Helena National Forest, BLM and Block Management Areas provide thousands of acres of public lands. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks estimates a herd population close to 400. Prickly Pear Weapons Restriction Area and Gates of the Mountain Game Preserve are restricted areas.

Bowhunters have the opportunity to hunt during the breeding season when bucks are aggressive and come to decoys. Spend time each morning glassing for a number of bucks before you plan a stalk or decide to set up a ground blind. Water sources are great during the early part of the year.

Eisenhower Mountains are in the southwest part of the hunt district. The Continental Divide travels the western edge and the Missouri River creates the eastern boundary. In between the mountains and river is the Hilger Valley with foothills, wide open flats, rolling rangeland, gulches and drainages.

Center pivot irrigated crop fields can be found near Lake Helena and Little Prickly Pear Creek. Creek bottoms have thick groups of willows and large stands of cottonwoods along their banks, Open range is covered with short grasses made up of buffalo and blue grams along with scattered areas of sagebrush. Foothills have juniper, pinyon, ponderosa pine and small groups of aspen. Mountains are covered with thick stands of lodgepole and ponderosa pine, along with smaller stands of spruce and fir.

A few different Block Management Areas are found within the district offering hundreds of acres of access to private ranches. Some restrictions apply to travel so when you check in please read any notices. BLM lands are easy to find and have roads and trails to travel. Helena National Forest offers a few roads to some rolling open rangeland. Watch for late fall snow storms that can shut down secondary roads.

Block Management Areas have specific areas for camping so plan ahead and inquire where camping is allowed on each property. BLM lands allow disperse camping. Helena National Forest has developed and undeveloped campsites, check with the local Forest Service office for details. Helena is the state capital and offers a wide variety of motels, hotels, restaurants and cafes, a regional medical center, an airport and 24 hour gas stations.