Unit 23

The Bighorn Mountain Divide serves as the unit's western spine, with Powder River Pass providing key orientation. Hunter Mesa and Massacre Hill anchor the central high country for navigation and glassing. The Tongue River drainages—North Tongue and West Fork South Tongue—provide natural travel corridors and water sources.

Multiple parks scattered throughout (Coffeen, Medicine, Granite, Buffalo Park) break the forested terrain and offer openings. Lake Shamrock, Highland Lake, and Spear Lake provide water-source navigation points. These landmarks help hunters navigate complex terrain and identify productive country.

The unit spans dramatic elevation change—from 3,600-foot basin floors to 13,000-foot alpine peaks. Lower elevations feature rolling grasslands and sagebrush parks interspersed with ponderosa pine and juniper. Mid-elevation slopes transition to dense spruce-fir forest with aspen parks and meadows.

The highest reaches are true alpine terrain with sparse vegetation and rocky ridges. This vertical relief creates distinct hunting zones: open country near the base, timbered mid-slopes offering cover, and high-elevation benches and ridges providing glassing vantage points and escape habitat.

Nearly 1,900 miles of roads provide fair network density, but substantial portions remain roadless. Major access points funnel from Sheridan, Buffalo, Story, and Ranchester. Highway 16 provides southwestern access to Powder River Pass; U.S. 14 serves the northern approach.

The fair-access rating reflects good road coverage near populated areas but significant backcountry distance. Lower foothills near towns see hunting pressure; remote high-country and eastern slopes receive less attention. Private land patches near valleys require careful navigation.

The combination of vast acreage and moderate road density creates opportunities for dispersal.

Unit 23 encompasses the dramatic transition zone where the Bighorn Mountains rise from the Powder River Basin. Bounded by Interstate 90 at the Montana border and Interstate 25 to the south, the unit stretches across three major drainages: the Tongue River system, Powder River country, and Crazy Woman Creek. The landscape spans from rolling sagebrush basins near Buffalo and Sheridan to high-elevation alpine terrain.

This vast unit sits at the intersection of major transportation corridors, creating accessibility contrasts between lower foothills and remote high country.

Water is the limiting resource in this large unit. Reliable sources include the North Tongue River, West Fork South Tongue River, and Crazy Woman Creek, though seasonal flow varies. Mid-elevation springs (Cow Camp Spring, Mosier Springs, Willow Spring) support hunting traffic.

High-country lakes—including Dinwiddie, Calvin, Sibley, and Lake Shamrock—provide alpine water but may freeze early. Lower basins have minimal surface water. Hunters should plan water carries for mid-slope country and verify spring reliability seasonally.

Drainage systems often run dry in late season, concentrating animals and pressure.

Unit 23 offers mountain lion hunting across diverse terrain. Lower elevations with canyon systems—Dayton Gulch, Kettle Gulch, and creek drainages—provide escape terrain and lion movement corridors. Mid-slope timbered country with parks (Medicine Park, Buffalo Park, Granite Park) offers ambush points where lions travel between resting and hunting cover.

High-country basins support mule deer and elk that attract lions. Early season offers access to higher ridges; late season concentrates lions lower as weather deteriorates. The unit's size and complexity reward hunters willing to penetrate roadless terrain where pressure is minimal.

Water sources concentrate both prey and predators seasonally.