District 413, Montana

Terrain transitions sharply from flat agricultural prairie in the north (around Great Falls and Ulm, elevations 3,300–3,700 ft) to heavily forested, steep mountain ridges and deep drainages in the south. The Little Belt Mountains feature broad, gently curving ridges (lacking the sharpness of glaciated ranges) with bands of limestone bluffs. Elevation ranges from approximately 3,300 ft at the Missouri River lowlands to about 8,100 ft on the higher peaks; Kings Hill Pass on US 89 reaches 7,393 ft. Drainages including Tenderfoot Creek, South Fork Tenderfoot Creek, and tributaries of the Smith River incise deeply into the range. Cross-country travel in the forested draws is described as very difficult.

Primary access highway is US 89 (Kings Hill Scenic Byway), which bisects the Little Belt Mountains north-south and serves as the eastern boundary of the post-2026 HD 413. The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest administers the higher-elevation forest lands, accessible via a well-distributed network of forest roads — most gravel roads are passable by standard vehicles. Campgrounds on Forest land include Aspen (along Belt Creek off US 89), Dry Wolf, Hay Canyon, and Jellison Place. The northern lowland portion is predominantly private agricultural land; FWP Region 4 Block Management Program (approximately 156 BMAs covering 1.3 million acres statewide) provides fee-free access to some private lands — contact FWP Region 4 at (406) 454-5862 for current BMA maps. Public land is concentrated in the forested southern and higher-elevation portions; remote areas offering seclusion are found in the southern reaches via the Tenderfoot Creek drainage system.

The district spans a gradient from wheat and hay croplands with shallow coulees in the northern prairie, transitioning to sagebrush-grassland foothills, then into dense coniferous forest covering the mountains. The forested zone is primarily spruce-fir and lodgepole pine, with ponderosa pine on lower, drier south-facing slopes. Open parks and meadows break up the forest at mid-to-upper elevations. Riparian corridors line Tenderfoot Creek, the South Fork, and Smith River. Limestone bluffs create habitat diversity within the evergreen forest belt.

Elk are the signature big game species in the forested mountain terrain west of US Hwy 89. The NW Little Belt EMU (HD 413) recorded 1,131 elk in the 2024 winter survey against a 10-year average of 1,090, with a management goal range of 700–1,000 (status: Above). FWP notes that the majority of elk in the combined pre-split HD 413 surveys were concentrated east of US Hwy 89 (now HD 432); no game damage complaints were recorded west of Hwy 89, indicating lower elk density in the western (retained) HD 413. White-tailed deer are abundant throughout, with particularly high densities in the riparian bottoms near the Missouri River south of Great Falls; FWP confirmed CWD presence in Great Falls and is actively seeking harvest to reduce density and disease risk. Mule deer are present in the northern prairie fringe but have been struggling in the Little Belt Mountains proper. Black bears are common in the forested zone; mandatory food storage applies on Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest lands. Mountain lions are present in rugged terrain. Moose are noted anecdotally in Little Belt drainages; gray wolves are present regionally though specific pack territories within this district are not documented in FWP sources.

1. BOUNDARY SPLIT (2026): FWP confirmed split of combined HD 413 back into historic HD 413 (west of US Hwy 89) and HD 432 (east of US Hwy 89, including Yogo Peak and Dry Wolf Creek). The combined district was created in 2022 and split back effective 2026-27 season. 2. ELK DENSITY CORRECTION: FWP explicitly states the majority of elk in pre-split HD 413 surveys (and all game damage complaints) were east of Hwy 89 — now HD 432. The western HD 413 had lower elk density; no early/late shoulder seasons are warranted west of Hwy 89. 3. PUBLIC LAND PCT: 36% per HuntScore (33% USFS, 1% BLM, 2% State); GoHunt states 39% — slight methodology discrepancy. 4. WTD LATE SEASON: Confirmed new late antlerless white-tailed deer season Nov 29–Jan 15 applies only to a defined northwest sub-area (north of Wilson Butte Rd and west of 13th Street South, near Great Falls). 5. CWD: Confirmed present in Great Falls per FWP biologist documentation. 6. HARVEST DATA: Combined 2021 HuntScore figures (1,901 hunters / 1,401 harvest / 30.6% success) are pre-split and not species-specific. 7. ELK COUNT: 2024 survey = 1,131 observed; 10-yr average 1,090; goal range 700–1,000; status Above (confirmed from FWP 2024 elk counts report).