Quick Tips
- Grizzlies are commonly encountered in this area and spray or a sidearm are recommended
- Clean campsites are a must when camping in bear country
- GPS, Maps, or a compass are highly recommended
On The Ground
This massive hunting district is found in south central Montana and shares its southern border with Yellowstone National Park. A huge array of terrain will be encountered here, from high elevation sage flats to incredible skyscraping peaks and wide open alpine basins. Both the Lee Metcalf and Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Areas are found here providing some incredible scenery and extremely remote country. Hunters will find great glassing options here, along with a good population of bears to pursue. Grizzlies can, and likely will be countered in this area -extreme caution and preparation is needed.
Great bear hunting can be found here and anyone willing to spend the time can have a great chance at a mature bear.
Terrain
This unit really has everything Montana has to offer, from its lush creek bottoms to its rock capped peaks. Along the northwestern border, agricultural fields dominate the landscape leaving very few access options and low bear numbers. From here, the terrain drastically changes as you follow the hunting district to the east. The open sage flats found in the lowlands will begin to rise sharply off of the valley floor into heavily forested slopes climbing thousands of feet until they top out into large peaks. Most of these peaks will be surrounded by large and moderately timbered alpine basins which are closely guarded by amphitheater like rock cliffs. This is truly wild country and backcountry travel is only recommended to those with a fair amount of experience. Great glassing options can be found throughout the elevation range leaving good opportunities for any hunter.
Roughly 3,963 square miles
63.2% public land
Elevations range from 5,000-11,000 feet
Vegetation
This area will have the same general variety of vegetation as what is found in most of western Montana. The lower elevations on the western side of the unit, along with those found in the Paradise Valley, will be largely dominated by native grasses and sagebrush, along with occasional patches of juniper. As the elevation increases, the tree cover will explode exponentially as huge stands of mature ponderosa pine, white pine, red fir, and lodgepole take over. Here, native shrubbery and grasses are found throughout the many open parks commonly encountered in this region. In the highest elevations, the tree cover will begin to dissipate and the mature stands of old growth forest give way to the stunted subalpine fir. Many of these high elevation areas will include large basins of native grasses, mountain lakes, and rock. Cliffs will be commonly encountered obstacles in some of the highest elevations and extreme caution will need to be exercised.
Access
When it comes to access, this area is excellent, with its tens of thousands of acres of public land. Most of the lower country will be accessible thanks to Forest Service roads and great trail systems. Most of the higher elevation areas will only be accessible to those willing to hike or to those with livestock options. Here, it will be entirely possible to spend weeks on end in the backcountry without ever encountering so much as another boot track. This is truly wild country. Cross country travel can be difficult due to heavy vegetation on northern slopes, as well as the drastic change in elevation from one drainage to the next. Thankfully, much of the backcountry is accessible by moderately maintained foot trails.
Main roads for access include Highway 287, Highway 89, and Interstate 90
Accessing some of the high elevation bear habitat can take some extreme physical effort
Land ownership maps and software can be time saving when hunting lower elevations
Camping and Lodging
Seeing as this area is so large, it can take some careful planning when considering lodging options. Bozeman will have the highest number of options, though the city is located in the extreme northern end of the unit and can be several hours from some of the trail heads. Lodging options can also be found in Ennis, Livingston, and Gardiner. Keep in mind that most of the areas surrounding Yellowstone National Park will experience much higher rates for rooms. Groceries and other supplies can be found in nearly every town throughout the unit, along with sporting goods. Any specialty needs for gear can be found in Bozeman. When hunting the backcountry, the most efficient route will be to simply pack in camp with you. The amount of physical effort required to reach some of these areas will be high and trying to repeat this day after day when hunting from a vehicle will be impossible to maintain for the duration of a hunt.
Bear tags are not valid until 24 hour after the time of purchase, this can be important to remember for traveling hunters
Modern lodging options can be found in Bozeman, Ennis, Livingston, and Gardiner
All sporting goods needs can be met in Bozeman
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