- GPS maps and topo maps are helpful
- Carry extra fuel and food
Species | General Size | Trophy Potential |
---|
Mule Deer | 120"-120" | 140"+ |
Whitetail Deer | N/A | 130"+ |
Elk | 260"-280" | 300"+ |
This hunt district takes in large portions Deer Lodge and Granite Counties. The Beaverhead – Deerlodge National Forest provides thousands of acres of public access. 6,700 acre Garrity Wildlife Management Area and 2,000 acre Christensen Block Management Area offers opportunities for mule deer, whitetail deer and elk. The majority of the land in the eastern portions are private.
Mature bull elk, mule deer and whitetail deer can be expected to be seen in this district. Bulls and mule deer may start the season high up on the Continental Divide, but move lower once the weather turns colder or hunting pressure moves them to ridges and drainages below 8,000 feet. Whitetail bucks can be expected to be near creek bottoms throughout the entire year. Block Management and Wildlife Management areas have a tendency to concentrate hunters later in the season.
The Continental Divide with peaks reaching over 10,000 feet travels from Storm Lake Pass to Grassy Mountain and includes small portions of Anaconda Pintler Wilderness and Mount Haggen Wildlife Management Area. Georgetown Lake at an elevation over 6,000 feet is a large reservoir storing snowmelt from the surrounding mountains. The steep mountains give way to Yankee Flat with Warm Springs Creek flowing through it in the northern portion. At 7,000 foot Queener Basin lies below 10,000 Queener Mountain. A few large meadows dot the mountain sides.
The north facing slopes have thick forest of ponderosa, lodgepole pine, spruce and fir with some groves of aspen. Creek bottoms along Warm Springs are lined with cottonwood and willows. Alpine meadows and lakes have areas of lush grassy meadows during the summer and early fall. Lower elevation open parks have thick grass and many varieties of forbs. Sagebrush, mountain shrubs and pines can be found in foothill areas.
Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest offers a good system of Forest Service roads, some leading to alpine lakes. Trailheads provide jump off locations to pack trails into the northern sections of the Anaconda Pintler Wilderness and Mount Haggen Wildlife Management Area. For those who can handle the hike old logging roads provide access into some isolated drainages and basins.
Developed and dispersed camping is allowed on the Beaverhead/Deerlodge National Forest. Many sites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and some may be reserved. Forest-wide stay limit in an area, campsite, or developed campground is limited to 16 accumulated days within any 30 day period. Anaconda is the closest community providing motels, RV Parks, cafés and restaurants, limited medical care and service stations.
Roughly 191 square miles
56.1% public land
Elevations from 5,800-10,600 feet