District 302, Montana

Mountainous terrain spanning approximately 5,600 to 10,500 feet elevation; Dixon Mountain reaches 9,674 feet as the range high point. The east face rises abruptly from the sagebrush-filled Red Rock River Valley. The northern portions feature Bell and Limekiln Canyons with cliffs up to 700 feet. Approximately 80% of the area has slopes of 24 degrees or less, though major topography and steep draws complicate elk retrieval. The district covers roughly 599 square miles.

Primary road access is via Montana Highway 324 running west from I-15 at Clark Canyon Reservoir toward Bannock Pass on the Continental Divide (approximately 12 miles from the highway junction to the pass). Interstate 15 forms the eastern boundary, with Dell and Dillon (35 miles north) as staging points. Medicine Lodge Road (Forest Service Road) enters from the west, and the Big Sheep Creek National Backcountry Byway approaches from the south through Garfield Canyon. Lemhi Pass Road connects to Idaho but is steep, narrow, and not suitable for trailers. The Hidden Pasture Creek Wilderness Study Area (15,509 acres, BLM) is within the district and limits motorized access in that portion. Public land access is generally good at approximately 76% public (BLM and Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, Dillon Ranger District); scattered private land parcels exist, particularly in valley bottoms. Block Management Area maps recommended for identifying enrolled private land access. No congressionally designated Wilderness in this district.

Upper elevations feature open alpine cover with scattered lakes and timbered draws. Forest and woodland (primarily Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and some mountain mahogany) covers approximately 17.6% of the district. Grasslands account for about 12.5%. The valley fringes and lower benches transition to sagebrush and native grass. The west slopes descending toward Medicine Lodge Creek support mixed conifer and shrub communities, while the eastern base grades into Red Rock River Valley sagebrush flats.

Elk are the primary big game species; the Tendoy EMU supports strong populations with a recent count of approximately 2,418 elk (moderate confidence — secondary source aggregation referencing FWP 2025 count document), above the plan objective of 1,100–2,100, partly due to elk moving in from HD 303 and cross-border movement from Idaho — confirmed by FWP Region 3 forecast. Calf recruitment has been robust over recent years with low to moderate hunting mortality. Mule deer are present throughout with general OTC hunting available; post-season classification surveys have shown above-average buck-to-doe ratios in recent years. White-tailed deer are expanding in the broader Dillon area but are found primarily on private land. Pronghorn occupy the sagebrush valley fringes. Black bears and mountain lions are present throughout timbered draws and rocky terrain. Gray wolves have been documented in the district. Bighorn sheep are being reintroduced by FWP (Wild Horse Island stock) but are not currently a huntable population. Sage grouse occupy the lower sagebrush zones.

1. Season dates updated to 2026 per current FWP website (archery Sep 5–Oct 18; general Oct 24–Nov 29; muzzleloader Dec 12–20). Draft used 2025 dates which were off by one day. 2. Elk count ~2,418 and plan objective 1,100–2,100 retained at moderate confidence; FWP forecast confirmed 'numbers were especially high in HD 302' with cross-border elk movement from Idaho and HD 303. 3. Bighorn sheep reintroduction confirmed (Wild Horse Island stock per southwestmt.com) — NOT listed as huntable; HD 303 bighorn tag suspended Oct 2024 due to disease. 4. Pronghorn presence confirmed in habitat descriptions but antelope tag applicability for deer/elk HD 302 unverified — separate district numbering system in Montana. 5. B-license quotas, hunter success rates, and harvest numbers not publicly available from sources fetched. 6. Grizzly bears documented in broader region (safety consideration only) — not huntable, not in species array.