Unit 89

The Rattlesnake Hills dominate the southern horizon and provide the primary landmark system. Specific peaks like Pine Mountain, Goat Mountain, and Rattlesnake Hill serve as orientation anchors visible across the basins. The Rattlesnake Divide itself runs roughly north-south and marks the unit boundary, making it valuable for navigation.

Emigrant Gap Ridge and the Haystacks offer intermediate vantage points. The Meadows flats and Little Cross Meadows provide natural gathering areas where deer congregate. Several canyons—Smith Canyon, Blue Canyon, Eagles Nest Canyon—dissect the landscape and funnel animal movement, making them key hunting corridors.

Elevations range from mid-5,000 feet in the basins to over 8,200 feet on the ridge systems, creating distinct habitat zones. Low-elevation valleys are dominated by sagebrush and sparse grassland with occasional wet meadows. Mid-elevation slopes support scattered juniper and utility-grade timber.

The Rattlesnake Hills proper offer more consistent tree cover on north-facing aspects, though the overall forest density remains light—typical high-desert transition country. Mule deer utilize the entire elevation range, moving between basin wintering grounds and ridge-top summer habitat. The sparse tree cover means open-country glassing is productive much of the year.

Road density is sparse—approximately 306 miles of mostly county-level roads scattered across vast terrain. The Gas Hills Road and Oregon Trail Road provide primary access corridors; most other travel requires high-clearance vehicles or foot travel. Access from Waltman or Highway 220 is straightforward, but the limited road network means most pressure concentrates along these main arteries and near developed reservoirs.

The interior basins and ridge systems see minimal foot traffic. Relative quietness away from roads makes this unit appealing for hunters willing to hike 2-4 miles. Weather and road conditions can limit access seasonally.

Unit 89 occupies the high-desert country between Waltman and Raderville in Natrona County, roughly 40 miles south of Casper. The boundary traces U.S. Highway 20-26 on the north, follows the Kendrick Canal and Oregon Trail Road on the east, runs along the Rattlesnake Divide and Wyoming Highway 220 on the south, and returns north via the Dry Creek Road. The unit encompasses roughly 300-400 square miles of moderately complex terrain where multiple basins—Keester, Snider, and Woodard—feed into drainages that flow toward the North Platte.

This is working landscape with historic oil and ranching development scattered throughout.

Water is the limiting factor here. Reliable sources include Dry Creek, Stinking Water Creek, and Meadow Creek, which run year-round but are often sparse. Multiple springs—Keg Spring, Horse Creek Springs, Black Rock Springs, Sulfur Springs—exist but require local knowledge to locate reliably.

The unit holds several small reservoirs (J and J, Burke, Luten, Six Mile, Shell Creek, Cabin Creek) that support livestock and provide secondary water sources. Early season requires scouting specific springs and seeps; late season concentrates deer around the few reliable water sources. The limited water makes the unit less pressured than surrounding country but demands careful water-source planning.

Mule deer are the primary quarry; white-tailed deer occupy riparian zones and canyon bottoms in smaller numbers. Early season (September-October) demands aggressive glassing across the open basins and lower ridge faces where deer feed in early morning and late evening. Focus on the transition zones between sagebrush flats and juniper breaks.

Rut period (November) concentrates activity on ridges and upper draws; small springs and water features become hunting magnets. Late season (December) pushes deer into canyons and to reliable water sources like Dry Creek and the major reservoirs. The sparse forest cover and open terrain favor binocular hunters who can cover country efficiently; patience glassing from high points is more productive than random hiking.