JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The late-season Refuge hunt will look a little different this year with some changes made to the boundary areas.
The most notable change in this year’s National Elk Refuge’s 2021 elk hunt program is extending the ‘archery only’ area to the entire length of the western boundary of the Refuge. During the 2020 elk hunt season, a vehicle in a parking area on the westside of Highway 89 was struck by a hunter’s stray bullet. That’s concerning enough that big game managers will keep lead-throwers from this area.
The goal for extending the archery only area is to maximize safety while continuing to provide a quality hunting experience on the Refuge. Firearm hunters will still be able to access the northwest area of the Refuge from the northern-most hunt gate but must remain on a designated route and have their firearm unloaded when passing through the archery only area.
Another change happening in the 2021 hunt season is the discontinuation of field issued permits. The National Elk Refuge will not be providing field issued permits during the later hunt periods. All permits that were previously issued as field permits will now be managed online in partnership with the Wyoming Game & Fish Department (WGFD) through their Access Yes! Program as Alternate Refuge Permits.
The ’21 Refuge Elk Hunt begins October 12 and runs through December 12. Hunting on the Refuge is managed through a cooperative effort between the National Elk Refuge, Wyoming Game & Fish Department, and Grand Teton National Park, with the goal of achieving and maintaining population objectives.
The initial application period for elk hunters interested in obtaining a permit to hunt on the National Elk Refuge closes on September 22. The application process for a Refuge permit for elk hunting is done in partnership with the WGFD through their Access Yes! Program.
There are three options for obtaining a Refuge permit to hunt elk. The first opportunity is to apply during the initial draw application period, which runs from August 1 through September 22 this year.
Starting at 8:00am on September 24, hunters will have a second opportunity to obtain a Refuge permit by selecting from any of the permits left over from the initial draw.
The third option to obtain a Refuge permit is through Alternate Refuge Permits. Alternate Refuge Permits become available on October 22 for hunt periods beginning October 26 and are typically valid for three days.
Hunters can apply weekly for the alternate draw by accessing the online WGFD Access Yes! Program between Friday at 9am and Sunday at 11:59pm. Hunters may apply for Alternate Refuge permits each week.
