Unit 98

The Hams Fork Plateau dominates the northern portion and provides natural orientation; its ridges and passes offer glassing vantage points. Key drainages include Smiths Fork, Chalk Creek, and Salt Creek—reliable navigation corridors and water-finding features. Raymond Basin, Salt Basin, and Dempsey Basin are major open country expanses.

Fossil Butte and other named summits provide visual reference points. The scattered reservoirs—Rich Reservoir, Kemmerer Reservoir, Thomas Reservoir—mark reliable water and become focal points during dry periods. Passes like Sheep Pass and Wagner Pass offer ridge crossing points and thermal break opportunities.

Terrain ranges from mid-elevation valley floors around 6,000 feet to ridgeline country above 10,500 feet, with most hunting occurring in the 7,000–8,500 foot band. The landscape is predominantly open sagebrush basins and rolling plateaus with scattered ponderosa and juniper timber on higher slopes and ridge systems. Lower elevations support expansive sagebrush flats ideal for pronghorn; higher country becomes increasingly forested with mixed conifer stands.

The moderate forest coverage means large blocks of unforested sagebrush remain accessible, though timber becomes more prominent on ridge systems and northern aspects.

The unit has 480+ miles of roads providing fair accessibility from Cokeville and Kemmerer. Road density is moderate, meaning main valleys and lower drainages see regular access while upper ridges and interior basins receive less pressure. Most hunters concentrate near road-accessible parks and flats; those willing to hike interior country find quieter sagebrush.

The rolling terrain and broad basins allow vehicle-based glassing strategies along roads, but the complexity score of 7.4 indicates enough breaks and basin systems to hide animals from casual pressure. Early season typically sees higher activity; remote basins offer relief as pressure increases.

Unit 98 occupies southwestern Wyoming along the state border, bounded by U.S. Highway 30 to the north at Ham's Fork River, Wyoming Highway 89 to the east at Sage Junction, and the Wyoming-Utah and Wyoming-Idaho state lines forming the southern and western perimeter. The unit encompasses the Hams Fork Plateau and surrounding basins in the Wyoming high desert, a significant swath of sagebrush country southeast of the Salt River Range. Towns like Cokeville and Kemmerer provide supply points; this is remote public land terrain in an isolated corner of the state.

Water is limited but present and strategically important. Perennial streams like Smiths Fork, Chalk Creek, and Salt Creek hold water year-round; many other drainages are seasonal. Scattered springs—including Drubby, Emigrant, Big, and Gooseberry—provide reliable sources if you know their locations.

Multiple reservoirs dot the unit (Rich, Kemmerer, Thomas, Holland, Poison Creek) and concentrate water. Early season and after moisture events, additional water appears in ephemeral sources; late season pushes animals toward perennial drainages and reservoirs. Understanding water distribution is critical for locating pronghorn during dry periods.

This is pronghorn country, plain and simple. The expansive sagebrush basins and open rolling terrain are ideal for pronghorn habitat; expect animals on lower flats and benches, particularly near water sources and in basins offering escape routes to rough terrain. Early season pronghorn are relatively visible in the open country; use rolling topography to glass from ridge systems overlooking basins.

Mid-season, animals concentrate near reliable water as sagebrush dries out. The scattered timber and breaks provide cover; plan stalks with wind direction in mind. Late season pushes herds toward perennial water—drainages and reservoirs become critical focus areas.

This unit rewards glassing skills and patience; the open terrain makes animals visible but wary.