Quick Tips
- Bring a fishing setup to fish the nearby Clark Fork and Bitterroot River
- Bring a shotgun to hunt waterfowl along the rivers
- Do your research and have land ownership GPS
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Whitetail Deer | 110"-130" | 140"+ |
| Elk | N/A | 300"+ |
On The Ground
This unique unit is located in the West Central part of the state. The unit is designated for archery use only, offering more of a classic tree stand whitetail hunt in some amazing river bottom country.
Elk are scarce and even harder to find. Don't be discouraged by all of the private land because even though public land is limited it actually offers great opportunity and can hold good concentrations of deer. Look for extra whitetail doe tags for filling the freezer.
Terrain
The unit is made up of flat country, compiled of agricultural fields, winding creek and river bottoms, brush bottoms, and rolling hills into big flats.
Roughly 157 square miles
11% public land
Elevations from 3,000-3,600 feet
Vegetation
Covered mainly in an endless sea of lush cottonwood forests with pockets of red under brush river bottom. Leaving the river bottoms, hunters can find dairy farms, orchards and agricultural fields planted in alfalfa, wheat and corn. There are a few foothills within the unit and are made up of big rolling sagebrush and CRP covered hills.
Access
Private land dominates this area and public land is extremely limited. There are plenty of highways, county and country roads for access throughout the entire unit. Gaining permission ahead of time with greatly increase your odds of success. Erskine, South Side Road, Council Grove, Kelly Island, Blue Mountain and the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge are all public hunting access points.
Making a few calls or knocking on a few doors can help greatly
Highway 90, 93, and East Side Highway are your main roads
Camping and Lodging
Missoula, Stevensville and Hamilton all have several great places for lodging. All three of these locations have sporting goods stores, groceries, gas and other amenities. Camping is allowed on all National Forest ground for up to 14 days in one location. There are also a few designated campgrounds located throughout the unit.
Blodgett Canyon, Larry Creek and Chief Looking Glass are all public campgrounds
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