Unit 105

The Session Mountains and Fossil Ridge form the main high country features, providing reference points and glassing terrain. Bridger Hill and North Sheep Mountain offer elevated vantage for scanning basin country. Several named gaps—including Blazon Gap, Session Pass, and Woodruff Upper and Lower Narrows—channel terrain travel and concentrate wildlife movement.

The Hogsback and Little Hogsback ridges create distinctive walking country with views into multiple drainages. Skull Point Cliff and Windy Point provide terrain breaks for navigation. These features, while not towering, are recognizable landmarks that shape how hunters move through the unit and where elk funnel during seasonal transitions.

The unit spans mid-elevation high desert ranging from about 6,200 feet in the deeper basins to just over 8,600 feet on the highest ridges—a 2,400-foot spread compressed into moderate distances. Most terrain sits between 6,500 and 8,000 feet, dominated by sagebrush flats and benches with scattered juniper and limber pine breaking the skyline. Timber coverage remains sparse overall; forested patches cluster along drainages and the higher ridges.

The vegetation profile transitions from open sage country in the basins through transition zones of scattered conifers to more continuous timber above 7,800 feet. This mix creates distinct thermal cover and feeding habitat across elevations, pulling elk seasonally as temperatures and snow conditions shift.

Nearly 688 miles of roads exist within Unit 105, but road density remains limited given the unit's vast size—yielding a sparse network rather than a well-connected system. Most roads are ranch roads and established trails, not maintained highways. Interstate 80 and U.S. 30 provide outside boundary access but don't penetrate deep into the unit.

Wyoming Highway 89 offers the primary corridor along the western edge. The limited road network means significant portions of the unit require foot travel once off main routes. Pressure concentrates along accessible basin drainages and near reservoirs where water is guaranteed.

Hunters willing to hike away from roads find genuinely quiet country, especially in the higher ridge systems.

Unit 105 occupies high desert country in Rich County's extreme southwestern corner, bounded by Interstate 80 on the north, Wyoming Highway 89 on the west near Sage Junction, U.S. Highway 30 on the northeast, and the Wyoming-Utah state line on the south and west. The unit encompasses roughly 360 square miles of basin and foothill terrain typical of the greater Overthrust Belt. Nearby towns include Sage, Kemmerer, and Granger, which serve as supply and staging points.

The landscape sits at the transition between Utah's Bear River Range and Wyoming's higher Absaroka country, creating distinct topography and hunting dynamics within a relatively confined area.

Water scarcity is the defining constraint in Unit 105. The unit contains multiple reservoirs—Woodruff Narrows, Cercocapia, Skull Point, Question Mark, and Pocket being the most reliable—distributed across the basins and higher benches. Several perennial springs exist (Wild Horse, Grove, Foote, Coyote, and others) but often require knowledge or scouting to locate. Salt Creek and Red Eye Creek provide seasonal flow in main drainages.

Pleasant Valley Creek and the Bridger Fork offer additional drainage corridors. During dry periods, elk concentrate around these limited water sources, making water-finding knowledge critical to location hunting. Early and late season typically offer better water availability across the unit.

Elk are the primary focus in Unit 105. They utilize the lower basin sagebrush in early seasons, moving toward higher timber and ridge country as weather cools and snow develops. The transition zones between sage and scattered timber are key hunting terrain throughout the season. Glassing from elevated benches and ridges across basin country is productive, then following promising sign toward timbered escape cover.

Water sources in this dry country are powerful attractants—both reservoirs and springs deserve attention, especially during warm parts of the day. The limited road network means camps should be placed near guaranteed water or main drainages. Success requires either acceptance of foot travel distance or strong local knowledge of water locations.

Mid-elevation ridge systems and the transitions between basin and timber typically hold elk most reliably.