Quick Tips
- Listening or calling into remote canyons can be a great way to locate packs
- Locating packs can be easier during periods of heavy snow
- Four Wheelers and snowmobiles can be excellent for late season transportation
On The Ground
This hunting district is found in western Montana, just east of Missoula. This district encompasses a huge area and features some vastly different terrain types. Hunters will, at times, find wolves closer to roads but a massive amount of roadless country is also available to anyone willing to put in the work to access it. Glassing opportunities are generally fairly good here and will likely be one of the main tactics for initially locating packs.
This area is heavily hunted by deer and elk hunters and most wolf kills come as a result of this. Hunters looking to specifically target wolves can still do great here.
Terrain
Ridges rise and fall very steeply in this country, but thanks to the many logging, ranch, and mining roads, hunters will find little trouble in gaining access throughout most of the unit. Additionally, there are plenty of areas for those looking to distance themselves from the crowds and hunt remote areas. Most of this unit will be very steep with a lot of elevation gain/loss between drainages. Expect lots of physical effort when traveling off the trail or road. Large parcels of the hunting district have been badly burned; while these areas provide great feed and glassing opportunities, they can also be a chore to navigate due to the amount of dead fall timber.
Roughly 2,800 square miles
61% public land
Elevations range from 3,500 - 9,400 feet
Vegetation
Hunters will find a wide array of vegetation in this area, however, ground cover here is decreased in abundance and density as compared to some of the western districts. Sprawling sage flats cover the lowlands on the eastern side of the district, while the western half is home to lodgepole and subalpine fir. Nearly every tree species found in the state can be found to some degree in this unit with ponderosa, fir, and lodgepole being the most abundant.
Access
This area consists of mostly publicly accessible land and hunters will have little to no trouble finding their way into huntable locations. The western half of the unit will be covered in logging and mining roads, giving hunters plenty of options to access areas, though plenty of backcountry areas can be found including those found in the Welcome Creek Wilderness. On the eastern half of the unit, expect to find a high abundance of private lands in the lower elevations which can ultimately lead to obvious access issues. Land ownership maps can be a big help in these situations.
Camping and Lodging
Hunters will find some lodging options in the smaller towns of Drummond and Phillipsburg, but most lodging will be found in Deer Lodge and Butte. Groceries and other amenities can be found in the great supply in both Butte and Deer Lodge as well.
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