Unit 75 Snake River (Area 75)
Snake River sagebrush flats inside southern Grand Teton — an antlerless migration hunt built to steer the growing Jackson elk herd.
Jackson Hole / Grand Teton National Park · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
47
sq mi
Public land
99%
approx.
Elevation
6,400–7,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 75 is a small unit on the floor of Jackson Hole, lying mostly within the southern portion of Grand Teton National Park along the Snake River. It runs from US Highway 26-89-191 and the Snake River on the west to the park boundary on the east, with Spread Creek on the north and the Gros Ventre / Kelly Road on the south, taking in the timbered landmark of Blacktail Butte. This is part of the Jackson elk herd and is managed as an antlerless-only migration hunt — a population-control tool aimed at cow elk that summer along the Snake River corridor as the herd pushes past objective. The terrain is easy, open and walkable, but the hunt is defined by park rules and timing rather than rugged country.
Terrain
Sagebrush-covered valley floor of Jackson Hole ringed by mountains, broken by the braided Snake River and its cottonwood bottoms and by the isolated timbered rise of Blacktail Butte. Generally flat and easy to walk.
Cover: Big sagebrush and grass flats, cottonwood and willow riparian galleries along the Snake and Gros Ventre rivers, scattered lodgepole and Douglas-fir on Blacktail Butte.
Landmarks: Snake River · Blacktail Butte · Gros Ventre River · Kelly Warm Springs / State Section · Spread Creek · Grand Teton National Park
Access
No checkerboard here — this northwest corner is public. Access is instead governed by Grand Teton National Park rules: the area is open only to permitted elk-reduction-program hunters, and only antlerless elk may be taken. Portions such as the Snake River Bottom are commonly closed for safety while the State Section near Kelly Warm Springs may open for the full season. Hunters must follow park-specific requirements; National Elk Refuge and closed park zones adjoin the unit.
Managers: National Park Service (Grand Teton NP), WY state trust (Kelly Warm Springs section), USFS Bridger-Teton NF (fringe)
Access points: US 26-89-191 pullouts along the Snake River · Gros Ventre Road / Kelly Road on the south · Antelope Flats / Mormon Row area · Blacktail Butte access · State Section near Kelly Warm Springs
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityAntlerless (cow/calf) elk from the Jackson herd are the entire point of this hunt — a migration-timed opportunity to intercept cows moving through the Snake River corridor and sage flats. Success hinges on being in the right place when elk are moving, not on trophy hunting.
- →Hunt the migration windows — cold snaps and weather push elk through the corridor
- →Glass the sage flats and river-bottom edges at first and last light
- →Set up on travel routes between the Snake River bottoms and Blacktail Butte cover
- →Know exactly which sub-areas (Snake River Bottom vs. State Section) are open before you hunt
- →Be patient and mobile — this is a timing game keyed to elk movement
Moose
common qualityShiras moose are a fixture of the Snake and Gros Ventre willow bottoms in Jackson Hole; a highly-coveted, very-limited-draw resource in the surrounding country.
- →Glass willow flats and river bottoms along the Snake and Gros Ventre at dawn and dusk
- →Work cottonwood-and-willow edges near water
- →Move slowly and glass into cover
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer use the sage flats, aspen benches and river bottoms of the valley floor, sharing the country with the elk.
- →Glass sage-and-aspen edges and river bottoms morning and evening
- →Hunt Blacktail Butte fringes and cottonwood galleries
- →Watch transitions between open sage and timber
Pro tips
- →Success is all about timing — hunt the cold fronts and storms that trigger the migration
- →Confirm which sub-units are open (Snake River Bottom is often closed; the Kelly Warm Springs State Section may run all season)
- →This is an antlerless-only, park-managed reduction hunt — plan around it, not for a bull
- →Glass the open sage flats and river-bottom edges rather than pushing thick cover
- →Base out of Jackson and be ready to move as elk shift with the weather
Watch out for
- !Antlerless-only, permit-and-rule-driven hunt inside Grand Teton National Park — closures and open sub-areas change
- !Adjacent national-park and National Elk Refuge lands are closed to hunting — know the boundaries
- !Elk presence is entirely migration-dependent; poor weather timing means few animals
- !Deep-valley cold, wind and snow arrive fast
- !Grizzly and black bears occur in Jackson Hole — carry spray and stay bear-aware
- !Heavy public and tourist presence in the park corridor
Logistics
Jackson, minutes to the south, is a full-service resort town with fuel, lodging, groceries, gear and a hospital; Moose and Kelly are tiny park-edge communities closer to the ground. Roads are paved highways and maintained park roads — access is easy, but hunt zones and closures shift by park rule and by the day.
Nearest towns: Jackson, Moose, Kelly, Moran
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Wyoming Elk Unit 75 (Snake River) Profile · Buckrail — Elk reduction hunt in Grand Teton · WGFD 2025 Wyoming hunt forecast
FAQ
- How big is Unit 75 in Wyoming?
- Unit 75 (Snake River (Area 75)) covers about 47 square miles, ranging from roughly 6,400 to 7,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 75?
- Approximately 99% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: National Park Service (Grand Teton NP), WY state trust (Kelly Warm Springs section), USFS Bridger-Teton NF (fringe). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 75?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Moose, Mule Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 75 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.