District 317, Montana

Terrain is extremely rugged and steep, with 80% of the public land area having slopes of 36 degrees or greater. Elevation ranges from approximately 4,500 feet along the Yellowstone River valley floor to peaks exceeding 11,200 feet in the Absaroka-Beartooth ranges. The district spans a dramatic relief gradient from river-bottom bottomlands to alpine tundra and glacially sculpted high country in the wilderness core.

Approximately 67% of the district is public land (roughly 63% USFS, 2% BLM, 2% State); the valley floor along the Yellowstone River is predominantly private. US Highway 89 runs north-south through the district between Livingston and Gardiner, providing the main highway corridor. The Yellowstone Ranger District office (Custer Gallatin National Forest) is at 5242 Highway 89 South, Livingston — the primary contact for Motor Vehicle Use Maps and road conditions (406-222-1892). Principal trailhead drainages providing access into the national forest and wilderness are Mill Creek, Pine Creek (Pine Creek Campground, approximately 13 miles south of Livingston), and Six Mile Creek; trailheads at each penetrate large blocks of national forest and connect to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. The Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in the southeastern half of the district contains over 180 miles of hiking and pack trails and is extremely rugged — horse access is recommended for extended wilderness trips. Approximately 50% of the district provides backcountry hunting opportunity (foot or horse only); the remaining area ranges from minimal to moderately-high motorized access via Forest Service roads. Access to elk habitat on private land not enrolled in the Block Management Program can be difficult to obtain.

The lower Yellowstone River valley supports cottonwood-willow riparian corridors and irrigated hay meadows (mostly private). Mid-elevation slopes on the national forest carry dense lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir forest. Higher elevations transition to whitebark pine parklands and subalpine meadows before giving way to alpine tundra and exposed rock above treeline. Old-growth conifer pockets occur throughout the wilderness drainages. The valley-forest interface on private and state land near Livingston provides winter range for both deer and elk.

Elk are the primary big game draw; the district holds a robust, partially migratory population. The southern end depends on elk that move north out of Yellowstone National Park seasonally, while the northern end holds more resident elk. The 2025 winter count was 2,012 elk (3-year average 1,856), above the management objective range of 900–1,700 (source: FWP Region 3 Elk Commission Proposal, Dec 2025). The 317-00 B-license antlerless elk quota was 500 at time of December 2025 proposal, with expansion to a 50–1,000 range approved for 2026. A significant proportion of elk use private lands in the valley, particularly outside the archery season rut period. Mule deer are present from valley floor to high peaks but numbers are low; white-tailed deer are concentrated on private valley land near the Yellowstone River. Mountain lion are present throughout the forested slopes. Grizzly bears are abundant — the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness supports a large grizzly population and bear awareness is essential for all hunters. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat occupy the high-country terrain of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in the southeastern portion of the district. Black bear are present on forested slopes.

1. The 317-00 B-license antlerless elk quota was 500 at time of December 2025 FWP Commission proposal; expansion to range 50-1000 was proposed for 2026 (confirmed via FWP PDF). 2. The 2025 winter count of 2,012 and 3-year average of 1,856 elk are confirmed directly from the FWP Commission document. 3. The harvest figure of 1,010 and 27.2% success rate are from 2021 HuntScore data (most recent available in open sources) and represent combined all-species figures, not elk-specific. 4. Season dates provided are 2025 general Montana Region 3 dates; exact district-specific dates should be verified in the current FWP regulations booklet. 5. Grizzly bear are present and abundant but are NOT a huntable species; not included in species array. 6. Bighorn sheep and mountain goat are confirmed present in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness portion of the district; specific permit unit overlap with HD 317 boundaries should be verified in current FWP MSGB regulations. 7. The Yellowstone Ranger District office address (5242 Highway 89 South, Livingston, 406-222-1892) is confirmed from USFS website.