Half Moon Wildlife Habitat Management Area Half Moon Wildlife Habitat Management Area is six miles southeast of Pinedale and provides quality winter range for up to 700 elk and a large population of mule deer. Perhaps the most striking feature of the area is Half Moon Mountain, which starts at 7,400 feet elevation and rises to 8,200 feet in less than a mile. Besides providing habitat for elk and deer, Half Moon is home to pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, moose, rabbits, coyotes and many songbirds. The area also provides access to adjacent U.S. Forest Service lands. Half Moon is closed each year from November 1 through April 30. The very mention of the the word Wyoming evokes the essence of the American West. Wyoming is all that innumerable movies, novels and legends have tried to capture. This Western Spirit thrives to this day in the Cowboy State. The name Wyoming has its origins in an Algonquin word meaning \"large prairie place \".