Unit 86

The Sawtooth ridge defines the unit's eastern skyline and serves as a major glassing vantage point. Pyramid Peak, Ramshorn Peak, and Battle Mountain provide navigation anchors for high-country travel. The Hoback River canyon itself—including Upper Hoback Canyon and the Elbow bend—creates the drainage's backbone and offers natural travel corridors.

Camp Creek Saddle and Cliff Creek Pass provide established crossing points between basins. Granite Falls and West Dell Falls mark water features worth knowing. Mac Leod Lake, Shoal Lake, and Box Lake represent reliable water in otherwise limited country.

The Open Door pillar and East Rim cliff offer distinctive reference points visible from distance.

The unit spans from mid-elevation sagebrush and grassland valleys around 5,900 feet to alpine terrain above 11,600 feet, with most country falling in the 7,000-9,500 foot band. Lower basins hold open sagebrush flats and grassland parks suitable for pronghorn early season; these transition upslope into mixed conifer and aspen forests with meadow openings. Moderate forest coverage means significant timbered slopes, particularly along ridges and upper drainages, though substantial open country persists in basins and along ridge crests.

Tin Can Park and Horse Heaven Meadows represent meadow systems important for game movement. Elevation changes create distinct seasonal habitat use patterns, with animals shifting between lower parks and higher summer range.

Five hundred thirty miles of road exist in the unit, but density and connectivity are limited—access is characterized as fair, meaning roads exist but don't comprehensively blanket the country. Main entry points cluster around Jack Pine and Bondurant on the periphery; from there, hunters face limited road options and increasing reliance on foot travel. This sparse network creates natural pressure corridors; popular roads will concentrate hunters while side canyons and upper basins remain less accessible.

Terrain complexity (8.3/10) means successful hunting requires serious navigation skill. The country is large enough to absorb pressure for patient hunters willing to venture beyond main drainages into the side basins and upper valleys.

Unit 86 is defined entirely by the Hoback River drainage system, one of Wyoming's significant watershed units in the Gros Ventre Range east of Jackson. The drainage encompasses multiple sub-basins including Jack Creek, Coyote, Hoback, and Noble basins, creating a geography that runs roughly north-south through rugged terrain. The unit's vastness is its defining characteristic—multiple valleys, side canyons, and ridge systems create natural compartments.

Bondurant and Jack Pine serve as reference points on the periphery, useful for trip planning but outside the active hunting area. This is remote, mountainous country that demands understanding of drainage patterns for navigation.

Despite limited water sources overall, the Hoback River provides the drainage's primary water artery, flowing through the central canyon system. Secondary streams—Lick Creek, Willow Creek, Grizzly Creek, Hunter Creek—serve as important travel corridors and water sources for wildlife. Springs are scattered but significant: Jack Creek Spring, Hot Spring, Granite Falls Hot Springs, and Stinking Springs offer reliable water access when located.

Higher country relies on alpine lakes—Mac Leod, Shoal, Box, Fisherman Creek, and Turquoise—which provide seasonal water. Lower basins and parks may experience dry stretches mid-season, making spring knowledge essential. Water scarcity shapes hunting strategy; camps should be positioned near reliable sources.

Unit 86 is pronghorn country, with the entire drainage supporting this species across elevation zones. Early season finds pronghorn in lower sagebrush parks—Hoback Basin, Coyote Basin, and the broader flats around lower drainages. These open parks offer glassing-intensive hunting where terrain and visibility favor spotting and stalking.

Mid-season movement pushes animals higher as grazing conditions shift; ridges like Raspberry Ridge and Deer Ridge become important. Late season typically sees animals drifting back toward lower elevations. Water location is critical—pronghorn depend on scattered springs and creeks, so knowing reliable water sources shapes where to position hunts.

The rolling, open country suits glassing and long-range work; dense timber patches require careful routing. Plan for multi-day camps and significant foot travel; day-hunting from roads limits opportunities in this vast drainage.