Unit 90

Beaver Rim and Cedar Rim form the unit's most recognizable features—dramatic escarpments that serve as both landmarks and habitat transition zones. The Gas Hills to the north and Coalbank Hills provide elevated terrain for orientation and glassing. Chimney Rock stands as a distinctive pillar landmark visible across broad distances.

Notable basins include Ervay, Dutton, and Muskrat—the terrain dips into these draws where water and deer concentrate seasonally. Blue Ridge and Signor Ridge run through the unit as secondary terrain features useful for navigation. Hoff Lake and various reservoirs (Mahoney, Medicine Springs, Logan, Adobe, and others) dot the landscape—critical reference points in a country where reliable water sources are dispersed.

The unit transitions from low sagebrush basins around 4,700 feet to pinyon-juniper and scattered ponderosa slopes pushing toward 7,750 feet, with most country sitting between 5,500 and 6,500 feet. Vegetation is predominantly open—sparse timber on the higher ridges and rims, with extensive sagebrush flats and grassland dominating the basins and draws. The rim systems (Beaver Rim, Cedar Rim) create distinct habitat breaks where timber clusters in pockets and draws, while the open country between them offers long glassing distances.

This elevation band and vegetation mix creates classic mule deer summer range transitioning to lower-elevation winter grounds as seasons shift. The sparseness of forest cover means most hunting involves open-country glassing and movement rather than timbered stalking.

The sparse road network (primarily county routes and BLM roads) keeps pressure manageable but concentrates it at obvious entry points. Gas Hills Road, Dry Creek Road, Beaver Rim Road, and Cedar Rim Draw Road are the main arteries; these see the most hunter use simply due to accessibility. Sand Draw and Waltman serve as natural staging areas for access, and most hunters focus hunting near these corridors.

The limited infrastructure means fewer casual day-trippers and more committed hunters willing to pack in, though the openness of the terrain means early-season saturation near roads. Private land patches near Waltman and Sand Draw require careful boundary awareness. The Wind River Reservation boundary to the north is a hard stop—respect it strictly.

Unit 90 occupies a substantial block of central Wyoming's high-desert country, bounded by the Wind River Reservation on the north and west, U.S. Highway 26 to the east, and Highway 135 to the south. The unit encompasses the Gas Hills, Beaver Rim, and Cedar Rim areas—distinctive terrain between the established access towns of Waltman and Sand Draw. It's landlocked country carved by county and BLM roads rather than major highways, sitting in the rain shadow between the Wind River Mountains and the higher peaks to the north.

The landscape here feels remote despite being relatively close to population centers—a function of limited road infrastructure and the sheer openness of the terrain.

Water scarcity defines strategy in Unit 90. Reliable perennial sources include Deer Creek, Rock Creek, and several named springs (Waltman Spring, Willow Springs, Bear Spring, O'Brien Spring, and others), but these are dispersed across the unit rather than concentrated. Numerous reservoirs exist—Mahoney, Medicine Springs, Logan, Adobe, Leitch, East, Iron Springs, Homestead Flat, Fraser, and Findlay—but their reliability varies seasonally. Most drainages are intermittent; hunters must locate active water before planning camps or daily movement.

The rim systems often hide seeps and springs in their draws. Early season water planning is critical; late summer may require repositioning or hunting closer to known sources. Mud Springs, Moone Spring, and Pipe Spring are worth locating on approach.

Unit 90 holds both mule and white-tailed deer across its elevation bands. Mule deer use the higher rims and ridges (Beaver Rim, Cedar Rim, Blue Ridge) during summer, dropping into the sagebrush basins and draws for winter range. White-tailed deer concentrate in riparian draws and canyon bottoms where timber provides cover—look for them in East Canyon Creek, Rock Creek, and Indian Grove Creek drainages.

Early season focuses on glassing the open rim country and higher benches; rut season pushes animals into transition zones between summer and winter grounds; late season requires moving lower toward basin edges and water sources. The sparse timber means optical hunting is effective across long distances. Plan water access before heading into the field; rely on identified springs and reservoirs rather than hoping to find seeps.

The moderate terrain complexity means good hunting is possible without extreme physical demands, but it requires strategic water and landmark knowledge.