Unit 6 Iron Mountain (Area 6)
Big-sky pronghorn plains rolling up into the granite foothills of the Iron Mountain elk country between Cheyenne and Laramie.
Laramie Range / Iron Mountain · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
2,178
sq mi
Public land
20%
approx.
Elevation
5,200–8,600
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 6 covers a broad sweep of southeast Wyoming's high plains and Laramie Range foothills, named for 7,408-foot Iron Mountain. It is classic mixed country: shortgrass-and-sage antelope flats and hayed river bottoms giving way to granite outcrops, ponderosa pine and rough draws climbing toward Laramie Peak's southern flank. Pronghorn are the marquee resource across the open ground, mule deer work the breaks and timbered ridges, and the Iron Mountain elk herd — long running well above its population goal — provides a genuine elk opportunity. Access is the hard part: this is deeded-ranch country stitched together with Union Pacific checkerboard.
Terrain
Rolling shortgrass and sage plains cut by creek bottoms, rising westward into the granite domes, pine ridges and rocky draws of the Laramie Range south of Laramie Peak.
Cover: Sagebrush-grassland and native shortgrass on the flats, greasewood and cottonwood along the creeks, ponderosa pine and juniper on the foothill ridges, aspen and mixed conifer in the higher draws.
Landmarks: Iron Mountain · Laramie Peak (to the north) · Sybille Creek · Chugwater Creek · Pole Mountain / Vedauwoo granite · Curt Gowdy State Park
Access
Heavy Union Pacific checkerboard runs through this country — odd sections of public interlock with private in a mile-square grid, and corner-crossing remains legally fraught, so treat isolated public sections as effectively landlocked unless you have a legal route. Much of the antelope and deer ground is deeded ranch requiring permission or WGFD Hunter Management / Walk-In access. The Pole Mountain Unit of Medicine Bow NF, Curt Gowdy State Park and Vedauwoo offer reliable public footholds in the southwest.
Managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, USFS Medicine Bow NF (Pole Mountain Unit)
Access points: Pole Mountain Unit (Medicine Bow NF) off I-80 / Happy Jack Road · Curt Gowdy State Park · Vedauwoo Recreation Area · WGFD Walk-In and Hunter Management Areas (Laramie/Albany counties) · County roads off US 30 and WY 210/211
Species notes
Pronghorn
abundant qualityThe open plains and sage flats hold strong antelope numbers — the bread-and-butter hunt here. Bucks can reach solid mass on the better-managed ranches.
- →Glass from high points at first light and pattern bucks between sage feeding flats and water
- →Use terrain folds and creek cuts to close the final distance across open ground
- →Lock down ranch permission or Walk-In access before the season — most antelope range is deeded
- →Watch fence-line and section-line boundaries constantly in the checkerboard
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer hold in the rougher foothill breaks, pine ridges and brushy draws of the Laramie Range, with scattered bucks using the plains coulees.
- →Hunt the timbered draws and granite rimrock of the foothills where deer bed
- →Glass sage-and-juniper edges morning and evening
- →Push higher into the pine as pressure builds on the flats
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe Iron Mountain elk herd has run well above objective for years, giving good elk opportunity in a place many hunters overlook; elk shuttle between foothill timber and private ranch feed.
- →Focus on Laramie Range timber pockets, parks and granite breaks
- →Locate elk at dawn as they move off open feed into cover
- →Expect herds to sit on private — line up ranch access or hunt public timber edges they cross
- →Late seasons and antlerless opportunity can be productive on this over-goal herd
Whitetail Deer
limited opportunityWhitetails use the creek bottoms and cottonwood galleries along Sybille, Chugwater and the plains drainages, mostly on private ground.
- →Hunt cottonwood bottoms and ag edges at dawn and dusk
- →Be certain of species where whitetail and mule deer overlap
- →Access is almost entirely permission-based along the creeks
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the rocky foothill country of the Laramie Range; a tracking/pursuit resource more than a walk-up hunt.
- →Cut fresh tracks after snow on foothill roads and rimrock
- →Focus on granite breaks and pine canyons holding deer concentrations
Pro tips
- →Pronghorn are the reason to draw here — but access is everything on these ranches
- →Map the checkerboard before you go; isolated odd-section public is effectively landlocked without a legal route
- →Line up Hunter Management / Walk-In or ranch permission well ahead of the season
- →The Iron Mountain elk herd sits over goal — don't overlook the elk opportunity in the foothill timber
- →Plan around relentless plains wind and clay roads that go to gumbo when wet
Watch out for
- !Union Pacific checkerboard — odd/even section interlock and corner-crossing legality
- !Extensive private ranch; verify boundaries with GPS before hunting
- !Isolated public sections that cannot be legally reached
- !Gumbo roads after rain or snow
- !High-plains wind affecting long shots and animal behavior
Logistics
Cheyenne and Laramie (both on I-80) bracket the unit with full fuel, lodging, groceries and hospitals; Chugwater and Wheatland serve the north end off I-25. County and ranch two-tracks handle the plains, but wet weather turns clay roads to gumbo and the foothill roads get rough — carry recovery gear.
Nearest towns: Cheyenne, Laramie, Chugwater, Wheatland
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Wyoming sources:
Research sources: WGFD Hunt Planner · WyoFile — Wyoming elk management (Iron Mountain herd over objective) · GOHUNT — Wyoming unit profiles (Laramie Range region)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 6 in Wyoming?
- Unit 6 (Iron Mountain (Area 6)) covers about 2,178 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,200 to 8,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 6?
- Approximately 20% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, USFS Medicine Bow NF (Pole Mountain Unit). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 6?
- Pronghorn, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Whitetail Deer, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 6 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.