Area 11 is a big unit located in the Absaroka Mountains in northwest Wyoming, adjacent to Yellowstone National Park. This can be a great hunt for a mature bull in some very rough country.

This area offers a good hunt with very little hunting pressure. The long season gives hunters a lot of time to find a bull. The terrain here is rough to moderate and moose habitat can typically be found around creek or river drainages.

The terrain in the Absaroka Range varies from deep, narrow valleys to towering peaks. Upper elevations are composed of grassy meadows, some pine pockets and open rocky faces. Mid elevations are made up of patches of timbered pine pockets and open grassy faces. The creeks and river bottoms found in this area are mostly timbered. Eastern lowland country is covered in rolling grassland and sagebrush rolling hills. Moose in this area are typically found near river and creek drainages.

Wilderness

Under Wyoming law nonresidents are not permitted to hunt big game or trophy game in any federally designated wilderness areas without the presence of a licensed guide or resident companion. The resident companion must first get a free non-commercial guide license from a Game and Fish office. The law does not prohibit nonresidents from hiking, fishing or hunting game birds, small game, or coyotes in wilderness areas.

Some tributaries and creek drainages can be found in this area. Rivers and streams have riparian habitat with willows, cottonwoods, shrubs, grasses and forbs. The vegetation on mid elevation canyon walls and faces transitions into grasses and timber pockets, some of which have been burned. Typical trees species in this area include lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, whitebark pine and limber pine. Native grasses, forbs and some sagebrush are found throughout mid elevations. Wet meadow grasses, forbs and sedges can be found at higher elevations.

The South Fork Road runs west out of Cody and offers access and trailheads into the wilderness areas of Area 11. Highway 120 north out of Cody and Highway 296 located to the west both run through the unit and have access roads going to the west and east into some moose country. The Sunlight Road and the Lodgepole Creek Road are good access points to the western portion of the unit. A good map and a GPS with land ownership and hunting unit boundaries are recommended.

Cody is located near the eastern boundary of the unit. Cody has several hotels, campgrounds, gas stations, markets, restaurants, bars and a sporting goods store. Hunter Peak Ranch is located near the middle of the unit and offers lodging and dining. Painter Outpost can be found just off of Highway 296 and has RV, tent and some cabin rentals available. Hunter Creek, Lake Creek, Crazy Creek and Fox Creek Campgrounds are located farther north up Highway 296 and offer camping. Camping is also allowed on most public lands. Backcountry guided hunts will typically be conducted out of wilderness spike camps.