Unit 49

Key glassing points include the Honeycombs and The Vees, distinctive ridge systems that break the skyline and provide orientation. Cedar Mountain and Mahogany Butte serve as navigation landmarks visible from multiple drainages. Canyon Creek and its various forks create major terrain corridors through the unit; Big Cedar Ridge and Canyon Ridge provide elevated vantage points for surveying elk movement.

The Bighorn River, while a major boundary reference, has limited hunting utility but marks a critical orientation feature. These landmarks help hunters navigate the complex drainage system and identify productive basins like Kennedy Basin where elk congregate seasonally.

The unit spans nearly 5,000 feet of elevation relief, from low-elevation basin floors around 4,000 feet to upper ridges exceeding 8,800 feet. Most terrain sits in the lower and middle elevations, dominated by sagebrush flats and dry upland terrain with scattered juniper and limber pine. Higher ridges support more consistent forest cover, though ponderosa pine and Douglas fir remain relatively sparse compared to adjacent mountains.

The elevation transitions are gradual rather than dramatic, with benched topography and wide draws connecting basins to ridges. This creates elk habitat that's somewhat fragmented—productive but not continuously forested.

Over 386 miles of roads traverse the unit, primarily BLM roads and county stock drives rather than maintained highways. Road density is relatively low given the unit's size, creating both opportunity and challenge. Most roads require high-clearance or 4-wheel-drive vehicles, especially outside summer months.

Primary access corridors follow creek bottoms and ridge saddles, creating natural funnels where pressure concentrates. Limited road access means many areas require significant hiking beyond vehicle staging points. The low accessibility badge reflects not impassable terrain but rather the sparse road network; this discourages casual hunting but rewards prepared hunters willing to pack in beyond road-accessible areas.

Unit 49 encompasses a vast expanse of foothills and basin country east of Ten Sleep, bounded on the west by U.S. Highway 16 and the Bighorn National Forest, and on the south by Wyoming Highway 172. The eastern and northern boundaries follow an intricate pattern of creek drainages and ridgelines, including Deep Creek and the Nowood River system. The unit is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching from the Bighorn River drainage westward across multiple creek systems. This is transition country between the high mountains and the Powder River Basin, characterized by rolling terrain and scattered buttes rather than dramatic peaks.

Water is the limiting factor in Unit 49. Perennial sources include sections of the Bighorn River on the western boundary, Tensleep Creek, and portions of the Nowood drainage, but much of the unit relies on seasonal springs and ephemeral creeks. Named springs—Coyote Spring, Beaird Spring, Big Spring, Box Spring, among others—provide critical water but are scattered and unreliable in dry years. Multiple reservoirs (Pinky, Seaman Hill, Slab Trail, and others) offer secondary sources, though their reliability and access vary.

Hunters must locate and verify water sources during pre-hunt scouting; elk movements often center on these limited reliable drainages, making them key tactical locations.

Elk in Unit 49 occupy sagebrush basins and scattered timber throughout the elevation range, with migration patterns influenced by seasonal water availability rather than dramatic elevation shifts. Early season hunting focuses on higher ridges where cooler temperatures and lingering water attract elk to timber patches and canyon benches. By mid-season, water-pinch becomes critical—elk concentrate near reliable springs and creek drainages; Canyon Creek, Nowood drainages, and spring areas merit heavy scouting.

Late season sees potential movement toward lower basins if snow forces animals downslope, though much of this unit remains accessible in winter. The terrain complexity demands solid navigation and self-sufficiency; hunters should plan water-finding strategies and be prepared for glassing-heavy hunting across relatively open country broken by scattered cover.