Area 42 is located along the Bighorn Mountains on the Montana border. This area allows hunters to hunt for big bulls with a high success rate, but drawing a permit can be difficult.

This huge unit offers a month-long rifle hunt and can be a great hunt for the opportunity to take a mature bull. Bulls typically are 35-40” wide.

The Bighorn Mountains run north into Montana. The high elevation ridge line serves as the eastern boundary of Area 42. Upper elevations north of Highway 14 have rolling grasslands mixed with timber pockets and canyons that dive off to the west. Upper elevations south of Highway 14 climb to rocky bare peaks. Terrain around that area is very rocky and rugged. Mid elevations are largely timbered with a mix of open grassy meadows and slopes of thick timber pockets and forests. Lower elevations to the west have broken canyon country, rolling sagebrush hills and grasslands near the valley floor.

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.

Several major creeks and rivers flow within the boundaries of this area. The river and streams provide riparian habitat with a diversity of willows, cottonwoods, shrubs, grasses and forbs. In the higher elevations the vegetation transitions into grassy open slopes. Sagebrush and heavily timbered slopes and pockets of lodgepole pine, subalpine fir and Douglas fir can be found at mid elevations. Wet meadow grasses, forbs and sedges are found at higher elevations. The landscape above timberline is rocky with some grassy pockets.

Highway 14 runs east from Greybull and Shell toward Dayton and Sheridan directly through the area. Some roads from Highway 14 travel both north and south and provide access into the majority of the unit. Near the southern boundary, Highway 16 runs between Ten Sleep and Buffalo. Several USFS roads that branch from Highway 16 run to the northern portion of the unit.

Sheridan is located to the east and has multiple options for gas, lodging and food. The Pony Bar and Grill and Mint Bar have good food and drinks. Located on the western edge, Greybull has several options for lodging. Greybull has limited food options. Lovell, located near the northwest side, has lodging and multiple motels, but food options are limited to a small supermarket and a pizza place. Several campgrounds including Paint Rock, Shell Creek, Bald Mountain and Porcupine Campgrounds are located near the unit. Camping is allowed on most public lands. Hunts are typically done by day hunting from Sheridan, Greybull, Lovell or from a campsite or campground on the mountain.