Hunt Area 25, Tongue-Goose, Wyoming

Mountainous Bighorn National Forest terrain spanning roughly 4,500 to 9,500+ feet elevation, with the crest ridgelines and high plateaus above 8,000 feet, steep forested canyon systems along the Tongue River, North Fork of the Tongue, and Goose Creek drainages at mid elevations, and transitional sagebrush-grass benches and foothills at the lowest margins. Lower canyon country is heavily wooded with rugged, steep walls; higher ground opens into alpine meadows and rocky ridgelines.

Access is almost entirely on Bighorn National Forest public land (GoHunt reports 99.4% public). Primary vehicle access enters from the east via US Highway 14 through Dayton, Wyoming, with County Road 92 leading to Tongue River Canyon. US Highway 14A connects Ranchester to Burgess Junction and crosses the northern portion of the area. USFS Road 10 (Hunt Mountain Road) runs northwest from US-14 to US-14A through the heart of the unit per the WGFD Chapter 6 boundary description; USFS Road 14 (Devils Canyon Road) and USFS Road 11 (Sheep Mountain Road) define the western and northern reaches respectively. The Bighorn National Forest maintains a network of two-track forest roads and trails providing deep-country access. Some campgrounds (including North Tongue Campground on the North Fork of the Tongue) are gated seasonally. Private land is virtually absent within the unit boundary.

Dominant cover is ponderosa pine and mixed-conifer forest at lower and mid elevations, transitioning upward to spruce-fir and lodgepole pine stands. Aspen groves appear along drainages and north-facing slopes. Riparian corridors (Tongue River, Goose Creek, South Piney Creek) support willow, cottonwood, and dense shrub understory. Sagebrush-grassland parks and benches occur at lower elevational margins and on open ridges. The uppermost terrain grades into rocky alpine habitat above approximately 9,000 feet.

Mule deer and white-tailed deer are both present; mule deer occupy the forested ridges and canyon heads while white-tailed deer concentrate in the riparian corridors and lower brushy canyon bottoms. WGFD confirmed in the 2025 forecast that Sheridan Region mule deer populations have trended below objective since 2019 due to drought, severe winters, and disease pressure, with a 3-point-or-better antler restriction active in 2025 and confirmed in the 2026 Chapter 6 regulation. White-tailed deer populations are rebounding from EHD/bluetongue outbreaks in 2021-2022, but CWD prevalence exceeds 30% in white-tails in this region. Elk, moose, and black bear are confirmed present in the Tongue River Canyon drainage per WGFD public access area page. Mountain lion confirmed in canyon and forested terrain. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat occupy suitable cliff and alpine habitat in the Bighorn Mountains. Wild turkey are present in the lower ponderosa pine and riparian zones.

1. The General license for Area 25 is OTC for residents; nonresidents apply under Region Y (areas 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 32, 33, 163, 169) with a combined quota of 1,000 licenses per WGFD Chapter 6 Section 6. 2. The 3-point-or-better mule deer antler restriction is confirmed in both the 2025 WGFD forecast (areas 19, 25, 29, 31) and 2026 Chapter 6 season table; confirm annually. 3. White-tailed deer are valid with the General license with no antler restriction per Chapter 6. 4. No separate muzzleloader-only season exists for Area 25 in Chapter 6; muzzleloaders are a legal weapon during General and archery seasons. 5. Harvest statistics (MD: 167 harvest, 21.7% success; WTD: 31 harvest, 22.6% success) are sourced from WGFD 2025 harvest report but could not be independently extracted due to image-format file; treat as draft-provided. 6. White-tailed deer presence in this area is well established but not explicitly named on the WGFD Tongue River Canyon page (which lists mule deer, elk, moose, bear, lion, turkey). 7. Elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, black bear, and mountain lion all use separate Wyoming hunt area numbering systems.