Unit 65 Heart Mountain (Area 65)
Heart Mountain and the irrigated Cody-Powell flats — a basin edge unit of pronghorn, foothill elk, and river-bottom whitetails under an iconic peak.
Bighorn Basin · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,680
sq mi
Public land
35%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–8,123
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
Hunt Area 65 covers the northwest corner of the Bighorn Basin west of the Bighorn River, north of U.S. Highway 14-16-20, and east of Wyoming Highway 120 — the country between Cody and Powell running north toward the Montana line. It is dominated by Heart Mountain, the isolated 8,123-foot landmark that gives the area its name, ringed by irrigated farm flats, sage benches, and the Shoshone and Bighorn river bottoms. This is a mixed-bag basin unit rather than a backcountry trophy hunt: pronghorn on the open ground, foothill and agricultural elk of the Cody herd, mule deer in the breaks, and whitetails in the river corridors. Access is the main challenge because much of the productive low ground is private irrigated ranchland.
Terrain
Open Bighorn Basin floor of irrigated cropland, sage benches, and badland breaks rising abruptly to the isolated limestone-and-volcanic mass of Heart Mountain and the foothills toward the Absaroka Front.
Cover: Irrigated hay and beet fields on the valley flats, sagebrush-grassland and greasewood on the benches, cottonwood galleries along the Shoshone and Bighorn Rivers, with juniper, mountain-mahogany, and Douglas-fir pockets on the higher slopes of Heart Mountain.
Landmarks: Heart Mountain · Shoshone River · Bighorn River · Powell flats · Polecat Bench · Rattlesnake Mountain (west edge) · Heart Mountain Hunter Management Area
Access
This is not Union Pacific checkerboard country — the southern-Wyoming land-grant checkerboard does not reach the Bighorn Basin. The access problem here is instead the heavy block of private irrigated farm and ranch ground on the valley floor. The Heart Mountain Hunter Management Area opens otherwise-private acreage on and around the peak through the WGFD walk-in/permission system; obtain the permission slip in advance. Scattered BLM benches and state sections provide the remaining public hunting, some of it landlocked and requiring corner-crossing awareness.
Managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, Bureau of Reclamation (Heart Mountain lands)
Access points: Heart Mountain HMA (permission slip required) · WY 120 north of Cody · US 14A / Powell-area county roads · BLM benches east and north of Heart Mountain · Shoshone River access below the Willwood area
Species notes
Pronghorn
common qualityPronghorn use the sage flats, greasewood benches, and field edges across the open portions of the unit; the Bighorn Basin herds have shown strong fawn production and hunter success in recent seasons.
- →Glass sage benches and the margins of irrigated fields at first and last light
- →Secure private-ranch or HMA permission early — the best pronghorn ground is often deeded
- →Use terrain folds and canals to close distance on open-country bucks
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityPart of the Cody elk herd, which has run above population objective; elk here are foothill and agricultural animals that shelter on Heart Mountain and the private flats and can be difficult to reach on public ground.
- →Hunt the Heart Mountain HMA and adjacent slopes where elk hold on public-access ground
- →Watch field edges and sage-timber transitions at dawn and dusk
- →Pattern movement between private crop fields and foothill cover
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer (Region D general-license country) scatter through the badland breaks, sage benches, and draws off Heart Mountain and Polecat Bench.
- →Glass rimrock, coulees, and mahogany pockets in the breaks
- →Work the sage-and-juniper foothills of Heart Mountain
- →Check cover near water and field edges in dry early seasons
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetails inhabit the cottonwood bottoms and brushy agricultural edges along the Shoshone and Bighorn Rivers.
- →Still-hunt river cottonwoods and brush lines morning and evening
- →Focus on the transition between crop fields and riparian cover
- →Most bottomland whitetail ground is private — line up permission
Pro tips
- →Nail down Heart Mountain HMA permission and any private-ranch access before the season — public ground alone is limited here
- →This is an access hunt, not a trophy backcountry hunt; scouting the ownership map matters more than gear
- →Glass the sage-field edges at dawn for both pronghorn and elk moving off crop ground
- →River-bottom whitetail hunting means securing riparian access through private or HMA land
- →Carry the WGFD ownership/HMA layer and respect corner-crossing limits on landlocked public sections
Watch out for
- !Extensive private irrigated farmland gates much of the productive low ground — verify boundaries
- !Some BLM and state sections are effectively landlocked; know corner-crossing rules
- !Gumbo benches become impassable when wet
- !Rapid basin weather swings from heat to cold and wind
Logistics
Cody and Powell are full-service towns with fuel, lodging, groceries, and outfitters, both within a short drive of the unit — this is one of the more convenient basin hunts to base for. County and reclamation roads grid the farmland, but many lead onto private ground; the interior benches turn to slick gumbo when wet.
Nearest towns: Cody, Powell, Ralston, Byron
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 65 boundary · WGFD Heart Mountain Hunter Management Area · WGFD 2025 Wyoming Hunt Forecast (Cody region / Bighorn Basin)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 65 in Wyoming?
- Unit 65 (Heart Mountain (Area 65)) covers about 1,680 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 8,123 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 65?
- Approximately 35% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch, BLM, WY state trust, Bureau of Reclamation (Heart Mountain lands). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 65?
- Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Wyoming agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 65 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.