Unit 25

Pine Ridge and Rattlesnake Ridge provide excellent navigation references and glassing vantage points across the basin country. The Hogback and Sibley Peak offer elevated platforms for spotting in open terrain. Goshen Hole Rim and Pine Bluffs present distinctive cliff formations marking the unit's northern boundaries.

Register Cliff serves as a historic landmark valuable for orientation. Hell Gap and Rocky Pass function as natural movement corridors through rolling terrain. These features anchor navigation in country that can appear featureless from lower elevations, making them critical for planning hunts.

Terrain throughout the unit stays in the moderate elevation band, ranging from 4,000 to just over 6,400 feet with sparse forest coverage concentrated on higher ridges and breaks. Most country is open high plains dominated by sagebrush, grasslands, and scattered junipers on slightly elevated terrain. Ponderosa pines appear on ridge systems and canyon walls, particularly along features like Pine Ridge and the Rawhide Buttes.

The landscape transitions between open basin floors and pinyon-juniper foothills, creating varied hunting habitat without extreme elevation changes or dense timber patches.

The unit's road network totals nearly 5,700 miles, though spread across vast terrain, making logistics important for efficient hunting. Major highways border the unit but don't penetrate deeply; interior roads access basins and ridge systems variably. The fair accessibility rating reflects this spread-out network—you need a vehicle, but roads aren't overwhelming.

Tourism and seasonal hunting pressure concentrates around known access points near populated places like Chugwater and Bordeaux. Large stretches of open country remain lightly hunted, particularly away from main road corridors. Early-season reconnaissance of road conditions matters in spring when weather affects access.

Unit 25 encompasses Wyoming's southeast corner, bounded by the Nebraska state line on the east, the Colorado border on the south, Interstate 25 on the west, and U.S. Highway 20 on the north. This vast expanse spans multiple basins and high-plains plateaus characteristic of southeastern Wyoming's transitional terrain between the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountain foothills. Goshen Hole and Crescent Basin define the unit's major landscape depressions.

The region sits well-served by major highway corridors, providing logical access points from regional towns.

Water is scattered and seasonal throughout the unit—a critical planning consideration. Chugwater Creek, Antelope Creek, and Bear Creek drainages provide perennial flow in their main channels, though reliability varies seasonally. Numerous springs dot the landscape including Eagles Nest Spring, Donahue Spring, and Cold Spring, requiring advance scouting to confirm water availability.

Many smaller creeks and draws run only after precipitation events. Several reservoirs and stock ponds provide additional water but may be gated or inaccessible. Hunters should plan water stops carefully and expect to navigate stretches of dry terrain between reliable sources.

Unit 25 supports mountain lion hunting across its open and semi-timbered terrain. The sparse forest and extensive brushy basins provide cover for cats moving between kills and bedding areas in breaks and canyons. High-plains prey—mule deer, pronghorn, and small game—concentrate near water sources and vegetation transitions, which attracts lions to predictable areas.

Hunt canyon rims and ridge edges where glassing reveals movement in basin country below. Spring conditions and late-season snow tracking enhance hunting effectiveness. The unit's vast scale rewards systematic coverage—plan multiple days and know your water sources to hunt efficiently.

Work with local knowledge about recent sign and movement corridors.