Unit 40

Several named peaks provide reliable navigation references: Bald Mountain, Hunt Mountain, and Black Butte are prominent in the eastern reaches, while Sunlight Mesa and Horse Creek Mesa anchor the central terrain. Shell Falls offers a notable geographic marker near the northern boundary. Elephant Head Rock and Steamship Rock serve as distinctive visual references in the rolling country.

Named drainages including Shell Creek, Horse Creek, and Finger Creek run predictably toward the Bighorn River and provide travel corridors through rougher terrain. Red Rim Meadows and Red Flat are open areas useful for morning and evening glassing positions.

The unit spans dramatic elevation change across its modest footprint—from riverside country near 3,600 feet to ridgetops exceeding 10,000 feet. The majority of the terrain sits in the 4,000-6,000 foot band, characterized by sagebrush parks interspersed with scattered juniper, Douglas-fir, and ponderosa pine. Higher ridges support more robust forest stands, while exposed ridgelines offer open glassing country.

Vegetation transitions sharply along draws and north-facing slopes where moisture collects. The sparse forest cover means hunters often glass across open country rather than work through heavy timber, though elk readily use the available pockets of cover.

The 282 miles of roads indicate a fair network, though scattered across complex terrain—expect concentrated use near Highway 14 corridors and trailheads. The road density doesn't feel oppressive because elevation relief fragments access into discrete hunting zones. Early season sees pressure near accessible ridge draws; rut hunting pushes effort toward higher parks where elk respond to calls.

Private land complications aren't dominant but pockets exist near Greybull and scattered valley bottoms. Patient hunters can find less-pressured country by moving away from obvious road access into the rougher, brush-choked draws where terrain complexity keeps casual hunters out.

Unit 40 forms a distinct wedge of foothills country in northwestern Wyoming, bounded by the Bighorn River and the town of Greybull on the west, Highway 14A to the north, and Highway 14 forming the southern and eastern perimeter through Granite Pass. The unit encompasses roughly 60 square miles of transitional terrain between the Bighorn Basin and the Absaroka front. Adjacent units include lower-elevation desert country to the west and higher mountain terrain to the east.

The compact size and clear highway boundaries make navigation straightforward, though the internal terrain is far more complex than the peripheral landmarks suggest.

Water is scattered but present—critical to understand for hunting strategy. The Bighorn River forms the western boundary and remains reliable year-round, but much of the unit relies on seasonal sources. Named springs include Wolf Springs, Sheep Mountain Springs, Barrel Spring, and Bull Springs, along with Deer Spring and Three Springs; these vary in reliability throughout the season.

Small reservoirs dot the landscape including Leavitt, Lampman, Phelps, Garnett, and Flockhart reservoirs, though many are stock ponds. Creeks like Shell, Horse, and Grouse run seasonally. Late-summer hunters need to know spring locations; early season offers more reliable surface water in creek bottoms.

Unit 40 is elk country, with animals using the park-and-timber mosaic throughout the season. Early season targets the higher parks and meadows where elk feed in cool mornings; Hunt Mountain and the mesa country hold animals in September. Rut hunting focuses on draws with adequate cover—Horse Creek, Shell Creek, and the various gulches concentrate elk movement during peak activity.

Late season pushes animals lower and toward remaining water sources as higher country becomes inaccessible; the spring-fed drainages become critical congregation points. The high terrain complexity means success depends on reading the specific draw or park you're hunting rather than broad unit strategy. Glassing is effective due to sparse cover, but patience and careful stalking through brush-filled transitions reward thorough hunters more than those rushing between ridges.