District 690, Montana

The Bears Paw Mountains form an isolated volcanic island range (Eocene igneous intrusions) extending in a 45-mile arc between the Missouri River and the Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, beginning approximately 10–15 miles south of Havre. Baldy Mountain, the highest point, reaches 6,916 feet; valley floors and surrounding plains drop to roughly 2,400 feet, giving an elevation range of approximately 2,400–6,916 feet. Outside the mountains, terrain is rolling mixed-grass prairie, coulees, and dryland agricultural benchlands. The Missouri River Breaks corridor in the southern portion of the district adds rugged badlands-style topography along the river.

Public land access is severely constrained — only about 11% of the district is publicly accessible (approximately 2% BLM, 9% Montana state school trust land). The Rocky Boy Indian Reservation occupies a central block of the Bears Paw Mountains and is closed to non-tribal hunting. Most of the remaining Bears Paw Mountain terrain is private ranch land. US Highway 2 runs through Havre to the north; the district is entered from Chinook (US-2, Blaine County seat) via paved road south approximately 25 miles before transitioning to gravel county roads into the mountains. The community of Cleveland lies in the Bear Paw foothills. State trust land requires a Montana State Recreational Use License. Montana FWP Region 6 Block Management Areas provide the primary mechanism for accessing private land in the district — Region 6 enrolls 454 properties totaling over 1,478,129 acres statewide, but HD 690 BMA availability is limited and maps are posted by mid-August each year at the FWP Havre regional office (406-265-6177). There is no National Forest and no wilderness area within this district. The Missouri River Breaks section in the south is accessed via unimproved roads off US-191 near Winifred; the Stafford-McClelland ferry provides a river crossing on some routes. Private land permission or outfitter access is typically required for quality elk hunting.

The Bears Paw Mountains support ponderosa pine and conifer forest on the slopes with scattered Douglas-fir. Riparian corridors along creek drainages hold cottonwood and willow. The surrounding lowlands and foothills are dominated by mixed-grass prairie, sagebrush, and both dryland and irrigated cropland. The Missouri River Breaks section in the south adds juniper and sagebrush breaks habitat. The mountain pockets of timber and edge cover adjacent to open slopes are the primary elk habitat in the district.

Elk are the marquee species; the Bears Paw Mountains hold a herd recognized as producing some of the largest trophy bulls in Montana, with 2023 survey populations running 63% above the long-term average. Elk concentrate in the timbered mountain pockets and edge habitats, with bulls pushing along reservation borders. The district also holds both mule deer and white-tailed deer — mule deer in the breaks and prairie coulees, white-tails near agricultural edges and riparian corridors. Pronghorn occupy the open prairie and agricultural lands throughout the district; quotas were increased in HD 690 following observed population growth. Mountain lion are present in the Bears Paw Mountains. Black bear are present and huntable. Gray wolf presence has been documented in north-central Montana and they are present in the region. A grizzly bear was documented on video in the Bears Paw Mountains in 2024, suggesting occasional grizzly movement into the range, which affects black bear identification requirements for hunters.