District 670, Montana

Mostly flat to gently rolling glaciated shortgrass prairie and agricultural benchland, broken by river bottoms, coulee drainages, and scattered badlands-style breaks. Elevation ranges from approximately 2,200 to 3,300 feet. Significant relief is confined to coulee walls and the rolling terrain near the Bitter Creek drainage; the Bitter Creek WSA itself shows only about 500 feet of total elevation change across its 59,000-acre footprint.

Primary highway access is U.S. Highway 2, running east-west through the district from Hinsdale to Glasgow. The Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area (59,000 acres, BLM-managed, north Valley County) is accessible via Britsch Road — turn north off Hwy 2 approximately 20 miles west of Glasgow; first 8–9.5 miles is gravel, then continue approximately 4–5 more miles to the southern WSA boundary. High-clearance vehicles required; roads become impassable when wet. A second approach is via Kerr Road, turning west off Hwy 24 approximately 15 miles south of Opheim. The WSA has no designated trails. BLM and Montana state land parcels are scattered throughout the district, accounting for roughly 44–45% of total area; the remainder is private agricultural land. Access to private land requires landowner permission. Fort Peck Reservoir (southeastern edge of district area) offers public camping. There are no National Forests or designated Wilderness Act areas within HD 670; the Bitter Creek WSA is the only roadless public backcountry block of note. Most hunters operate from Glasgow or Hinsdale as a base.

Dominant cover is shortgrass and mixed-grass prairie interspersed with sagebrush flats. River bottoms along the Milk River and tributaries support cottonwood gallery forest and riparian shrub. Coulee breaks feature ponderosa pine, juniper, and shrubby draws mixed with prairie grasses and cactus. Agricultural fields — primarily dryland wheat and alfalfa — occupy large tracts of private land throughout the district. The Bitter Creek WSA is recognized as one of the largest remaining intact shortgrass prairie wilderness landscapes in the region.

White-tailed deer are present throughout riparian corridors and agricultural edges; populations were historically robust but have been affected by Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) — HD 670 falls within a CWD-affected region. Confirm current CWD zone status and any carcass transport restrictions before hunting. Mule deer are concentrated in the northern portions of the district and undergo a notable late-season migration southward from Canada's Grasslands National Park when weather deteriorates, occasionally producing large bucks. Pronghorn antelope are present on the open prairie; 2025 aerial surveys showed strong numbers and FWP increased license quotas in HD 670 as part of regional increases in HDs 600, 620, 650, 670, and 690. Elk are present but sparse — resident herds exist and appear to be growing, but elk are described as few and far between relative to other Montana districts. Black bear and mountain lion occur but are not a primary draw in this prairie-dominated district. Sharp-tailed grouse and other upland game birds are present on the prairie.

1. County boundaries for HD 670: primarily Valley County plus portions of Phillips, Daniels, Sheridan, and Roosevelt counties — confirm against FWP official GIS boundary. 2. Public land percentage (45%) derived from GoHunt reported 44.8% figure; not independently verified. 3. Britsch Road access mileage: BLM states 9.5 miles gravel + 4.5 more to WSA; VisitMT states 15 miles total with 8 gravel — both confirm high-clearance required. 4. B-license quota for Region 6 antlerless whitetail (006-00, up to four per hunter) described as OTC; district-specific quota not confirmed — verify via Montana FWP MyFWP portal. 5. Elk tag structure for HD 670 requires confirmation: prairie Region 6 districts may allow general elk license but some have B-license restrictions. 6. CWD presence in HD 670 region is noted; specific CWD management zone assignment and current carcass transport restrictions should be confirmed with FWP before hunting. 7. Season dates are 2026 FWP-posted dates confirmed from fwp.mt.gov. 8. Pronghorn quota increase for 2025 in HD 670 cluster (HDs 600, 620, 650, 670, 690) cited from draft; could not independently confirm from fetched FWP pages — treat as unconfirmed. 9. No bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or moose records found for HD 670.