• The Bighorn Mountains offer hunters the opportunity to find that trophy elk.elk image by Brett Bouwer from Fotolia.com
  
  The Big Horn Mountains are located in northern Wyoming and southern Montana with the highest peak reaching about 13,000 feet. The range is the home to the headwaters of the Little Big Horn, Powder and Tongue Rivers. The Bighorns have an abundance of snow-fed streams that irrigate the foothills creating a rich agricultural area overflowing with alfalfa, wheat and barley fields. Elk are attracted to these areas in early fall making this a coveted place to hunt starting in September.
  
  

Area 35

• Hunt Area 35 is known as Hunter Mesa and is located on the southeastern end of the Bighorns. This is a thickly timbered area that rises out of the Powder River to the east, and is a little hard to reach, but is known for its trophy elk. There are 15 hunting areas that span the Bighorns where archery season begins on Sept. 13. Archery permits are issued in limited numbers making it difficult to obtain one. Area 35 is a managed trophy-elk area that is in high demand for bow-hunting early and rifle hunting later in the year. Crossbow hunting is legal in Wyoming and this area provides the opportunity to bag your limit.
  
  

Area 34

• Area 34 is known as the Upper Powder River area of the Bighorns. Part of the hunting area is located in the Lincoln National Forest. A general elk license is required to hunt in this area of both state and federal lands. The dates set aside by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for hunting elk with a rifle are Oct. 14 to Nov. 20. Each hunter is required to buy a license with a set quota. Licenses are valid for hunting on public lands in the state, but you must obtain a license and have permission from a landowner to hunt on private land.
  
  

Area 36

• Area 36 is known as Rock Creek. This area, like Area 34, is smaller than Area 35, but does have an abundance of elk. It is located close to the town of Buffalo in the Bighorns. As with the other areas, the maximum bag limit for big game animals such as elk cannot exceed one per license. The open hours for hunting elk or any other big game are 1/2 hour before sunrise and 1/2 hour after sunset. It is sometimes difficult to gain access to private lands in Area 36, but Wyoming has opened up a Walk-in-Area program that provides hunters with more opportunities to find elk on public lands.