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
- High quality optics can be extremely beneficial
On The Ground
This district includes portions of Carbon, Sweet Grass and Park Counties and lies south of the communities of Livingston and Big Timber. Yellowstone National Park and the Wyoming State line create the southern boundary. Wolves can be found wandering the district but packs will spend the bulk of their time in YNP.
Decent populations of wolves can be found here at times but with the ruggedness of the country most hunters will find easier hunting options in surrounding areas.
Terrain
Rocky, steep-sloped ridges and mountains, barren ridges, deep drainages, hundreds of alpine lakes and basins, along with large portions of the Absaroka Range and the Beartooth Mountains ranges above timberline create a demanding and challenging district. Trails can be found throughout this district although these typically follow primary ridgelines and creek bottoms. Any type of cross country travel will be very physically taxing.
Roughly 450 square miles
98% public land
Elevations range from 7,000 - 10,500 feet
Vegetation
Thousands of acres of alpine plateaus are carpeted with wildflowers of all varieties, moss and lichens including large expanses of tundra. Much of the mountain slopes are solid rock faces with little vegetation. The slopes with cover are made up of dense stands of spruce, fir and pine. Willows line creek bottoms and small parks have lush grasses.
Access
Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness is extremely hard to access even with a network of over 180 miles of hiking and pack trails. A system of Forest Service roads lead to trailheads heading into the wilderness. Severe weather can shut down access trails and strand hunters in the backcountry. Know the weather reports for the timing of your hunt.
Camping and Lodging
Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness/Custer Gallatin National Forest restricts camping up to 16 days. The communities of Red Lodge, Gardiner, Big Timber, and Livingston provide a variety of motels, cafés and restaurants, medical facilities and gas and diesel. The distance from the wilderness area to towns may exceed 40 miles.
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