Unit 40 Horse Creek (Area 40)
Shell Canyon to Bald Mountain — climb from ranch bottoms to alpine tundra in a single drainage.
Bighorn Mountains (west slope) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
463
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
3,800–10,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 40 covers the northwest face of the Bighorn Mountains between the Bighorn River at Greybull and the crest of the range, bounded by Highway 14A and the Hunt Mountain Road on the north and Highway 14 over Granite Pass on the south. It is a dramatic vertical unit: irrigated ranch bottoms and sage foothills around Shell rise up timbered canyons to Bald Mountain, the Medicine Wheel high country, and alpine tundra above 9,000 feet, much of it within Bighorn National Forest. Elk are the marquee draw and hold in the steep, roadless canyon heads; mule deer work the middle-elevation pine ridges and pronghorn use the basin foothills. This is Bighorn Basin country, not southern Wyoming — there is no Union Pacific checkerboard here.
Terrain
A near-continuous climb from the Bighorn River bottom near Greybull up Shell Creek and its side canyons to Bald Mountain and the alpine plateau near the Medicine Wheel. Steep timbered canyons, limestone cliff bands, and open tundra above treeline.
Cover: Sagebrush and irrigated hay in the foothills; Douglas-fir, lodgepole and spruce in the canyons; whitebark pine, krummholz and grassy alpine meadows near timberline.
Landmarks: Shell Canyon and Shell Falls · Bald Mountain · Medicine Wheel National Historic Landmark · Hunt Mountain Road (FSR 10) · Granite Pass · Bighorn River at Greybull
Access
The Bighorn National Forest core is open public land; the access pinch is the band of private ranch and irrigated bottom between the forest boundary and the basin. No southern-Wyoming checkerboard here, but reaching some canyon mouths still requires crossing private — use forest-boundary trailheads rather than pushing up from the ranches. Land north of Hunt Mountain Road is Area 38, not 40.
Managers: USFS Bighorn NF, private ranch, BLM, WY state trust
Access points: Hunt Mountain Road (FSR 10) from Highway 14A or Granite Pass · Shell Canyon / Highway 14 corridor · Shell Creek Road · Forest Service campgrounds along Highway 14
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityPart of the west-slope Bighorn elk range. Bulls hold in the steep timbered canyon heads and roadless pockets away from the Hunt Mountain and Shell corridors, moving to rut in the last two weeks of September.
- →Glass the canyon rims off Hunt Mountain Road at first and last light
- →Hunt away from the road corridors — elk push into the canyons and cliff breaks under pressure
- →Skip the Labor Day opener; the country is crowded until the rut builds mid-to-late September
- →Be ready for a steep pack-out from the canyon bottoms
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer occupy the mid-elevation pine ridges, aspen pockets and canyon breaks, with some bucks summering high near timberline before dropping with weather.
- →Glass open sage-and-pine benches at the forest edge in early season
- →Work aspen stringers and north-slope timber for mature bucks
- →Watch for an early cold front to move deer down out of the alpine
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn use the sage foothills and irrigated bench country around Shell and Greybull below the forest.
- →Focus on the sage flats and low benches, not the timber
- →Secure ranch or walk-in permission before hunting the private bottoms
- →Glass from county roads and spot-and-stalk the draws
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears use the timbered canyons and berry pockets of the Bighorn NF portion of the unit.
- →Glass avalanche chutes, aspen and berry patches on the forest
- →Hunt the canyon heads in the cool hours
- →Carry the meat-care gear for a backcountry recovery
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer and elk through the canyon country; a winter pursuit hunt where snow allows tracking.
- →Cut tracks on snowed-in forest roads after a fresh fall
- →Focus on deer wintering areas in the lower canyons
Pro tips
- →Use forest-boundary trailheads and Hunt Mountain Road to reach public country cleanly rather than negotiating the ranch bottoms
- →Elk hold close to the canyons and away from the roads — hunt the timber breaks, not the open parks
- →Hunt the last two weeks of September for rutting bulls
- →An early cold front is your friend — it drops deer and elk out of the alpine
- →Confirm you are in Area 40 and not Area 38 north of Hunt Mountain Road
Watch out for
- !Private ranch and irrigated bottoms between the forest and the basin — get permission or use forest access points
- !Hunt Mountain Road becomes impassable with snow and the highways close over the crest in winter
- !Rapid weather change and cold at timberline; whiteout risk on the alpine plateau
- !Steep, cliff-broken canyons make for hard pack-outs — plan recoveries before you shoot
Logistics
Greybull and Basin have fuel, groceries and lodging; Shell is the last stop before the canyon climb. Forest Service campgrounds line Highway 14 and the Hunt Mountain Road. The Hunt Mountain Road is good gravel but turns bad with snow, and Highways 14 and 14A close over the top in winter. Cell service drops quickly above the foothills.
Nearest towns: Greybull, Shell, Basin, Lovell, Burgess Junction
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD Chapter 7 Elk Hunting Seasons (Area 40 boundary) · Eastmans' Forums — Wyoming Elk Unit 40 access & terrain · Bighorn National Forest — Hunting & Shooting
FAQ
- How big is Unit 40 in Wyoming?
- Unit 40 (Horse Creek (Area 40)) covers about 463 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,800 to 10,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 40?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Bighorn NF, private ranch, BLM, WY state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 40?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 40 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.