Quick Tips
- Very little amounts of public lands available
- Hunting pressure on public lands will be very extreme
- Excellent fishing can be found nearby in the MIssouri River and Canyon Ferry Reservoir
- Tire chains recommended during periods of heavy snowfall
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-140" | 150"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | 110"-120" | 130"+ |
| Elk | 260"-280" | 310"+ |
On The Ground
This district lies in west central Montana just northwest of the city of Bozeman. Many hunters will find hunting in this area to prove fairly difficult as most of district is comprised of private lands, yet there are still a few public land opportunities. Hunter wishing to hunt these public areas will see extreme amounts of pressure and will find it nearly impossible to escape the crowds. Unless hunters have prearranged private access they may want to look to other districts.
This can be a very difficult district for hunters to experience any success on public lands. Huge ranches will dominate nearly all of the lands and contain most of the animal populations. Some of these ranches can be accessed, but the cost to hunt will be very high. Anyone looking for a quality hunt where they can escape the crowds should be looking into adjoining districts.
Terrain
The terrain in the district will be very conducive to spot and stalk hunting. With rolling prairies found on both the eastern and western borders of the district and sparsely timbered ridges and deep pockets found in the central portion of the area. There will also be a few scattered areas of agricultural development found along the banks of the Missouri River.
Roughly 340 square miles
10% public land
Elevations from 3,900-7,600 feet
Vegetation
In the higher elevations of the district, huge stands of ponderosa will dominate the landscape with scattered pockets of fir and lodge pole. Intermixed into these stands of timber will be rolling parks of native grasses, forbes and sage brush. As the elevation drops looks for the stands of timber to begin to dissipate as isolated stands of juniper, sage, and grasses take over the landscape.
Access
Public access in this district is, for the most part, dismal at best. Small isolated areas of public land do exist in a few areas along the main roads as well as a few patches that will be accessible by air only and, generally speaking, out of the financial reach of most. The best bet for most hunters is going to be identifying public lands where little to zero roads exist. While these areas will still be heavily hunted they will provide the lowest pressured hunting in the area. There are a few ranches that participate in Montana’s Block Management Program which will provide some access into private lands.
Camping and Lodging
This area has very little to offer for maintained campgrounds or lodging nearby. Hunters will likely find that traveling to either Townsend or Three Forks will be necessary. Primitive camping is permitted on Forest Service lands for up to 14 days. Groceries and other amenities can be found in Townsend, Three Forks or Ringling. The closest sporting good stores will be found in Helena and Bozeman which are both found outside of the district and may need to be stopped at prior to arriving for the hunt.
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