The events of Raptor take place in northeastern Utah, a region long famous for its fossils and fossil hunters. The area is remote enough from civilization that helicopters are needed to fly injured people to a hospital, which even then is hours away.

Uta describes the region beyond her reservation as vast, complex, and almost impenetrable. Into this region come tourists, interested in seeing the digs of paleontologists as well as purchasing goods from the Utes, such as Spider Grandma. The paleontologists come to hunt for the remains of extinct animals, hoping to find a new species or the fossils of a special animal that will make them famous. Hunters also come to the area, seeking bear, deer, and other game. It is a perilous region, abounding with mountains, rock slides, abandoned mines, and unexplored caves. As Raptor begins, it is about to become even more dangerous.