This hunting, located in the north central part of the state, features some incredible scenery and bear hunting. Most of this hunting area is west of the Bighorn Mountains, with the exception of the west side. There is a portion of this unit that is a designated Wilderness Area; nonresidents will need a guide if hunting in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. The area is roughly 60 miles long and 30 miles wide. There are no Grizzly Bears located in the hunt area currently.

This area sees a decent amount of bear harvest with the total harvest split evenly between spring and fall.

You will see all types of terrain in this unit, from badlands to 13,000 foot peaks that are covered in snow year round. This portion of the Bighorn Mountains ranges from jagged peaks at 13,000 plus feet, with thick timber hills and rolling open meadows. There are many ranches, farmland, and open sage flats at lower elevations, between Sheridan and Buffalo.

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.

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. This area, however, could also be very conducive to a backcountry hunt. A maps system of some sort is recommended if you are hunting near the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area. There are many different ways to access this unit. In the southern section, there are tons of roads and trails off of Highway 16 between Ten Sleep and Buffalo, all providing good access. Road 26/Red Grade Road, a dirt road that can take you all the way to the top of the mountain, provides access on the north section of the unit; there are many different roads and trails that branch off of this main road. When selecting an area to hunt, finding an area with multiple food sources will be beneficial. Nonresidents will want to look at the southern portion of the area, east of Ten Sleep, as there is less Wilderness Area here for them to worry about.

The majority of this area is covered in 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, along with small patches of aspen. There are large sections of willows and berry patches in the creek bottoms. Some recent and old burns are scattered throughout the area, making for great bear habitat in the spring.

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. Both lodges have a restaurant and minimal supplies available. In the northern section of the unit, Bear Lodge and Elk View in Burgess Junction have lodging options as well. You will also find hundreds of established undeveloped camping spots off every road on the mountain. As for towns in this hunting unit, Sheridan and Buffalo are the only towns with sporting goods and grocery stores. There are a few other small towns, but these two will be your main suppliers of goods.