Hunt Area 112, Ishawooa, Wyoming

Rugged northern Rocky Mountain terrain in the Absaroka Range, Park County. Elevations 5,945–11,325 ft. Upper two-thirds of the unit is Washakie Wilderness (part of a 704,274-acre designated wilderness, the vast majority of which is on Shoshone National Forest with a small portion on Bridger-Teton National Forest) with steep, forested drainages, subalpine meadows, and volcanic ridgelines. Lower third transitions to sagebrush foothills and irrigated private ranches along the South Fork of the Shoshone River corridor. Mixed conifer (Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, lodgepole pine) at mid-elevation, giving way to open alpine above treeline. Ishawooa Creek flows north into the South Fork and is the dividing line between Elk Area 56 (below) and Elk Area 59 (above). Heavy grizzly bear presence throughout.

moderate

1. DRAFT STATUS: Chapter 6 (deer) and Chapter 7 (elk) citations are from March 16, 2026 drafts; regulations require Governor signature before taking effect — verify final versions at wgfd.wyo.gov before hunting. Chapter 5 (antelope) and Chapter 9 (bighorn/mountain goat) are from the January 6, 2026 draft, adopted as proposed by the Commission April 2026. 2. NONRESIDENT GUIDE REQUIREMENT: Under Wyoming Statute 23-2-401, nonresidents hunting big game in any federally designated wilderness area (Washakie Wilderness occupies the majority of this unit's national forest land) must be accompanied by a licensed professional guide OR a licensed resident guide (a Wyoming resident who has obtained a free resident guide license, limited to 2 NR hunters per year). 3. GRIZZLY BEARS: Area 112 is within the primary grizzly bear conservation area. Hunters should carry bear spray, practice proper food storage per Shoshone National Forest regulations, and report any grizzly mortalities immediately to WGFD (1-877-WGFD-TIP). 4. CWD: Area 112 is NOT currently listed as a mandatory CWD sampling zone. Nearby areas 105, 106, and 109 are active CWD focus areas for mule deer (Clarks Fork herd). Voluntary CWD sampling encouraged; contact Cody Regional Office. 5. ANTLER RESTRICTION: No antler point restriction for mule deer in Area 112 appears in the March 2026 Chapter 6 draft. Verify final regulations before hunting, as restrictions may be added in final language. 6. ELK AREA OVERLAP: Deer Hunt Area 112 does not correspond to a single elk hunt area. The north/west South Fork drainage below and including Ishawooa Creek falls in Elk Area 56 (Wapiti Ridge); above Ishawooa Creek falls in Elk Area 59 (Boulder Basin). Both areas offer general OTC elk licenses (Oct 1–Oct 21). Hunters should confirm which elk area their intended hunting location falls within. 7. INDIAN LANDS: Only non-Indian fee-title lands permit wildlife harvest with Wyoming licenses. Area 112 itself is primarily Shoshone National Forest and Park County private land. 8. PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS: Several small WGFD Public Access Areas exist along the South Fork Shoshone River corridor (fishing-primary, some hunting), but most of the unit's public access is directly on national forest land with no special entry requirements outside of wilderness regulations. 9. BIGHORN SHEEP AREA NAME CORRECTION: Bighorn Sheep Area 5 is officially named 'Franc's Peak' in Chapter 9 — not 'South Absaroka.' South Absaroka is the Mountain Goat Area 5 name. These are separate numbering systems within Chapter 9.