Hunt Area 23, Clearmont, Wyoming

Rolling to moderately hilly plains and low ridgelines typical of the Powder River Basin transition zone; elevation ranges from approximately 3,785 to 4,710 feet. The Powder River and Clear Creek carve shallow valleys with cut-bank draws; upland terrain consists of broad grassy swells interrupted by pine-capped ridges and sagebrush flats. The terrain is generally walkable but draws and creek-bottom tangles can be rough going.

Primary paved access is via U.S. Highway 14 (the southern boundary, running east-west through Clearmont connecting to Sheridan ~38 miles west and Buffalo ~30 miles southwest) and Interstate 90 (the western boundary). Secondary county roads and BLM two-tracks provide interior access, but many well-maintained gravel roads visible on maps are private energy-company roads — not public roads — and cannot legally be used to access adjacent public lands. The BLM Buffalo Field Office (307-684-1100, Buffalo WY) manages scattered BLM parcels in Campbell and Sheridan counties; land status maps (yellow = BLM, blue = state, white = private) are the essential tool. At roughly 16% public land, the great majority of the unit is private ranch land; landlocked BLM and state parcels exist but may lack legal public access routes. WGFD Walk-In Access program provides some seasonal access to enrolled private land — check the annual WGFD Walk-In Area listings for Sheridan and Campbell counties. Four-wheel drive is recommended; secondary roads become impassable when wet. Nearest full services (fuel, lodging, medical) are in Sheridan and Buffalo; Clearmont itself has minimal services.

Grassland and sagebrush-steppe (buffalo grass, blue grama, big sagebrush) covers more than half the unit and defines the upland matrix. Hills and ridgelines support open stands of ponderosa pine. Riparian corridors along the Powder River and Clear Creek carry willows and cottonwoods that provide dense thermal and escape cover. The mosaic of open grassland, pine, and river-bottom riparian is characteristic northern Wyoming ranch-country habitat.

Both mule deer and white-tailed deer are well established; mule deer use the upland sagebrush and pine ridges while white-tailed deer concentrate in the Powder River and Clear Creek riparian corridors. White-tailed deer rut activity can begin in late October and extend through December. Pronghorn (antelope) are abundant in the open grasslands and sagebrush — the broader Powder River Basin northeast Wyoming region holds one of the largest pronghorn populations in the country, with a separate WGFD antelope numbering system. Elk are present in lower numbers in the Sheridan Region; WGFD notes the regional elk population is below objective but trending upward after drought and disease pressure. Wild turkey occur in the riparian cottonwood-willow corridors along the Powder River. Mountain lion are present statewide and taken under a WGFD quota system. Sage grouse habitat exists in the sagebrush-steppe portions of the unit.