Quick Tips
- Good optics and be patient, hunting will get better later in the season
- Wait for sheep to move down, hunting is much better later in the season
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep | 170"-175" | 185"+ |
On The Ground
This district is located west of Missoula along the Clark Fork River in beautiful northwest Montana. This district provides a great sheep hunting opportunity with limited competition, and good spot and stalk terrain.
This district is a recovering sheep herd that had a large die off several years ago. The numbers seem to be coming back, and the recent tag holders have harvested some good rams. The district is large, but the majority of the sheep densities are in the northern half of the Petty Creek drainage.
Terrain
Terrain will vary from the upper portions of the district being over 7,000 feet in elevation and more heavily timbered, to the lower portion having more rocky faces. The Clark Fork River makes up the northern district boundary. The terrain is fairly steep and rocky just above the river. The Fish Creek drainage and Petty Creek drainage are very steep also.
Roughly 301 square miles
72.8% public land
Elevations from 2,900-7,270 feet
Vegetation
The sheep will spend their summers at higher elevations which consist of large Douglas fir, ponderosa pines and grassy slopes. The middle elevations consist of open faced rock slopes with grass and some dense pocket of Douglas fir. During the rut sheep can be found closer to the river which consists of open rocky faces, shale slides, grass meadows and occasional pockets of timber.
Access
The sheep will remain in the upper portions of the district during September and the first parts of October. Later in the season rams will make their way to lower elevations to rut, glassing from road systems you can cover parts of the district. Access can be gained from some landowners along Petty Creek Road. The majority of district is public land and part of the Lolo National Forest. A GPS with landownership is recommended for finding the portions of National Forest that are access points.
Camping and Lodging
Most hunters will stay in Missoula, this city is used to accommodating hunters and has numerous hotels, restaurants, sporting goods stores and gas stations. Another option for lodging is Superior. It is much smaller but does provide some lodging, fuel, restaurants and would lower drive time to the district. There are many dispersed campsites and camping is allowed on public lands.
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