Hunt Area 70, Shirley Mountain, Wyoming

Rolling to moderately steep mountain terrain with canyons descending from Shirley Mountain and Pyramid Peak, transitioning to sagebrush-grassland plains and river bottoms in the lower basin. Elevation ranges from approximately 5,925 feet on the basin floor to 8,753 feet on the main mountain mass; the official high point (Shirley benchmark) reaches 9,151 feet. Roads climb from flat sagebrush country into forested ridges. Approximately 80 percent of the area has slopes at or below moderate grade.

Primary vehicle access via State Highway 487 (Medicine Bow to Casper) on the eastern boundary and State Highway 77 to the north, with Carbon County Road 2 (Shirley Ridge Road) crossing the northern portion of the unit. BLM Road 3115 is the main loop road through the Shirley Mountains, accessed from Hwy 77 via Carbon County Road 102 (2 miles west); it ranges from maintained gravel to undeveloped two-track and is unsuitable for standard vehicles at upper elevations. Prior Flat Campground (no water, no fee) serves as the primary base camp at the western junction of BLM Road 3115, managed by BLM Rawlins Field Office (307-328-4200). The Chalk Mountain Road (BLM 3129) runs along part of the western boundary. Walk-In Hunting Area 13 (4,114 acres, Aug 15–Oct 31) provides permitted access for deer (Area 70), antelope (Areas 47/48), and sage-grouse (Area 1). The Shirley Basin Hunter Management Area (36,673 acres, Oct 15–Jan 31) is a separate access program focused on elk that requires a permission slip — distinct from WIA 13. Private land — including the Q Ranch, which comprises a substantial portion of the unit — blocks direct access on the lower flanks and basin floor; hunters are advised to use GPS with landowner layers and contact landowners for permission before leaving public roads. Hunting pressure is moderate-to-heavy on opening day from local hunters approaching from the north and east. Active logging trucks may be present on mountain roads during timber operations.

Mixed pine, fir, and aspen forest on the mountain ridges and upper slopes; open meadows interspersed through the forested zone. Lower elevations transition to sagebrush-steppe and native grassland typical of the Shirley Basin. Riparian corridors follow Sage Creek and seasonal drainages descending from the mountains. Active logging operations may occur in portions of the forested BLM land.

Mule deer are the primary big-game species, inhabiting the forested canyons off Shirley Mountain and Pyramid Peak; population is below management objectives as of the 2025 Laramie Region forecast, having not fully recovered from severe winter conditions. CWD prevalence is slowly increasing in the region (some Laramie Region herds now at ~15%, up from ~9% five years prior; Goshen Rim herd highest at ~39%); mandatory CWD sampling applies to all successful deer hunters in Hunt Area 70. White-tailed deer occupy lowland river bottoms and irrigated private land in the western portions of the unit. Elk are present within Wyoming Elk Hunt Area 16 (Shirley Mountain), which overlaps much of the same geography. Pronghorn antelope are found in the sagebrush-steppe portions of the basin, largely within Wyoming Antelope Area 47 (Shirley Basin), considered an above-average antelope unit. Black bear (Wyoming Bear Area 35) and mountain lion are present in the forested mountain terrain. Deer, elk, and pronghorn are visible from BLM road corridors.