Elk Hunting

ELK CHARACTERISTICS

1. Body - Tends to be reddish and lighter brown with darker legs.
2. Neck – The neck is usually a chestnut brown, darker than the body.
3. Snout – Their noses are slender.
4. Rump – Pale yellow in color.
5. Antlers – On bulls, two (2) years and older, the antlers have visible brown tines coming off a main beam.

Section 3. Special Archery Seasons.

1. There shall be special archery elk hunting seasons on the dates specified in Section 2. Special archery hunting seasons are specific to individual hunt areas by license type. During the special archery hunting seasons, archers are restricted to the limitations associated with the special archery season dates for a hunt area and license type.
2. Archers shall possess a limited quota elk license or a General elk license and an archery license in order to hunt elk with archery equipment during any special archery season.
3. Archers with a General elk license shall only hunt in those hunt areas open to hunting with a General license and are restricted to the limitations associated with the special archery season dates for that hunt area as specified in Section 2.
4. Archers with a limited quota elk license shall only hunt in the hunt area(s) where their license is valid and are restricted to the limitations associated with the special archery season dates as specified in Section 2.
5. Type 9 limited quota elk licenses are valid for “archery only” and do not require a separate archery license.

Section 4. Hunting Season Extension Permits.

1. Any person qualified for and in possession of a Hunting Season Extension Permit issued by the Department in accordance with Commission regulation may hunt elk five (5) days prior to the earliest opening regular season date in the hunt area(s) for their license type and is restricted to the limitations of their license type for the earliest opening regular season date as specified in Section 2 of this Chapter, excluding hunt areas within Grand Teton National Park (Hunt Area 75) and the National Elk Refuge (Hunt Area 77).
2. Hunters participating in a hunting season extension shall be in possession of a Hunting Season Extension Permit which shall be immediately produced for inspection upon request of an officer authorized to enforce this regulation.

Section 5. Youth Elk Hunters.

Youth hunters who possess a full price youth elk license valid for the taking of an antlered elk may take either an antlered elk as specified in Section 2 of this Chapter or may take an antlerless elk during an antlered elk season in the hunt area(s) where their license is valid. Hunt areas within Grand Teton National Park (Hunt Area 75) and the National Elk Refuge (Hunt Area 77) are excluded from this provision.

Section 6. Elk Special Management Permit.

The Department’s elk feedground program is a special management program that requires additional expenditures for the feeding of wildlife. An Elk Special Management Permit shall be required of any person who hunts elk in the hunt areas identified in subsection (a) of this section. The Elk Special Management Permit shall be in possession of any person while hunting elk in those hunt areas and shall be immediately produced upon request from an authorized Department representative. The permit shall be available at Cheyenne Headquarters, Department Regional Offices and at designated license selling agents.

1. Elk Hunt Areas 70, 71, 75, 77, 78, 80-98.

Section 7. Regulations Governing Elk Hunting in Grand Teton National Park (Hunt Area 75) and the National Elk Refuge (Hunt Area 77).

1. (NO HUNTER MAY HARVEST MORE THAN ONE (1) ELK IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK.
2. Successful completion of a hunter safety course is required, regardless of a hunter’s age, prior to hunting in Grand Teton National Park and a hunter safety certificate shall be in possession when hunting elk.
3. A Park or National Elk Refuge Permit is required prior to hunting elk and shall be in possession while hunting elk in Grand Teton National Park or the National Elk Refuge.
4. That portion of Hunt Area 75 beginning at the Lost Creek Road (U.S.F.S. Road 30340) at U.S. Highway 191; easterly along said road to the Grand Teton National Park boundary; southerly along said boundary to the intersection with the Shadow Mountain-Kelly Road (U.S.F.S. Road 30340) and the Antelope Flats Road at Carpenter Draw; southerly and westerly along said road to U.S. Highway 191; northeasterly along said highway to the Lost Creek Road (U.S.F.S. Road 30340) shall be known as the Antelope Flats portion of the hunt area.
5. That portion of Hunt Area 75 beginning where U.S. Highway 191 crosses Ditch Creek; northerly along said highway to the Deadmans Bar Access Road; westerly along said road to the eastern most bank of the main channel of the Snake River; southerly along said river to the confluence of Ditch Creek and the Snake River; easterly along said creek to U.S. Highway 191 shall be known as the Snake River Bottom of the hunt area.
6. An area one-quarter (1/4) mile wide along either side of U.S. Highway 191 shall be closed to all elk hunting within Grand Teton National Park.
7. An area within one-half (1/2) mile of buildings as indicated on the detailed Hunt Area 75 hunt area map provided with a park permit shall be closed to elk hunting in Grand Teton National Park. Structures excluded from this closure include those within the Gros Ventre Campground, all stand-alone toilets or well houses, all buildings within the McCollister Historic District and the historic Luther Taylor (“Shane Cabin”) and the historic Cunningham Cabin.
8. An area one-quarter (1/4) mile wide along the north side of the Gros Ventre-Kelly Road from the Mormon Row Road easterly to the town of Kelly is closed to all public entry.
9. Legal firearms include rifles with a barrel bore diameter of at least .24 caliber that fire a cartridge that is two (2) inches or more in length. The use of handguns and archery equipment for hunting are prohibited in Grand Teton National Park.