Hunt Area 36, Badwater, Wyoming

The area encompasses a dramatic elevation gradient from roughly 4,780 feet in the Badwater Creek and Wind River bottomlands and sagebrush plains to 8,312 feet at Copper Mountain's summit. The landscape transitions from rolling sagebrush-steppe plains and badland breaks in the lower reaches to sharply contoured ridges, draws, and rocky slopes on Copper Mountain (which straddles the Fremont/Hot Springs county line) and the adjacent Bridger Mountain outliers. Wind River Canyon borders the western edge near Boysen Reservoir. Note: Area 37 (Copper Mountain) is a separate adjacent hunt area; the Area 36 boundary runs along the divide between Buffalo Creek and Badwater Creek on Copper Mountain.

Approximately 70% of the area is public land (BLM). The primary highway corridor is US Highway 20-26 running east-west through the southern boundary, connecting Shoshoni to Waltman. State Highway 789 follows the Wind River northward along the western boundary. The Copper Mountain WSA (6,858 acres, located in Fremont County per BLM; the summit straddles the Fremont/Hot Springs county line) is accessed primarily via the Birdseye Pass Road and unsigned two-track roads — four-wheel-drive or high-clearance vehicles required; motorized travel is prohibited within the WSA itself. Other BLM access roads include Natrona County Roads 101, 102, 103, and 104, which form portions of the eastern and southern boundary per the official regulations boundary description. Hot Springs County Road 7 (Kirby Creek Road) is a key northern access corridor per the boundary text. The Packsaddle Road and Bridger Creek Road provide internal access to the northern portions. Private land is scattered throughout but is especially dominant along Badwater Creek bottom, which holds significant deer concentration — public hunters need digital mapping tools to identify BLM parcels and avoid trespass. Cell service is unreliable in many portions of the unit. The area excludes Indian tribal trust lands immediately north of US Highway 20-26 near Boysen Reservoir and northeast of Boysen Dam.

Lower elevations are dominated by Wyoming big sagebrush steppe interspersed with native grasses (blue grama, buffalo grass) and salt desert scrub on alkaline soils. Mid and upper elevations on Copper Mountain carry scattered limber pine and Rocky Mountain juniper on rocky ridges and draws, with isolated aspen stands in moister draws. Riparian corridors along Badwater Creek and its tributaries support greasewood and willow. Cheatgrass is present as an invasive component. Oil and gas infrastructure is scattered across the plains portions of the area.

Mule deer are the primary big-game quarry; the area supports a relatively low-density population with bucks using both the rocky mountain slopes and lower sagebrush flats. White-tailed deer are present in limited numbers, primarily in riparian corridors and on private agricultural land along creek bottoms. Elk use the Copper Mountain range, particularly the northern and eastern portions, as winter refuge. Pronghorn are present across the sagebrush plains. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep have been documented on the cliff faces of Copper Mountain (confirmed by Wild Wyoming/Wyoming Wilderness Association source). Mountain lion predation occurs throughout the unit. Chukar partridge are present on the rocky juniper-covered slopes of Copper Mountain (confirmed by Wild Wyoming source).