Wyoming has 48% public land. The state charges resident hunters $57 for an elk license. Non-residents pay $817 for the same tag. That gap — $760 per elk, every year — is why hunters move to Wyoming. Not the scenery. The math.
If you are paying non-resident prices in a neighboring state while watching Wyoming residents fill their freezers for $57, the calculus on a move starts to look very different.
Here is what the move actually involves.
The License Cost Difference
The resident vs. non-resident spread in Wyoming is the widest of any major elk state.
Resident licenses (2026)
- Elk: $57
- Mule deer: $30
- Whitetail deer: $30
- Antelope: $27
- Black bear: $45
- Mountain lion: $35
- Elk: $817 (plus $52 application fee for limited-entry draws)
- Mule deer: $327
- Whitetail deer: $327
- Antelope: $302
- Black bear: $392
- Mountain lion: $214
Residency in Wyoming requires 365 consecutive days of physical presence with the intent to remain. You cannot game it with a P.O. box. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department audits residency claims and has disqualified applicants who maintained primary employment or domicile in another state.
Colorado non-resident elk: $726. Montana non-resident elk: $962. Idaho non-resident elk: $626. Wyoming is mid-range on the non-resident side. The resident side is where Wyoming stands apart.