Area 2 covers the upper Shoshone River drainage and the Absaroka Range between Yellowstone's east boundary and the Shoshone National Forest—wild, vertical country that catches elk migrating out of the park. Elevations run from about 6,500 feet along the North Fork Shoshone River to over 12,000 feet on the Absaroka crest. The valley bottoms are sagebrush parks and cottonwood-lined river channels. Climb and you hit Douglas fir, lodgepole, and spruce-fir forests before breaking into alpine meadows and the crumbling volcanic ridgelines that define the Absarokas. The North Absaroka Wilderness covers much of the high country, keeping it roadless and wild. Grizzly bears are abundant—this is core Greater Yellowstone grizzly habitat, and bear encounters are part of the experience, not an anomaly. The Shoshone National Forest manages the public land, with the North Absaroka and Washakie Wilderness areas banning motorized access in the high country. US-14/16/20 along the North Fork corridor provides the main vehicle access, and several forest roads and trails branch into side drainages. Cody is 30-40 miles east with full services and a deep outfitter tradition. Cell service works along the highway and dies in the backcountry. This is classic pack-in elk country—most serious hunters use horses or outfitters because the distances and terrain demand it. The Yellowstone boundary influences everything: elk summer in the park and migrate through this area in fall, making timing the critical variable. A cold snap that pushes elk off the Yellowstone Plateau and into the huntable forest can make for a legendary week. Warm weather keeps them in the park where you can only photograph them. Area 2 draws nonresident elk tags through the limited-quota system, and competition is stiff — expect to need 3-5 preference points for a general elk tag, more for special permits. Residents have general license access but still face crowding near the North Fork Highway corridor during rifle season. The entire area is within the Grizzly Bear Primary Habitat Area, requiring mandatory bear spray carry recommendations and strict carcass-handling protocols — WGFD requires you to remove gut piles from within 200 yards of trails and camp. Access is roughly 80% Shoshone National Forest (public), with private guest ranches along the North Fork corridor controlling some of the best valley-floor hunting. The area is known for intercepting Yellowstone-migrating bulls during cold October snaps, producing 300-class and occasional 350-class bulls for hunters who time the migration correctly.