This hunting area is found in the north central area of the state, south of hunting area 1, and features some incredible scenery and bear hunting. Most of this unit is west of the Bighorn Mountains, with the easternmost portion in the Bighorns. There is a large portion of this area that is a designated Wilderness Area; nonresidents will need a guide if hunting in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The area is roughly 50 miles long and 50 miles wide. There are no Grizzly Bears located in the hunt area currently.

A good majority of the bear harvests in this unit take place in the spring.

Like Area 1 to the north, this area consists of mostly badlands and farmland along the rivers. This portion of the Bighorns is different than in Area 1 and 2 though; the foothills of the mountain and very rocky, with tall vertical cliffs and lots of juniper trees and sage. Once you gain elevation to above 7,500 feet, you’ll encounter steep mountains and dense timber. There are a lot of small creeks and ponds scattered throughout this area, and willows and berry bushes covering the riverbanks. Like all mountains in Wyoming, you will find lodgepole pines, white pines, juniper and aspen trees throughout the range.

Wilderness

Under Wyoming law nonresidents are not permitted to hunt big game or trophy game in any federally designated wilderness areas without the presence of a licensed guide or resident companion. The resident companion must first get a free non-commercial guide license from a Game and Fish office. The law does not prohibit nonresidents from hiking, fishing or hunting game birds, small game, or coyotes in wilderness areas.

The majority of this unit consists of sagebrush prairies and badlands. You will find irrigated farm fields along the rivers and streams. The foothills of the mountain are mainly juniper trees and sagebrush. Once on the Bighorns, the most common trees you will find on the mountain will be lodgepole pines, as well as small patches of aspens. Large sections of willows and berry patches can be found in the creek bottoms. Some recent and old burns scattered throughout the area make for great habitat in the spring once the grass comes up.

As far as publicly accessible land goes, this area is great! There are many roads and trails throughout the mountain area, making the use of vehicles, ATVs, side by sides, mountain bikes or travelling on foot very easy. With the number of roads and trails, remote backcountry areas will be hard to find. There are a number of roads and trails off of Highway 16, between Ten Sleep and Buffalo to list, but all will provide access to good hunting. When selecting an area to hunt, be sure to watch over areas with multiple food sources for the bears. Nonresidents will want to look at the southern portion of the area, east of Ten Sleep; there is less Wilderness Area here, allowing nonresidents to hunt more ground without a guide.

There are a few options for modern lodging in the southern part of the Bighorn Mountains. Meadowlark and Deer Haven Lodge both provide camping and cabins to stay in. Both lodges have a restaurant and minimal supplies available. You will also find hundreds of established undeveloped camping spots off of nearly every road on the mountain. As for towns in this hunting unit, Greybull, Shell and Spanish Point are to the north. Greybull is the only town that has reliable resources, with a grocery store, multiple gas stations, a small sporting goods store and a few restaurants. On the south end of the unit are the towns Worland and Ten Sleep, both of which offer amenities, Worland more so than Ten Sleep.