Unit 163

Poker Butte and Castle Rock serve as prominent glassing peaks for surveying the rolling country. Horse Pasture Ridge and Wide Divide Ridge run through the unit as natural travel corridors and navigation features. The Trap—a distinctive bend in the terrain—provides a recognizable landmark for orientation.

Key water sources include Carr Spring, Old Man Spring, and Turk Springs scattered across the unit; North Poker Creek Reservoir offers seasonal water in its drainage. Carpenter Creek, Poker Creek, and Sheep Creek provide reliable navigation markers down major drainages. The various parks and slopes—Dry Vee, Eagle Creek Parks, Ghent Parks—create recognizable terrain breaks useful for hunting strategy.

Elevation spans the mid-range from around 5,000 feet in the lower drainages to over 8,500 feet on the highest ridges, with most terrain clustering in the 6,500 to 8,000-foot band. The landscape transitions from open parks and sagebrush flats in the lower elevations to scattered ponderosa and juniper on the rolling slopes, becoming denser timber only at the highest points. The habitat mosaic of parks, open slopes, and light timber creates ideal forage areas for deer.

Lower valleys support grassy meadows and creek-bottom vegetation, while ridges and benches offer vantage points across the rolling terrain. Water-dependent vegetation concentrates along creek drainages and spring areas.

The limited road network—roughly 40 miles total with no major highways—keeps overall pressure moderate but concentrates hunters along the established corridors. The Barnum Mountain Road, Outlaw Cave Access Road, and 33 Mile Road are the main arteries; most hunters will follow these into staging areas near the creek bottoms and ridges. The rolling terrain and sparse timber mean most hunters will stay mobile rather than glassing from single vantage points.

The limited access paradoxically offers opportunity: the terrain is rough enough to discourage casual hunting, so hunters willing to hike beyond the immediate road access can find less pressure. Early season brings higher pressure as hunters attempt to intercept migrating deer.

Unit 163 sits in the rolling country between the Powder River drainages in north-central Wyoming, bordered on the north by the Barnum Mountain Road and on the south by the 33 Mile Road. The Middle Fork of the Powder River forms the western boundary, while Buffalo Creek establishes the eastern limit. The unit encompasses foothill terrain typical of the transition zone between the basin country and higher mountain slopes.

Access roads follow a sparse network connecting ranching areas and historic routes like the Outlaw Cave Access Road. The surrounding country is a mix of public and private lands characteristic of working ranch terrain.

Water is limited and concentrated along specific features, making it a critical planning factor. The Middle Fork Powder River and Buffalo Creek are the primary perennial sources, but access between them requires knowledge of secondary springs. Carr Spring, Old Man Spring, and Turk Springs are scattered waypoints but unreliable during dry periods.

Poker Creek and Carpenter Creek flow seasonally and can support water-seeking deer in early season. North Poker Creek Reservoir provides a concentrated water source but may draw pressure. Hunters should plan routes around known springs and expect minimal water on the rolling benches between drainages—this scarcity concentrates deer use at reliable sources, especially during summer and early fall.

Unit 163 holds both mule deer and whitetail populations, with mule deer using the open parks and ridges and whitetails favoring the creek bottoms and denser cover. Early season strategy focuses on glassing the open parks and slopes from Horse Pasture Ridge or Wide Divide Ridge, looking for deer moving between thermal cover in the light timber and feeding areas on the parks. As the season progresses, water becomes critical; position near reliable springs like Carr Spring and Turk Springs during hot periods.

Whitetails concentrate in the creek drainages, particularly along Poker Creek and Carpenter Creek. The rolling topography means careful stalk planning—deer here are used to the limited foot traffic and become wary quickly. Late season movement down the drainages increases opportunity as temperatures drop and water freezes elsewhere.