This unit is located in southwestern Montana and is just west of Townsend and west of Canyon Ferry Reservoir. Three Forks is on the south border and Helena on the north. The Missouri River is on the eastern border and the Boulder River on the west boundary. This unit encompasses the entire Elkhorn Mountain range.

Moose numbers are stable and there is good moose habitat in this unit. There are five bull tags and two cow tags available in this unit. Bulls into the 40+ inch range are harvested in this unit and the success is high. Also, this is the best elk unit in Montana, with bulls to 380” being harvested, so you might think of applying for both permits.

This unit has two distinctly different river valleys, the Boulder and the Missouri, and the Boulder is the better moose habitat of the two. The northern half of the unit is the Elkhorn Mountains and much of this is big steep mountainous country. The southern half goes from rolling dryland farming country to foothills and breaks.

The national forest lands are timbered slopes of spruce, pine and fir. There are some intermixed pockets of quaking aspens and numerous open grassy slopes. Some of the stream corridors have good cover of brush. Along the Missouri River are some extensive areas of willows and also in the Canyon Ferry Wildlife Management area. The Boulder River valley has lots of irrigated fields and great brush cover adjacent to the river.

Much of this unit is national forest lands with good access to it in numerous places, but there are remote rugged areas of timber and steep terrain in the Elkhorns. Many of the drainages have roads and or trails up them and lots of old mining claims and history. There is a lot of Block Management property in this unit. Many of the moose are on and off of the private ground and a majority of the moose are harvested in the Boulder River valley.

There are numerous places to camp throughout the unit on the national forest and there are several Forest Service campgrounds in the unit. Townsend is on the western edge of the unit and has numerous motels, gas, restaurants and a sporting goods store. Canyon Ferry Reservoir has campgrounds along it along with good fishing. Helena is on the northern edge and Whitehall and Three Forks on the south and has motels, gas and food.