Unit 55

The Atlantic Rim and Five Mile Ridge form the dominant topographic feature, rising as a prominent western boundary and offering distant glassing vantage points. Hogback Ridge and Coal Mine Ridge run as recognizable terrain breaks through the middle of the unit, useful for navigation and staging. Pine Butte and Horse Butte serve as visible navigation markers.

Sixteenmile Draw and Snowshoe Canyon are significant breaks in the terrain; Chicken Springs Wash and Bad Water Creek provide drainage corridors. Coal Bank Spring and Piker Spring are named water sources, though reliability varies seasonally.

The unit sits at moderate elevation, spanning roughly 6,600 to 8,500 feet with most hunting country in the 7,000-foot band. Terrain transitions from low sagebrush flats and grasslands in the eastern reaches to more broken, ridge-cut country as you work toward the Atlantic Rim. Ponderosa and juniper scattered across higher benches and ridge tops, but most of the productive pronghorn habitat is open country—big sagebrush basins, grass parks, and windswept plateaus.

The sparse forest coverage keeps sight lines long and country open, ideal for pronghorn but demanding in terms of cover for hunters.

Limited road infrastructure—roughly 162 miles of roads across the unit—means access is selective and much of the country sees moderate to low hunting pressure. Highway 789 provides easy entry, but penetrating beyond the roadside requires patience and often on-foot navigation. Ranch roads grant access to interior benches and draws, but gates and private land create chokepoints.

The moderate terrain complexity and sparse public road network mean that prepared hunters willing to work can find uncrowded pronghorn country. Early season typically concentrates pressure near highway access; moving away from roads opens options.

Unit 55 forms a roughly rectangular block between Interstate 80 to the north and the Sulphur Springs Ranch Road to the south, anchored by Rawlins to the east and the Five Mile Ridge/Atlantic Rim divide defining the western boundary. The unit straddles a subtle but significant topographic transition—the lower Rawlins basin gives way to higher plateau country as you move west and south. Highway 789 runs the length of the unit along its eastern flank, providing the main access corridor.

The country is bounded by working ranch land and private holdings, with public access concentrated in designated hunting zones.

Water is the unit's limiting factor. Perennial flow is rare; most drainages run seasonally or after precipitation. Coal Bank Creek, Chicken Springs Wash, Antelope Creek, and Bad Water Creek are the named watercourses, but don't count on reliable flow in most.

Springs—Coal Bank, Chicken Pete, Piker, Garza—scatter across the unit and become primary water sources for both wildlife and hunters. Sixteenmile Reservoir and Seaverson Reservoir exist but are small and may be inaccessible or unreliable depending on private land access. Success depends on finding water sources before planning daily movements.

This is pronghorn-only country, and the habitat is purpose-built for them—open basins, long sight lines, and sagebrush plateaus. Early season (September through October) is straightforward: glass from distance, locate animals in open country, plan stalks using terrain breaks and draws to close distance. Mid-season hunting (October-November) sees animals shifting between water and feed as temperatures drop; focus on draws and canyon systems where pronghorn funnel.

Water sources become magnets. The sparse forest means there's rarely escape cover; pronghorn will move, and long stalks across open ground are the norm. Scout from ridges early, identify bedding and feeding patterns, then execute stalks during low-light periods or when wind favors approach.