Unit 27

Kingsbury Ridge and Bald Ridge provide useful orientation points across the foothills. Stone Mountain and Pilot Knob serve as recognizable summits for glassing opportunities and navigation reference. Spring Creek, Louise Creek, and South Rock Creek flow through major drainages useful for hiking and understanding deer movement patterns.

Mowry Basin anchors the central landscape as a named geographic feature. These landmarks create logical hunting zones and provide vantage points for surveying the country without requiring extensive hiking.

The unit spans lower foothills with elevation climbing from prairie flats around 4,560 feet to moderate ridges near 7,740 feet. Most country sits in the 5,000 to 6,500-foot band where sagebrush benches meet scattered ponderosa and Douglas-fir stands. Open prairie dominates the lower basins and valleys, with timber becoming denser toward the National Forest boundary.

This elevation profile supports both mule deer and whitetail habitat, with deer using the open country for feeding and timber for cover and travel.

The unit benefits from a connected road network with nearly 280 miles of roads, making most country accessible by vehicle or short walk. Highway 193, Highway 196, and local county roads branch throughout, providing logical staging areas near Buffalo and Saddlestring. Fair accessibility means hunting pressure concentrates near main roads and known reservoirs; exploring farther up draws and toward forest edge typically receives less attention.

Private land patterns create access challenges in places—understanding current access corridors is important before planning.

Unit 27 anchors the eastern slope of the Bighorn front, bounded by Highway 193 on the north, Interstate 90 and Highway 87 to the east, and the Bighorn National Forest boundary to the west. The unit captures foothill country that transitions from the lower Powder River Basin upward toward forest edge. Major reference points include the towns of Buffalo, Kearny, and Saddlestring for orientation and logistics.

The landscape sits at the interface between private agricultural land and public forest, creating a mixed-ownership hunting zone with distinct terrain character.

Water is limited but scattered throughout. Spring Creek and South Rock Creek are perennial drainages where deer concentrate, especially during dry periods. Several small reservoirs—including Muffie, Huson, Sparks, and Mowry—provide reliable sources across the unit, though access varies with ownership.

Numerous irrigation ditches reflect the agricultural character of lower elevations. Understanding water locations is critical since reliable sources attract both deer and pressure; hunters should plan around known springs and creek crossings.

Mule deer and whitetail deer are the primary game species. The mix of sagebrush benches and scattered timber creates classic foothill habitat where deer transition between open feeding country at dawn and dusk and timbered cover during day hours. Early and late season, focus on the sagebrush flats and draws where deer feed; mid-season, target timber edges and shaded drainages.

The ridge systems provide glassing platforms to locate deer before committing to stalks. Water sources like Spring Creek and small reservoirs can concentrate deer, especially in drier periods. The straightforward terrain allows flexible hunting approaches—glassing, stalking, or sitting water—depending on conditions.