Quick Tips
- Be prepared to be physically challenged
- Have access to horses to reach some of the more remote areas
- This area has a large population of grizzly bears, be bear aware
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Mule Deer | 130"-140" | 160"+ |
| Whitetail Deer | N/A | 130"+ |
| Elk | N/A | 300"+ |
On The Ground
This hunt district is located just north of Yellowstone National Park and borders the Yellowstone River. Hunters can hunt deer and elk during the same season with general deer and elk licenses.
This hunting district has some very rugged and steep terrain with high elevations. The southern end of the hunting district relies heavily on a migratory elk herd from Yellowstone National Park. The whitetail deer are typically on private land in the valley. Mule deer live from the valley floor to the highest peaks, but their numbers are very low.
Terrain
The terrain in this unit is very diverse with some of the highest peaks being over 11,000 feet and the Yellowstone River just over 4,500 feet. The Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness is located in the south eastern half of the unit and has mountain goats and bighorn sheep. There is game scattered throughout the unit at all elevations, this gives hunters the opportunity to hunt a variety of terrain features. The Absaroka Beartooth Mountains are very steep and rugged.
Roughly 425 square miles
66.3% public land
Elevations from 4,500-11,200 feet
Vegetation
Some of the higher elevations are subalpine meadows with limited timber. Lower in elevation there is more timber, mainly Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine and subalpine fir with some aspen pockets in the creek bottoms. Mid elevations to the valley floor mainly consists of juniper, Douglas fir and some open grass slopes mixed with pockets of sagebrush.
Access
The valley floor along the Yellowstone River is mainly private land, and access can be difficult to obtain. The majority of the unit is part of the Gallatin National Forest and provides lots of public land. Some of the main side drainages would be Mill Creek, Six mile and Pine creek. Trailheads in each of these will access large portions of National Forest.
Camping and Lodging
If hunting the north end of the unit Livingston has the best accommodations providing lodging, restaurants and gas stations. If hunting the southern end of the unit Chico Hot springs would provide luxurious accommodations, developed hot springs, lodging and restaurants.
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