Unit 1

The Bear Lodge Mountains anchor the western portion and provide visual reference from most of the unit. Major ridges—including Schoepf Divide, Elkhorn Divide, and Williams-Surprise Divide—serve as terrain dividers and good vantage points for glassing. Straight Lake, Bear Lake, and several reservoirs (Cook Lake, Hemler, Yakju, Rocky Ford) appear on most maps and provide reliable water markers for navigation.

The Brakes form a distinctive topographic feature in the central area. Mill Ditch and the various creeks (Onemile, Fawn, Medicine Flat) cut through the terrain and provide drainage corridors that concentrate animal movement.

The unit's character is defined by lower-elevation terrain—mostly between 3,400 and 5,500 feet, with higher ridges topping out around 6,600 feet. Sagebrush plains and grassland dominate the lower benches and flats, particularly in the eastern and central portions, while ponderosa and juniper timber becomes more consistent along the ridges and in the western foothills. This is transition country where open sage habitat meets scattered forest, creating a patchwork that lions exploit for both cover and hunting corridors.

The rolling topography provides natural terrain breaks that animals use for movement and bedding.

The unit contains roughly 795 miles of roads with fair overall connectivity—enough track to reach most terrain without excessive effort, but sparse enough that staying mobile is worthwhile. Highway 24, U.S. 85, and Highway 585 provide main-road access; secondary roads branch into ranch country and toward the higher ground. Sundance is the logical staging town.

Most hunter pressure concentrates near accessible water sources and along main drainages; the rolling terrain between ridge systems often sees less traffic. The moderate terrain complexity works in hunters' favor—big enough to spread pressure, straightforward enough to navigate without excessive route-finding.

Unit 1 occupies the northeastern corner of Wyoming, bounded by the South Dakota line to the north and east, U.S. 85 to the southeast, and Wyoming Highway 24 completing the northern boundary through Sundance. The unit encompasses roughly 3,400 to 6,600 feet of elevation across terrain that tilts from flatter prairie in the lower sections toward the Bear Lodge Mountains and Black Hills foothills in the western portion. Sundance serves as the primary town and western gateway; the country is accessible but not heavily developed, with scattered ranches and small communities providing context for public-private land patterns.

Water is the limiting factor across much of Unit 1. Perennial streams are scattered and often run intermittently depending on season; South Fork Miller Creek, Ogden Creek, and Medicine Flat Creek are the more reliable flowing water sources. A network of reservoirs—Cook, Hemler, Yakju, Blacktail, Rocky Ford, Claudie, Miller Creek, Gose, and Williams—holds stock water and provides reliable hunting-season sources where accessible. Springs are scattered throughout (Allread, Togus, Snyder, Box, Peterson, and others listed), but confirming flow before relying on them is essential.

Plan water carefully; many drainages run dry in late season.

Unit 1 holds mountain lion, and the terrain suits their patterns well. Lions use the timbered ridges and canyon systems for movement and den sites, then hunt the open sage flats and prairie for mule deer and occasional elk. Early season allows covering more ground and glassing the sagebrush benches; later, focus on the timbered breaks where lions hole up during the day.

Water sources—particularly the reservoirs and reliable springs—concentrate prey and should be part of any strategy. The rolling, broken terrain means patience and good glassing are essential; this isn't wide-open country where you can spot lions from miles away. Hounds and track-work in the timbered sections often outperform spot-and-stalk in this transition zone.