Unit 39 Deer Creek (Area 39)
Roadless canyon country on the Bighorns' west face — dig up lone bulls where the mountain drops into the Big Horn Basin.
Bighorn Mountains · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
230
sq mi
Public land
65%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–9,500
feet
Motorized
limited
access
Overview
Hunt Area 39, Deer Creek, sits on the northwest side of the Bighorn Mountains where the high forest breaks down through rugged canyons into the Big Horn Basin. It carries part of the North Bighorn elk herd and, for mule deer, the Southwest Bighorns herd. This is steep, broken, largely roadless country — a hunt that rewards working hard to dig lone bulls out of the canyon heads and timber rather than road-glassing. No grizzlies, but real backcountry effort required. Lower down, the west-facing benches and draws feed into classic Bighorn Basin mule deer and antelope country.
Terrain
A rugged west-face gradient from the ~4,200 ft basin fringe up through deeply carved canyon country to the ~9,500 ft high forest. Steep timbered canyons, rock rims and roadless pockets dominate, opening to sage benches and draws where the mountain meets the Big Horn Basin.
Cover: Sagebrush, juniper and mountain shrub on the lower west benches, Douglas-fir and limber pine on the canyon walls, lodgepole and spruce-fir with grass parks up high, with willow and aspen in the wet drainages.
Landmarks: Deer Creek · Shell Canyon / Shell Creek · west face of the Bighorns · Big Horn Basin margin · Bighorn National Forest high country
Access
No Union Pacific checkerboard in the northern Bighorns. The high and mid country is contiguous national forest but rugged and largely roadless — access is by trail, horse or backpack more than by truck. BLM and private ranch stitch the lower basin fringe, where corner-crossing and locked private sections can complicate reaching some public benches. Plan an on-foot or horseback hunt for the elk canyons.
Managers: USFS Bighorn NF (Medicine Wheel Ranger District), BLM, private ranch, WY state trust
Access points: US 14 / Shell Canyon corridor on the south edge · Bighorn NF forest roads and trailheads off the west face · Deer Creek drainage access · BLM two-tracks on the basin fringe
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityNorth Bighorn herd elk hold in the roadless canyon and timber country of the west face. Numbers are healthy but this is a work-for-it hunt — bulls are scattered and won't come easy from a road.
- →Get on foot or horseback and hunt the roadless canyon heads for lone bulls
- →Bugle-locate at dawn, then close through steep timber
- →Glass the timber-and-park transitions morning and evening
- →Be prepared for a hard pack-out from the bottom of a canyon
Mule Deer
common qualitySouthwest Bighorns mule deer use the west-face canyons, rimrock and sage-and-juniper benches dropping into the basin; the rugged country can hold mature bucks.
- →Glass rimrock, canyon breaks and shrub benches at first and last light
- →Hunt the higher forest edges early, then the lower benches as deer shift with weather
- →Still-hunt broken timber and pockets that hold undisturbed bucks
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn range the open sage flats and benches of the Big Horn Basin fringe below the mountain, on a BLM-and-private mix.
- →Glass the open basin benches and sage flats away from the timber
- →Sort out BLM vs. private and secure permission or walk-in access early
Moose
transient opportunityShiras moose occasionally use willow bottoms and wet spruce pockets in the high Bighorns; a rare limited-quota chance.
- →Glass willow creek bottoms and beaver meadows at dawn
- →Check spruce-fringed wet parks up high
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the canyon and rimrock country; a snow-tracking pursuit hunt.
- →Cut fresh tracks after snow on the lower forest roads and canyon rims
- →Focus on rugged breaks holding deer
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears work the timbered drainages and berry brush of the west face; no grizzlies in the Bighorns.
- →Glass green chutes, berry patches and meadow edges in early fall
- →Hunt the forested canyon slopes
Pro tips
- →Treat this like a backcountry bull hunt — get away from roads and dig lone bulls out of the roadless canyons
- →No grizzlies, so it's a lower-stress big-country elk option if you're fit and willing to walk
- →Plan the pack-out before you shoot — canyon recoveries here are brutal
- →The lower basin fringe is a BLM/private mix — sort ownership and corner-crossing before hunting those benches
- →Rugged west-face mule deer country can hold good bucks for glassing-minded hunters
Watch out for
- !Steep, roadless canyon terrain — physically demanding with hard pack-outs
- !BLM-and-private mix on the basin fringe; verify boundaries and corner-crossing before crossing
- !Early snow and slick west-face slopes can close access and strand vehicles
- !Limited motorized access — bring horses or plan to backpack
- !Fire restrictions possible in the dry lower country early season
Logistics
Greybull and Basin in the Big Horn Basin, plus tiny Shell at the mouth of Shell Canyon, are the closest supply points; Sheridan and Lovell are the larger service towns on either flank. Access is more foot-and-horse than truck — plan for a backcountry-style hunt with limited road support and long recoveries.
Nearest towns: Greybull, Shell, Basin, Lovell, Sheridan
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD Hunt Planner · GOHUNT — Wyoming Elk Unit 39 (Deer Creek) · Eastmans' — Wyoming top elk areas for 10 points or less
FAQ
- How big is Unit 39 in Wyoming?
- Unit 39 (Deer Creek (Area 39)) covers about 230 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 9,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 39?
- Approximately 65% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Bighorn NF (Medicine Wheel Ranger District), BLM, private ranch, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 39?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Moose, Cougar, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 39 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.