Elk Hunting in Montana HD 540 - South Little Belt Mountains
Numbers of elk observed during post-season aerial surveys in this EMU have increased since the 1992 Elk Management Plan (Figure 1). The average number of elk observed in the EMU during post-season (late winter-early spring) aerial surveys in 2001-2003 ...
Scores
Access Notes
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.
Access varies across the EMU and among hunting districts. Portions of the EMU currently have high road densities, providing easy access by vehicle, but other areas are reasonably remote and better ... Create a free account to read the rest of this access note!
Elk Notes
Numbers of elk observed during post-season aerial surveys in this EMU have increased since the 1992 Elk Management Plan (Figure 1). The average number of elk observed in the EMU during post-season ... Create a free account to read the rest of this elk hunting note!
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
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Businesses Serving Elk Hunters In HD 540 - South Little Belt Mountains
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Photos and Terrain Notes
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 4117' to 8133' with a median elevation of 5602'. If you are preparing to hunt this unit you should train for hiking up and down slopes of 6.3%.
This is typical incline or decline experienced while hiking from a road or trail in the unit
Common Elevation Profiles
Elk Over The Counter Hunts (2020)
| Residency | Species Deer | Sex | Manner | Season | Type | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
RS
|
|
E
|
ANY
|
G
|
OTC
|
all archery only seasons: 09/05 - 10/18, all regular rifle seasons: 10/24 - 11/29 |
Elk Drawing Stats (2021)
1st Choice Draw Odds
| Stats | Apply For | Sex | Manner | Season | Type | Quota | Drawn | Surplus | Resident Draw Odds | NonResident Draw Odds | Min Res. Points | Min NonRes. Points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 595-00-B |
F
|
ANY
|
G
|
|
3500 | 1809 | 1691 |
100%
|
100%
|
0 | 0 | Not valid on National Forest Lands or FWP WMAs. 595-00 license holders may also use an unused General Elk License to harvest antlerless elk. 595- 00 and General Elk License not valid on National Forest Lands or FWP WMAs after general season. | |
| 595-00-B |
F
|
ANY
|
G
|
|
3500 | 1809 | 1691 |
100%
|
100%
|
0 | 0 | Not valid on National Forest Lands or FWP WMAs. 595-00 license holders may also use an unused General Elk License to harvest antlerless elk. 595- 00 and General Elk License not valid on National Forest Lands or FWP WMAs after general season. | |
| 540-00-B |
F
|
ANY
|
G
|
|
100 | 100 | 0 |
57.9%
|
22.2%
|
0 | 0 | ||
| 005-00-B |
F
|
ANY
|
G
|
|
2500 | 584 | 1916 |
100%
|
100%
|
0 | 0 | Not valid on National Forest lands. |
Elk Harvest Stats (2021)
| Manner | Season | Type | Sex | Hunters | Harvest | Male | Female | Youth | Success Rate | Days Hunter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ALL
|
ALL
|
NA
|
N/A | 0 | 268 |
119
|
134
|
0
|
0% | 0 |
|
Any
|
Any
|
N
|
N/A | 0 | 103 |
68
|
32
|
0
|
0% | 0 |
|
Any
|
Any
|
R
|
N/A | 0 | 165 |
52
|
102
|
0
|
0% | 0 |
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
Avg. Days Hunted
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.
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- Snow depth by month
- Min/Max precip and snow depth
- Average # of days between precip or snow event
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- Sunshine and cloud cover stats by month
- Probability of other weather events (thunder, hail, etc...) by by month
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
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