Unit 138

Several peaks serve as navigation landmarks: Pyramid Peak, Square Top, and Fremont Butte stand out from lower elevations for orientation. Washakie Pass and Texas Pass mark key saddle points across the terrain. The extensive basin system—Willow, Hall, Bonneville, Indian Trail Pit—creates natural drainage collectors and focal points for hunting.

Soda Lake and Toboggan Lake mark reliable water sources. Blue Rim and Sharks Nose provide distinctive cliff features useful for glassing and direction-finding. The network of named creeks (Washakie, Scab, Sheep Creek, Silver Creek) and springs including Steele Hot Springs help anchor your position in country that can feel featureless from certain angles.

Elevation spans from around 6,400 feet along the Green River to over 12,400 feet on the high peaks—a substantial range creating distinct habitat zones. Lower elevations feature sagebrush flats and grasslands with scattered juniper and aspen, transitioning to higher-elevation plateaus and alpine basins. The median elevation around 7,100 feet places much of the unit in sagebrush steppe with ponderosa and limber pine scattered throughout.

Vegetation is notably sparse due to the high-desert climate and elevation—don't expect dense forest. Meadows and parks (Fish Creek Park, Moonshine Park, Sublettes Flat) provide good forage, while the steeper terrain toward the Divide supports more continuous conifer stands.

With 460 miles of total roads but limited major highway access and a terrain complexity rating of 9.6/10, this unit demands preparation. Most access is via rough county roads requiring high-clearance vehicles or four-wheel drive, particularly in early season or after weather. The Big Sandy Reservoir Road (Sweetwater County Road 28) and U.S. Highway 191 provide main corridors; county roads branch into the unit but end quickly.

Limited access creates moderate to light pressure relative to road-accessible units, but the vast size and complex terrain also mean hunters can spread out. Early arrival and solid navigation skills are non-negotiable. Small towns near the unit (New Fork, Boulder, Big Sandy) offer basic staging areas.

Unit 138 encompasses the country between the Green River on the west and the Continental Divide on the east, with the New Fork River and Boulder Creek defining its northern boundary. The southern edge runs along county roads from Fontenelle Dam eastward through the Big Sandy drainage. This is high-elevation country sitting on the western slope of the Wind River Range, straddling Sublette, Lincoln, and Sweetwater counties.

The unit contains numerous named basins, draws, and meadows that characterize the topography—Willow Basin, Hall Basin, and Bonneville Basin being among the larger features. Fontenelle Reservoir anchors the western boundary, while the Continental Divide defines the east.

The Green River anchors water availability on the west; Fontenelle Reservoir provides a large but static water source. The New Fork River and Boulder Creek define northern boundaries with perennial flow. Interior drainage includes Washakie Creek, Scab Creek, Sheep Creek, and Silver Creek—all important water corridors that concentrate game.

Springs are scattered but documented: North Sublette Meadow Spring, Burts Spring, Chalk Butte Spring, and others exist but require prior knowledge to locate. Several smaller reservoirs (Jackrabbit, Chapel Canyon Pit, Wardell, Antelope Reservoir Number 4) dot the unit. Water is the limiting resource—reliable sources exist but aren't abundant everywhere, making water knowledge essential for extended hunts.

Unit 138 holds mule deer and whitetail deer across its elevation gradient. Mule deer dominate the sagebrush basins and mid-elevation parks—focus early season on Willow Basin, Hall Basin, and the meadow systems where deer concentrate to feed. Whitetails favor riparian corridors and aspen pockets, particularly along creeks and in canyon bottoms.

The vast, sparse terrain allows for extensive glassing from higher viewpoints; Pyramid Peak and ridges overlooking the major drainages provide vantage points to locate deer movement at distance. Water-dependent draws and springs become critical during hot early season. Rut timing and elevation migration dictate strategy: early season means lower basins, while later hunts push higher toward alpine meadows along the Divide.

Navigation and self-sufficiency matter more here than in more developed units.