Sweetgrass Hills Unit lies in portions of Toole and Liberty Counties below the Alberta Canadian border and east of Interstate 15. Public access to the Sweetgrass Hills is gained through a couple of different agencies; BLM, Montana State Trust lands and Sweetgrass Hills Block Management Area #13 when combined offer thousands of acres. Resident only tags issued through the limited draw for an antlered bull.

The hills offer great cover and forage with limited hunting pressure so bulls have an opportunity to mature and grow some sizable antlers scoring above 125” Boone and Crockett or better. Access can be an issue later in the season if a heavy snow blankets the hills. Think ahead and get permission from area ranchers if you are planning on hunting during late October into November.

The Sweetgrass Hills are a cluster of volcanic buttes and hill rising sharply from the plains to elevations reaching 6,900 feet or more these include West Butte, Mt Brown and Royal. Some of the drainages that flow both north and south out of the hills include Sage, Little Sage, Breed, Corral and Trail. The hills rise sharply off the surround grasslands which sit at some 3,100 feet. It’s Easy to see the hills from many miles away. These are real hills/mountains that will challenge any hunter fitness so don’t be fooled by the lower elevations.

Thanks to an annual rainfall average of 18-20 inches the Sweetgrass Hills stand like an Oasis compared to the surrounding grasslands which average half the precipitation. The hills have dense stands of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine, pinyon/juniper, oak brush, sagebrush, yucca and grasses. The surrounding grasslands are made up of buffalo and blue gramma. You might find a few cottonwoods lining a creek bed out in the plains.

The Sweetgrass Hills consist of BLM land, managed as a Special Recreation Use area by the BLM, Montana State Trust Land and Standard Block Management Sweetgrass Hills Unit #13 where Program Rules Apply. The hills run about 50 miles east to west and are about 10 miles wide. They are reached by county, BLM and Block Management Areas roads.

There are some very small communities scattered along US Highway 2 and near the hills were limited food and fuel may be available. Shelby along Interstate 15 and Havre on U.S. Highway 2 are the largest towns that provide motels, café and restaurants, medical facilities and 24/7 gas and diesel.