District 540, Montana

The lower elevations begin near the Musselshell River at roughly 4,117 feet and rise into steep, timbered mountain canyons in the southeastern corner of the Little Belt range, topping out near 8,133 feet (HuntScore verified). Approximately 80 percent of the district has slopes of 23 degrees or less, though the upper National Forest terrain is characterized by steep drainages and ridgelines. The district transitions from open river-bottom and grassland benches at low elevation through rolling foothills into conifer-clad mountain terrain toward the upper extent. Median elevation is approximately 5,602 feet.

Primary road access enters from Harlowton via US Highway 12 westbound, then north via Haymaker Road, then west on Olaf Road, then north on Morrisy Road (USFS Road 6518) to the Haymaker WMA southern boundary — the final segment is rough two-track requiring 4WD. US Highway 191 forms the northeastern boundary of the district. Within the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest (Judith-Musselshell Ranger District, office in Harlowton, MT), a network of Forest Service roads and trails provides access to upper-elevation hunting areas; these roads are used seasonally and may become impassable in deep snow. The Haymaker WMA is open noon May 15 through December 1, with walk-in access from established roads only; a primitive campsite is available on a pack-in/pack-out basis. The National Forest offers dispersed camping opportunities. Public land comprises approximately 35 percent of the district (28% USFS, 7% State; source: HuntScore); the remainder is private and state land, primarily used for cattle ranching, which can limit access in the lower-elevation winter range areas. Block Management Areas (BMAs) administered through FWP Region 5 provide some structured walk-in access to enrolled private lands; current BMA maps are updated annually at fwp.mt.gov or via the FWP Hunt Planner. No designated Wilderness areas exist within this district.

Lower elevations feature sagebrush-grassland, riparian cottonwood-willow corridors along the Musselshell River drainage, and mixed-grass prairie. Mid-elevations support ponderosa pine and juniper parks transitioning into dense lodgepole pine. Upper National Forest terrain holds spruce-fir and mixed-conifer stands. Limestone geology throughout produces cliff and bluff features that break up the conifer canopy. The Haymaker WMA (1,334 acres, Wheatland County, elevation 5,703 ft) was purchased in 1957 and is managed primarily as elk winter range; it includes native grasses and shrubs.

Elk are the focal big-game species; the district supports a wintering herd that concentrates in the Haymaker WMA area and surrounding private lands late in the season, with upper National Forest drainages holding summer and early-season populations. FWP proposed removing the late elk season in HD 540 for 2026-2027 citing three-year average elk counts approaching the lower bound of the 1,500-2,000 management objective — confirm current season structure before hunting. Mule deer and white-tailed deer are both present, with mule deer more prevalent in rocky foothills and whitetails in riparian corridors; populations have been recovering and trending upward in the South Little Belt Mountains area in recent years. Black bear inhabits the timbered upper elevations and is confirmed as a hunting target at the Haymaker WMA; mandatory food storage is required in the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest due to bear activity. Mountain lion is present in the district; current season status should be verified at fwp.mt.gov as regulations change annually. Blue grouse inhabit the conifer-forested slopes and are confirmed at Haymaker WMA. Pronghorn are consistent with the lower grassland-prairie geography near the Musselshell River valley but open-season status in HD 540 specifically should be confirmed in current regulations. Bighorn sheep reintroduction to the broader Little Belt Mountains began December 2020 (South Fork Judith River drainage); huntable populations in HD 540 have not been confirmed. Gray wolf presence is possible given the broader central Montana range.