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Elk Hunting in Montana HD 540 - South Little Belt Mountains

Those portions of Meagher and Wheatland Counties lying within the following-described boundary: Beginning at Harlowton, then westerly along US Highway 12 to Spring Creek-Whitetail Cabin Road (USFS Road 274), then northerly along said road to its intersect

HD 540 - South Little Belt Mountains

Scores

Ease of Drawing
78
 
78
Success
94
 
94
Trophy Potential
24
 
24
Public Access
35
 
35
Ease of Terrain
80
 
80
Room to Breathe
59
 
59
Opportunity
19
 
19
Convenience
5
 
5
Ease of Effort
43
 
43
65
HuntScore

Access Notes

Bureau of Land Management
US Forest Service
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Forest Service National Grasslands
Indian Reservation
State, County, City; Park and Outdoor Recreation Areas
State Wildlife/Wilderness Areas
Bureau of Reclaimation
Department of the Defense
National Park Service
State
Other Federal Land
Private

Land Ownership
Legend

Those portions of Meagher and Wheatland Counties lying within the following-described boundary: Beginning at Harlowton, then westerly along US Highway 12 to Spring Creek-Whitetail Cabin Road (USFS Road 274), then northerly along said road to its intersection with the Willow Park Road (USFS Road 189), then easterly along said road to its intersection with USFS Trail 603, then easterly along said trail to the Mt. High Lookout Tower, then easterly along USFS Road 382 to a permanent boundary marker (Wheatland/Judith Basin county line) then northeasterly along the Wheatland County line to US Highway 191, then southerly along said highway to Harlowton, the point of beginning.

County

Meagher, Wheatland

Size

584 Square Miles (373,495 Acres)

Land Ownership

35% Public, 28% USFS, 7% State

Latitude/Longitude

46.5904, -110.0916

Wildfires

Check for current or recent wildfires in this area.

Amenities

There are 0 hospitals, 0 hotels, 3 campgrounds, and 0 grocery stores within a 20 mile radius.

Elk Notes

HuntScore Tip

Public land and private land percentages can sometime be misleading. A unit may have 80% public land, but a particluar species may only occupy 20% on the entire area. And that 20% species distribution may lie 100% within private lands. Does that sound confusing? Just remember that there are always exceptions to the rule, and land ownership is just one piece of the puzzle.

State Agency Website

Visit Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Other Species in Unit

Deer, Mountain Lion,

Photos and Terrain Notes


Add a Photo

Unit Elevation Profile

HuntScore generates thousands of synthetic hikes in the unit to create an elevation profile. This profile is what you can expect to experience within a 2 mile hike from a road or trail in this unit.

Elevation in this unit ranges from 4124' to 8235' with a median elevation of 5387'. If you are preparing to hunt this unit you should train for hiking up and down slopes of 5.6%.

Distribution of Slopes From Hikes
Common Slope

This is typical incline or decline experienced while hiking from a road or trail in the unit

Elevation Range
Max Elevation: 8235'
Median Elevation: 5387'
Min Elevation: 4124'

Common Elevation Profiles

Elk Drawing Stats (2020)

Total Quota
100
Licenses Drawn
100
Licenses Surplus
0
Resident Quota
90
Nonresident Quota
10
Landowner Quota
0
Youth Quota
0
58.8%
Overall Unit
1st Choice Draw Odds
Choose a hunt below to take a deeper dive into hunt scores, drawing trends, and harvest data.
Stats Apply For Sex Manner Season Type Quota Drawn Surplus Resident Draw Odds NonResident Draw Odds Min Res. Points Min NonRes. Points
540-00-B
F
ANY
N/A
100 100 0
63.8%
34.5%
0 0

Elk Harvest Stats (2019)

Total Hunters
0
Total Harvest
350
Harvest Male
111
Harvest Female
212
0%
Average Success
Manner Season Type Sex Hunters Harvest Male Female Youth Success Rate Days Hunter
ALL
ALL
NA
N/A N/A 350
111
212
0% N/A
Any
Any
N
N/A N/A 94
34
48
0% N/A
Any
Any
R
N/A N/A 256
77
164
0% N/A
HuntScore Tip: Ever hunt a unit with a 100% success rate and not see any animals? If you're nodding your head to any of these scenarios then you're one of the people who knows that statistics are a good guide, but they aren't a guarantee.

Harvests Trends

Overall harvests trends are broken down by hunt_code, manner, season, sex, type, and species of deer (if applicable) to the extent state wildlife managers provide such data.

Total Harvest

Success Rate

Days Per Hunter (To Harvest)

Weather Insights

Weather can vary by elevation. See how weather varies by elevation within a unit by selecting an elevation range. Elevation ranges are based on weather stations in or near the unit. Not all weather elements are available within the unit.

Average Temps

Use temperature ranges to plan and prepare for your hunt. Large swings indicate a good layering system should be used. Be sure to make note of the extreme temperatures as these often pose the greatest risk to hunters. If you plan on hunting in higher elevation, as a rule of thumb, expect the tempture to decrease roughly 5° for every 1000' in elevation gain.

Precipitation

The probability of precipitation is the likelihood of experience rain, snow, hail, etc... on a given day within the month. A good trick is to invert the probability to estimate how many days will pass, on average, between precipitation events. Hover or click a month to see how many days will pass between precipitation events.

Use the average and maximum precipitation events to set expetations for what rain gear to bring. Also remember that water availability can influence wildlife patterns, so be sure to check out the current weather patterns leading up to your hunt.

Snow

Each month of the year brings it's own challenges for weather. Select a month to see what you can expect and how to prepare for extreme events.

Likely Wind Directions

Wind Speed

Sunshine




Cloud Cover




Other Weather Events

Gear Recommendations for Elk Hunting From logo

Camping

HydraPak Seeker Hydration Accessory Kit

HydraPak Seeker Hydration Accessory Kit

Versatile water storage and delivery. The Seeker Hydration Kit converts your HydraPak Seeker into a hands-free hydration system. Use inside your pack like a hydration reservoir or strap outside like a bottle.

Clothing

Element Outdoors Women's Axis Series Midweight Pants

Element Outdoors Women's Axis Series Midweight Pants

The new Axis(TM) Series pants are designed to keep you warm and scent free. Tailored for comfort and easy movement, this six-pocket pant is packed with quality features and technology. With dead quiet shell fabrics and extremely warm thermal properties with its Sherpa fleece inner fabric this is your go to pants for all mid-season hunts. All of Element Outdoors pants come with integrated knee pad pocket ready to accept EO knee pads. The days of having to use ozone treatments or cover scents are over, our garments are treated with Polygiene(R) Odor Crunch(R) which destroys not only your scent but any other scent you come in contact with.

Food

MTN OPS Biotics - Probiotics & Enzymes

MTN OPS Biotics - Probiotics & Enzymes

BIOTICS is an advanced Pre and Probiotic blend specifically formulated to increase healthy gut bacteria, while decreasing the bad gut bacteria at the same time. Properly balancing these bacterias aids in improved digestive health, stronger gut lining and combating symptoms such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and irregular stool frequency. Improve your gut health, comfort and overall well-being with BIOTICS.USAGE: For best results take 1 serving (2 capsules) 20-30 min before any meal. Take on a daily consistent basis for best results. 80% of your immune system is stored right in your gut and that is why MTN OPS BIOTICS(TM) is so important for your daily health and wellness.

Footwear

HanWag Ferrata II GTX Boots

HanWag Ferrata II GTX Boots

Climbing performance meets hiking comfort. Ideal for alpine rock climbing, demanding via ferratas and high-alpine tours in summer. Lightweight and flexible with a hybrid crampon-compatible sole.FeaturesTubeTec Rock mid sole for perfect balance of performance, comfort and durabilityTrusted Vibram "Mont Compound" and Hanwag Integral Light profile design for alpine mountaineeringModern and extremely functional cuff design with new Hanwag LFX technologyHeel welt for semi-automatic cramponsClick Clamp eyelets for 2-zone lacing

Optics

Muddy Outdoors 1300X Laser Rangefinder

Muddy Outdoors 1300X Laser Rangefinder

The Muddy LR1300X Laser Range Finder is about to be your new favorite range finder. With a 1300 yard range, this range finder works for most hunting applications. The ABS housing and durable rubber trim protect the unit to IP54 water protection specifications. Switch between yard and meters quickly and easily.

Packs

Horn Hunter Hybrid Curl Frame

Horn Hunter Hybrid Curl Frame

All New- Adjustable Torso System, fit your specific torso lengthAll New-Larger Wings to have farther reach around the packAll New-Pockets on the outside of wings. More space and organizationClick Here to see our catalog of Multi-Day PacksClick Here to see our catalog of Overnight PacksClick Here to see our catalog of Day PacksClick Here to see our catalog of Travel Packs

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