This area has mainly BLM land, tracts of private lands and the Medicine Bow National Forest. Hunters can find good bucks in the low benches and sagebrush draws that are common here. Whitetails are usually found on private land in this area.

This draw area is considered one of the best in southern Wyoming for trophy deer. With a large portion of the area in public access, hunters have many opportunities to harvest trophy class mule deer. Large whitetail can also be found along the Encampment River that runs through the middle of the area.

The northern portion of this area is made up of ranch lands with cotton wood trees, willows, tall grasses and rolling sagebrush hills. The terrain in the National Forest rises in elevation and has thick forests and rocky outcroppings.

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.

This area usually has great designated public access. Several private land tracts north of the unit grant access to hunters for walk-in hunting. Roads are marked with BLM, National Forest and county signs. Wind and early snowstorms can also make vehicle access difficult.

Short grass prairie, sagebrush hills, willow-lined creeks and cottonwood trees cover the unit in the north. Conifer forests with willow-lined creeks dominate the southern and western portions. Whitetails can typically be found near the creeks and river bottoms below 8,500 feet.

Hunters can camp remotely on the BLM and National Forest lands. Lodging can be found north of the unit in Encampment and Saratoga.