Unit 86

Cliff Creek Falls marks a notable water feature in the northern drainages, while Lookout Mountain provides excellent vantage for glassing the surrounding country. Monument Ridge and Hoback Peak serve as navigation anchors visible from multiple draws. The Hoback Rim to the east is a major topographic reference defining the unit boundary.

Cliff Creek Pass offers a key route between the northern and southern portions. These landmarks help orient hunters in a unit where canyon complexity can disorient navigation. The Bare Hole basin provides a recognizable terrain feature in the central country.

The unit spans mid-elevation terrain from roughly 6,400 feet in the river valleys to just over 10,800 feet on the high ridges, creating distinct habitat zones. Lower elevations support scattered sagebrush and grassland draws with pockets of Douglas fir and lodgepole pine. Mid-slopes transition to more consistent forest cover with aspen interspersed in the canyons.

Upper ridges break into more open terrain above the timber line, providing glassing country and escape terrain. This vertical stacking creates multiple hunting elevations within a moderate-sized unit.

Roughly 129 miles of rough roads penetrate the unit but don't provide comprehensive coverage or easy access. Most entries require four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicles pushing up drainages to establish camps. The rolling terrain and canyon complexity mean road miles don't translate to ease of access.

Fair accessibility allows dedicated hunters to avoid crowds on foot, but poor road conditions limit pressure from casual hunters. Most pressure concentrates around obvious main road access points. Back-canyon country with difficult approach sees significantly less human presence.

Unit 86 occupies the heart of the Hoback River basin in northwestern Wyoming, bounded by the major river system and its tributaries. The Hoback River itself marks the northern and western boundary, flowing north to the Snake River, while the Hoback Rim to the east forms the divide between the Hoback drainage and the Green River system. The Greys River divide borders the southwestern edge, creating a contained but intricate geography.

Adjacent units surround the Hoback system, making this a central piece of the larger ecosystem.

Water is the limiting factor in this unit despite being centered on the Hoback River system. The main Hoback flows year-round but sits in deep canyon bottoms often far from productive elk country. Tributary creeks like Cliff Creek, Burnt Creek, and Snag Creek provide closer water access to mid-elevation draws, though flow varies seasonally.

Springs exist but are scattered and unreliable, requiring scouting before the hunt. The South Fork Hoback River drains the southern portion. Success often hinges on locating and confirming which water sources are running before the season.

Unit 86 is core elk country defined by the transition zones between sagebrush draws and timbered slopes. Early season focuses on high ridges and open parks where elk feed on emerging grass and aspen browse. Rut season concentrates animals in the drainages as they respond to water scarcity and thermal cover.

Late season pushes remaining elk to lower elevations and dense timber in the canyons. Glassing from ridgelines and Monument Ridge works early; trail hunting through timber and creeks becomes essential as season progresses. Success requires time to glass multiple draws, locate water sources, and understand elk movement between the various canyon systems.