Quick Tips
- Cover a lot of ground, antelope can be spread out
- Open terrain allows for good glassing opportunities, good optics are important
- Block Management properties can fill up quickly so call early and make reservations
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Antelope | 65"-70" | 70"+ |
On The Ground
This large district is found in Southwest Montana and make up a large portion of the area. Several notable mountain ranges are found within the unit including the Greenhorn and Gravelly ranges to the east and the Blacktail and Ruby Mountain ranges to the west. This area provides good public access throughout and has a stable antelope population. There are a lot of areas that allow great spot and stalk hunting opportunities with chances at mature antelope bucks.
Antelope populations have declined over the past several years, but are beginning to come back. There has been good fawn recruitment in recent years which has helped with the overall population. Public access is good with BLM, state and Block Management properties throughout the area.
Terrain
This unit is composed of several island mountain ranges with rolling hills and prairie land making up the bulk of the habitat between them. The Ruby Mountains are a fairly gentle and rolling mountain range surrounded by grassy foothills that give way to cattle pastures and croplands lining the river bottoms. Roads and trails are present throughout the area making for easy travel. The Greenhorn’s are a steep mountain range with long open ridges that make for easy travel once you reach the top. Long timbered drainages run down to lower-elevation foothills with deep canyons. The lower elevations are fairly moderate foothills and river bottom country. The Blacktail Mountains are a small and fairly moderate mountain range, consisting of long open ridges and timbered drainages. The Gravelly range rises abruptly at first with steep timbered canyons and as you gain elevation the terrain opens up some and becomes more gentle near the top of the range. Deep timbered and rocky canyons categorize the north end, while the southern end of the range is more gentle and rolling grassy vistas with large rocky outcroppings.
Roughly 2800 square miles
65% public land
Elevations from 5,100-9,500 feet
Vegetation
Irrigated lands can be found throughout the district among many of the notable rivers such as the Madison, Beavherhead, and Ruby. Lower to mid-elevation areas will be composed of small timber patchers and large flats and rolling ridges of prairie grass and sage. Most of the higher elevation areas will be primarily dominated by ponderosa pine, douglas fir, and red fir.
Access
Public lands are scattered throughout this unit but much of the lower-lying lands are private. Hunting the edges of private lands can be a good tactic but accessing these areas can be very difficult at times. Hunting pressure will be concentrated on public lands and hunters will need to seek out overlooked spots to find unpressured animals. Easy-to-access public areas will see heavy foot traffic and road hunters will be a common sight throughout the unit, particularly during the rifle season.
Camping and Lodging
Day hunting is the most common style for hunters in this area. Backpack camps can be effective when making long treks to access remote areas. Most of the larger towns in the unit will have good access to gear, supplies, and lodging including Dillon, Ennis, and Twin Bridges. Campgrounds are available throughout the district.
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
Moon Phases
March 2025
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5