license through drawing, application fee must also be remitted. Application Fee $5.00.”
Rules for 2026.
Season dates · 2026
- ELK 56-1Regular Season DatesNov 5–Nov 30
- ELK 56-1Special Archery DatesSep 1–Sep 30
- ELK 56-9Regular Season DatesSep 1–Sep 30
Confirm in the regulations before you go.
Map & access
Unit 56and the units around it
Neighbors with a FarWide page open on click.
Public land & access
Each program opens on the state's site. Check on-the-ground signage.
Offline maps
Take Unit 56into your map app
Opens in onX, Gaia GPS, CalTopo, Google Earth, and Garmin. Works offline in those apps.
Members
Unit 56 hunt pack
One file, layered: the unit boundary, with each elk hunt's draw odds and harvest success attached to the unit.
- Unit boundary
- Draw odds per hunt
- Harvest success per hunt
Unit 56 · ELK 56-1
8 tags · 264 applied
Success28–58%
Ask FarWide
Answers use the same figures as this page.
Source: WGFD · Updated Nov 13, 2026