Unit 100 District 100 (Region 1)
Rain-forest timber in Montana's far northwest corner — whitetail thickets, black bears, and full-on grizzly country.
North Kootenai / Yaak — Region 1 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,407
sq mi
Public land
80%
approx.
Elevation
1,900–7,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
District 100 is the North Kootenai unit, blanketing the Yaak River drainage and the country north and west of Libby and Troy in Montana's remote northwest corner. It is a low-elevation, inland-rainforest landscape of dense conifer, cutover logging blocks, and brushy river bottoms — thick, wet, and hunted hard where the roads reach. Deer (primarily whitetail) and black bear are the bread-and-butter here; elk are present but sparse and difficult in the timber. The entire district sits inside the Cabinet-Yaak grizzly recovery zone, so bear awareness is not optional.
Terrain
Steep, timbered mountains split by the Yaak and Kootenai river drainages; low valley bottoms rise to forested ridges and scattered rocky peaks.
Cover: Wet inland-rainforest conifer — cedar, hemlock, larch, fir and spruce — with heavy brush, huckleberry, and dense regrowth in old clearcuts. River bottoms hold cottonwood and willow.
Landmarks: Yaak River · Kootenai River · Kootenai National Forest · Northwest Peaks Scenic Area · Town of Yaak · Town of Troy
Access
Overwhelmingly Kootenai National Forest, so public access is excellent, but private timberland and small ranches cluster along the Yaak and Kootenai bottoms — the best whitetail ground. Several private and corporate-timber parcels are enrolled in FWP's Block Management program for free public hunting; check the current BMA rosters and maps. State trust (DNRC) parcels are open with a conservation/recreation permit.
Managers: USFS Kootenai NF, private timber + ranch (with Block Management), MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Yaak River Road (FS 68) · Pipe Creek Road out of Libby · Bull Lake / Hwy 56 corridor · numerous gated and open Kootenai NF logging spurs
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityThe signature deer of the Yaak — concentrated in river bottoms, ag edges, and brushy logged blocks. Numbers ride hard on winter severity.
- →Hunt cutover edges and old clearcuts where regrowth meets timber
- →Glass logged hillsides at first and last light
- →Still-hunt the Yaak and Kootenai bottoms during the November rut
- →Watch for CWD sampling requirements in the Libby management zone
Mule Deer
limited opportunityPresent but far outnumbered by whitetail; a few bucks hold on higher, more open ridgelines and burns.
- →Climb above the wet valley timber to open ridges and rock
- →Glass high basins and old burns in early season
- →Expect low densities — this is whitetail country first
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk exist in scattered bands but the thick, wet timber makes them tough to find and tougher to kill; success is low.
- →Focus on huckleberry brushfields and logged openings for feed
- →Work fresh cuts and north-slope timber pockets
- →Cover ground on the logging-road network to locate the few small herds
Black Bear
abundant qualityBlack bear are genuinely abundant in the Yaak's berry-rich timber — one of the district's real draws in spring and fall.
- →Glass green-up avalanche chutes and logged openings in spring
- →Key on huckleberry and mountain-ash in fall
- →Confirm color-phase and species carefully — grizzlies share this ground
Moose
limited opportunityShiras moose scatter through willow bottoms and wet drainages; a coveted, limited-permit species here.
- →Hunt willow flats and beaver-pond complexes
- →Glass wet meadows at dawn and dusk
Cougar
common qualityStrong lion numbers follow the healthy deer herds; a winter hound-and-snow pursuit.
- →Cut roads and ridgelines for fresh tracks after snow
- →Follow the deer wintering areas
Pro tips
- →Whitetail live in the bottoms and the cuts — spend your time on private-edge and Block Management ground along the Yaak and Kootenai, not the high timber
- →Learn the CWD management-zone boundaries around Libby; carcass-transport and sampling rules apply
- →Black bear over huckleberries is arguably the best opportunity in the district — plan a fall bear tag
- →Rain gear and dry boots matter as much as your rifle in this inland rainforest
- →Use the logging-road grid to cover country, then still-hunt the wet timber slowly
Watch out for
- !Full grizzly country — the entire HD is inside the Cabinet-Yaak recovery zone; carry bear spray, hunt alert, and be certain of your bear before shooting
- !CWD management zone around Libby affects carcass transport and may require sampling
- !Private timber and ranch parcels along the bottoms are the good deer ground — know the boundaries and use Block Management legally
- !Wet weather turns dirt roads and clearcut skids slick; carry recovery gear
- !Easy to get turned around in the dense, uniform timber — navigation aids essential
Logistics
Base out of Libby or Troy for fuel, groceries, and lodging; the Yaak has a bar and store but little else. Cell coverage disappears fast off the highways — carry a paper map or GPS and a satellite messenger. Roads are a dense logging network but many spurs gate seasonally.
Nearest towns: Yaak, Troy, Libby, Rexford
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP Deer/Elk HD 100 North Kootenai map · MTFWP Region 1 hunting information · USFS Kootenai National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 100 in Montana?
- Unit 100 (District 100 (Region 1)) covers about 1,407 square miles, ranging from roughly 1,900 to 7,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 100?
- Approximately 80% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Kootenai NF, private timber + ranch (with Block Management), MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 100?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Black Bear, Moose, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 100 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.