Unit 27

Key landmarks provide effective navigation and glassing reference points across this moderately complex terrain. Negro Hill, Twin Buttes, and Pine Mountain serve as recognizable summits useful for orientation. The Deer Creek Range forms a spine across portions of the unit, offering elevated vantage points.

Hat Six Hogback and Rocky Gap provide terrain breaks useful for navigation. Named draws and canyons—including Gotheberg Draw, Sensebaugh Canyon, and Rainbow Canyon—offer natural travel corridors and concentration areas. Casper Mountain County Park and nearby Deer Creek Park mark population centers where pressure tends to concentrate.

Elevation spans from near 5,000 feet in low valleys to over 8,700 feet on ridge systems, creating distinct habitat zones. Low-elevation areas feature open grasslands and sagebrush with scattered ponderosa pine, while ridges transition into denser timber stands. The terrain is characterized more by rolling hills and broad valleys than dramatic peaks, with vegetation becoming progressively thicker at higher elevations.

Most of the unit remains relatively open country suited to glassing and foot travel, though pockets of heavier timber exist along drainages and ridge systems where hunters can find cover and transition habitat.

Fair road access with 784 miles of roads throughout the unit creates moderate connectivity and hunting pressure patterns. Established communities including Glenrock and Evansville serve as logical staging points with services and supplies. Much of the pressure concentrates near these towns and along valley corridors where road access is simplest.

Terrain in the higher elevations and along ridge systems sees lighter pressure despite being accessible, offering opportunities for hunters willing to hike away from main drainages. Private land interspersion means understanding boundary lines and gaining proper permission is essential.

Unit 27 occupies the high-desert region east of Casper, Wyoming, anchored by the North Platte River drainage on its western boundary and extending across rolling grassland and scattered timber country. The unit encompasses territory between established towns including Glenrock to the south and Evansville to the north, with numerous smaller communities and ranches throughout. This is working landscape country where public and private lands intermix, creating a patchwork that requires understanding local access patterns and respect for private boundaries.

The terrain sits at the transition zone between the Laramie Basin and the High Plains.

Water availability defines hunting strategy in this unit. While Deer Creek, Soldier Creek, and Negro Creek provide natural drainages, managed reservoirs and canals form the backbone of reliable water infrastructure. McDonald Reservoir, Evansville Storage Reservoir, Bates Creek Reservoir, and multiple smaller reservoirs dot the landscape.

Silver State Ditch Number 1 and Lone Bear Ditch Number 2 provide engineered water distribution. Natural springs including Indian Spring, Mud Springs, and several others supplement these sources. During dry periods, knowing the location and reliability of these water points becomes essential, as natural water can be seasonal.

Unit 27 historically supports mountain lion populations across its varied elevations and cover types. The sparse to moderate timber combined with abundant sagebrush grassland and rough terrain creates suitable habitat throughout. Ridge systems and canyon breaks provide stalking terrain and escape cover favored by lions.

The presence of numerous named drainages and canyons—including Sensebaugh Canyon, Jackson Canyon, and Trout Canyon—concentrates wildlife movement. Higher elevations offer cooler habitat during early seasons, while lower grasslands provide hunting opportunities as temperatures moderate. Successful hunting requires glassing from elevated vantage points, understanding water sources, and being mobile enough to cover the rolling distances between cover types.