Quick Tips
- You need to be in good physical condition
- Bring good optics and good quality clothing that can withstand the elements
- Always pack bear spray as you are in grizzly country
| species | general Size | trophy potential |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep | 140"-160" | 165"+ |
On The Ground
This hunt district is in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness area in south central Montana. It is a rugged mountainous area with many high peaks and numerous alpine basins and massive plateaus above timberline. This district is located north of Yellowstone National Park, and Red Lodge is on the northern boundary.
The wonderful thing about this district is it is unlimited, which means anyone can buy a bighorn sheep tag and go hunting. It is a huge area and the sheep can be difficult to locate. This district has a stable sheep population. There are approximately 25 to 30 sheep in this district. This herd is the longest documented migrating herd in the US and most of these sheep summer in Yellowstone National Park.
Terrain
The northern portion of the district starts out in the creek bottoms and it is a gradual start but soon gets steep. The mountains are very steep from the creek to the tops of the peaks. The valleys are quite long and the headwaters are above timberline. From here it is talus slopes and boulder fields leading you up to the rocky ridges, rock peaks and immense plateaus that make up a majority of the area. There are numerous subalpine basins and many of them have lakes in them.
Roughly 417 square miles
75.1% public land
Elevations from 6,000-12,000 feet
Vegetation
The stream bottoms are timbered with spruce, fir and pine conifers. The next elevation is covered with subalpine grasses and scattered subalpine conifers. This area is mixed with boulder fields, rocky ridges and extremely steep faces. From here you are into the steep talus slopes leading up to the rocky peaks, only moss and lichens are found in this zone. Most of the district is high elevation plateaus of alpine grasses and forbs.
Access
There are several access points into this district. Generally speaking the access on the north starts at East Rosebud at 6,000 feet. Running through the middle of the district is Highway 212 which will take you to the top of the Beartooth Plateau and access to Hellroaring Plateau and Line Creek Plateau. Highway 212 will also access Rock Creek. There are good Forest Service trails throughout the district. Most of the hunting will be on foot.
ATVs are not allowed in any part of this district
Hiking will be strenuous, it is all very steep terrain, rocky and at high elevation
Camping and Lodging
You need to bring all of your camping gear if you are hunting early and camping in the wilderness. There are spectacular places to camp throughout this district. Many are next to an alpine lake full of trout. Late in the season hunting can be accomplished by day hiking from Highway 212. Motels, gas and restaurants are available in Red Lodge.
Historical Temperatures
High
Low
Moon Phases
March 2025
23
24
25
26
27
28
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
1
2
3
4
5