Unit 133

Several geographic anchors help orient hunters: Chapman Butte and Bridger Butte provide distinctive summits for glassing, while Lake Louise and the Byrne Reservoir complex offer reliable water reference points. Sandy Ridge and Meyers Ridge form linear features useful for navigation. The Blacks Fork River serves as both a boundary marker and a major drainage corridor.

Chalk Creek Basin sits centrally and offers a navigable valley system. Springs including Bigelow Springs, Cold Springs, and Mussleman Springs are scattered across the unit and worth noting for water strategy. These features, combined with the network of ridges and draws, create adequate landmarks for backcountry navigation without being overwhelming.

The unit spans a compact elevation range from about 6,650 to nearly 9,800 feet, sitting primarily in the 7,000-8,500-foot zone. This elevation band supports a mix of sagebrush flats and scattered aspen-juniper woodland. The sparse forest cover means most terrain is open to rolling sagebrush country with pockets of conifer timber on ridges and north-facing slopes.

Vegetation transitions gradually rather than dramatically—you'll find sagebrush benches broken by small timber stands and intermittent aspen groves. This mosaic creates good edge habitat for deer moving between open feeding areas and timbered escape cover.

Fair connectivity comes from 444 miles of roads, though road density is limited and many routes likely traverse private land. Interstate 80 and the Business Loop provide obvious entry points, with towns like Hilliard and Altamont offering staging areas for hunters. The constraint of limited public land combined with moderate road access suggests hunting pressure concentrates along accessible corridors and near town-side entries.

The terrain is moderate in complexity—not so sprawling that you need extensive backcountry skills, but large enough that hunters willing to walk away from roads can find quieter country. Early-season hunting and weekday effort should yield reduced pressure compared to peak periods.

Unit 133 forms a narrow band along the Wyoming-Utah border, anchored by Interstate 80 on the north and the state line on the south. The Blacks Fork River defines much of the eastern boundary, while the unit extends westward from the I-80/Business Loop intersection. The inclusion of several small towns—Hilliard, Altamont, Piedmont, and Beartown—indicates a semi-developed landscape interspersed with hunting country.

The unit's position in southwestern Wyoming places it within reach of the Uinta Mountains to the south, though the actual unit terrain is lower and more open than those high peaks.

Water is limited but concentrated in predictable locations. The Blacks Fork River runs along the eastern boundary and is reliable but may not be accessible from all parts of the unit depending on private land. Multiple reservoirs—Byrne, Piedmont, Myers, and Meeks Cabin—dot the landscape and hold water through the season.

Springs including Roadside, Cold, and Eight Spring provide seasonal or reliable sources depending on timing and elevation. Creeks like Sulphur Creek, Fish Creek, and Sixmile Creek flow intermittently; their usefulness depends on time of year and recent precipitation. Hunters should plan water sources before entering and verify accessibility on current conditions.

Unit 133 supports both mule and white-tailed deer, with the transition zone and scattered cover favoring both species. Mule deer use the sagebrush flats for feeding and the aspen-juniper stands for daytime cover and escape routes; early and late light hours offer best visibility for glassing. White-tailed deer favor the timbered draws and creek bottoms, particularly Sulphur Creek, Fish Creek, and the various draws mapped across the unit.

Early season (late August/early September) finds deer in higher-elevation timber; as temperatures cool, look for movement into lower sagebrush areas. Water sources like Chalk Creek Basin and the spring complexes concentrate deer activity. Hunting strategy should focus on ridges and benches for glassing mule deer at first light, then transition to drainage bottoms and cover edges for white-tails during midday hours.