Unit 41 Medicine Lodge (Area 41)
Medicine Lodge country — high-plains ranch, red-rock canyons, and rutting bulls in the Paintrock herd.
Bighorn Mountains (west slope) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
666
sq mi
Public land
85%
approx.
Elevation
3,700–11,500
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 41 spans the west face of the Bighorn Mountains from the Bighorn River at Greybull up to the crest of the range, bounded by Highway 14 and Granite Pass on the north, the Medicine Lodge–Paint Rock divide, Wyoming Highway 31 on the south, and the river on the west. It runs from high-plains desert and ranch land near Hyattville up through steep, timbered canyons to rocky country near timberline around 10,000–11,500 feet, roughly 85 percent public and mostly Bighorn National Forest. Elk are the marquee animal and part of the Paintrock herd (shared with Area 45), which now sits near its management objective; mule deer, some whitetail along the river bottoms, and pronghorn on the basin floor round out the unit. The Medicine Lodge WHMA at the mouth of the canyon near Hyattville is a signature public-access anchor. This is Bighorn Basin country — no Union Pacific checkerboard.
Terrain
High plains and ranch land on the west, rising through steep, rugged, timbered canyons to rocky ridges near timberline. Red sandstone canyon walls near Hyattville give way to fir-and-spruce high country.
Cover: Sage, greasewood and irrigated ag in the basin; juniper and mountain-mahogany on the canyon breaks; Douglas-fir, lodgepole and spruce climbing to grassy meadows and rocky alpine near the crest.
Landmarks: Medicine Lodge Creek and canyon · Medicine Lodge WHMA & State Archaeological Site (petroglyphs) · Hyattville · Paint Rock–Medicine Lodge divide · Granite Pass · Bighorn River
Access
About 85 percent public, with elk concentrated on the National Forest high country. The Medicine Lodge WHMA near Hyattville provides a managed public entry into the canyon system. The access challenge is the private ranch and irrigated ground between the basin roads and the forest boundary — reach the public core through the WHMA and forest trailheads. No southern-Wyoming checkerboard here.
Managers: USFS Bighorn NF, private ranch, BLM, WY state trust
Access points: Medicine Lodge WHMA / Cold Springs Road out of Hyattville · Highway 31 corridor south of the range · Forest access from the Granite Pass / Highway 14 side · Bighorn NF roads into the upper Medicine Lodge drainage
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe marquee species and part of the Paintrock herd, now managed near objective. Big bulls can come from anywhere but typically hold in the more rugged and remote canyons and roadless timber; elk stay mainly on National Forest land.
- →Push into the steep, remote canyon heads away from roads for mature bulls
- →Hunt the rut mid-to-late September when bulls are vocal
- →Use the Medicine Lodge WHMA and forest trailheads to reach public high country
- →Glass timbered canyon rims and parks at first and last light
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer use the canyon breaks, juniper-mahogany benches and mid-elevation timber, with bucks summering higher before dropping with weather.
- →Glass the red-rock canyon breaks and mahogany benches at dawn
- →Work north-slope timber and aspen pockets for older bucks
- →Let an early cold front push deer down out of the high country
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails occupy the Bighorn River bottoms and irrigated ag corridors on the west edge of the unit.
- →Hunt the river-bottom cottonwoods and cropland edges
- →Almost all of this ground is private — secure permission first
- →Focus on morning and evening movement between bedding and feed
Pronghorn
common opportunityPronghorn range across the sage and high-plains desert of the basin below the mountains.
- →Glass the sage flats and low benches from county roads
- →Line up ranch or walk-in permission for the private basin ground
- →Spot-and-stalk using terrain folds to close distance
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears use the timbered canyons and berry pockets on the forested part of the unit.
- →Glass berry patches, aspen and avalanche chutes on the Bighorn NF
- →Hunt canyon heads during cool morning and evening hours
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the canyon and breaks country; a snow-tracking pursuit hunt.
- →Cut fresh tracks on snowed-in forest and canyon roads
- →Concentrate on lower-canyon deer wintering areas
Pro tips
- →Anchor your access on the Medicine Lodge WHMA near Hyattville, then work up onto the National Forest
- →Elk stay on the forest — the more rugged and remote the canyon, the better the bull odds
- →Hunt the rut in the last two weeks of September
- →Glass the red-rock canyon breaks for mule deer at dawn before they bed in the mahogany
- →Get ranch permission early for the private basin ground where pronghorn and whitetail live
Watch out for
- !Private ranch and irrigated bottoms between the basin and the forest — use the WHMA and forest trailheads
- !River-bottom whitetail ground is almost entirely private
- !Fast-changing, cold mountain weather near the 11,500-foot crest
- !Forest roads become impassable with early snow; plan for a steep canyon pack-out
Logistics
Greybull, Basin and Worland offer fuel, groceries and lodging; Hyattville is the gateway to the Medicine Lodge canyon and WHMA. Camping is available at the Medicine Lodge WHMA and on Bighorn National Forest. Cell service is limited once you leave the basin roads, so download offline maps. Forest roads deteriorate with snow and the crest country closes early.
Nearest towns: Greybull, Basin, Hyattville, Manderson, Worland
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Wyoming Elk Unit 41 Medicine Lodge profile · WGFD — Medicine Lodge WHMA · WGFD 2025 Hunt Forecast (Paintrock elk herd status)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 41 in Wyoming?
- Unit 41 (Medicine Lodge (Area 41)) covers about 666 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,700 to 11,500 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 41?
- Approximately 85% 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 41?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail 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 41 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.