Unit 93

Tosi Peak and Rock Creek Buttes serve as prominent navigation markers and glassing vantage points from the central plateau. Aspen Ridge and Elk Ridge define major terrain breaks and offer ridge-running opportunities. The Narrows, a natural topographic pinch point, concentrates movement corridors during elk migrations.

Water Dog Lakes and the various reservoirs (Angus, Sunset, Kitchen) provide orientation points, though they're seasonal or limited. Stinky Spring and the named creeks—Tepee, Badger, Rock, Red—mark drainage systems useful for following elk movement and locating water. These features are spread across moderate terrain complexity, requiring good navigation skills but not extreme technical ability.

The unit spans nearly 4,200 vertical feet, though most hunting occurs in the upper 8,000-11,000 foot zone. The landscape transitions from sagebrush parks and grass meadows at the higher elevations into scattered aspen groves and ponderosa stands on north-facing slopes and creek bottoms. Open ridge country dominates much of the unit—expansive views but limited forest cover for concealment.

This open terrain creates distinct glassing opportunities but also exposes hunters to visibility. The moderate forest coverage provides thermal cover and bedding habitat, particularly in the aspen transition zones. Snow closes high routes by late October in most years.

Fair road access via Forest Service roads from the north (Union Pass Road, Darwin Ranch Road) and Highway 352 from the south means the unit attracts steady pressure, especially on opening weekend. However, the high elevation and short season create natural limitation—many hunters lack the fitness or willingness to work the steep initial approach. Road density is moderate but roads don't penetrate the heart of the unit; once on the plateau, you're hiking.

The combination of fair highway access but limited interior roads means the main ridges and creek bottoms near road heads see the most pressure, while the central plateau and harder-to-reach basins remain quieter. Early week hunting and willingness to start hiking before dawn pays dividends.

Unit 93 sits on the western shoulder of the Wind River Range, bounded by U.S. Highway 191 to the west, Wyoming Highway 352 to the south, and Forest Service roads defining its northern and eastern perimeters. The unit occupies the plateau between the Hoback River drainage to the southwest and the Green River drainage to the north, with the Gros Ventre River system forming the northeastern boundary at Hodges Peak. The small settlement of Cora anchors the southern approach.

Topographically, this is high-elevation plateau country—mostly flat to gently rolling at the top, creating a distinct hunting zone separated from lower-elevation basins by substantial elevation gain.

Water is the unit's limiting factor. Most reliable sources are in creek bottoms—Tepee Creek, Rock Creek, Badger Creek, and Lake Creek provide perennial flows during the hunting season, though these drainages can be narrow and require significant elevation loss to access. Water Dog Lakes and the scattered reservoirs offer additional sources but are dependent on seasonal runoff and may be unreliable in dry years.

The high plateau itself is dry country with only Stinky Spring as a named source—water-carrying capacity is important for hunters working the open ridge systems. Early season hunting near creeks concentrates pressure; hunters willing to pack water can access less-hunted plateau country.

Elk inhabit Unit 93's transition zones—the aspen groves, scattered timber pockets, and ridge-side parks where open country meets thermal cover. Early season (late August/early September) finds elk in the open parks, particularly on northern exposures and around the scattered water sources in creeks and lakes. Glassing the ridge systems and parks from high vantage points like Tosi Peak or Elk Ridge is effective early.

As temperatures drop, elk concentrate in aspen stands and timbered gullies, requiring closer stalking and bugling during the rut. The open terrain allows for mid-range glassing but demands quick decision-making once elk are located—crossing open ground to close distance is exposed. The high elevation creates a compressed season; most productive hunting occurs during the first two weeks of season before weather deteriorates.

Water sources and creek bottoms deserve serious attention as fall progresses and high parks cool.