Unit 281 District 281 (Region 2)
Continental Divide timber and Blackfoot headwaters around the town of Lincoln
Upper Blackfoot / Lincoln — Region 2 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
379
sq mi
Public land
65%
approx.
Elevation
4,100–8,100
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 281 (Upper Blackfoot) covers the headwaters of the Blackfoot River around Lincoln in Powell and Lewis & Clark Counties, running up to Rogers Pass and the Landers Fork on the Continental Divide. It is a mix of national-forest timber, the Blackfoot valley bottom, and foothills at the western edge of the Rocky Mountain Front. Elk, both deer species, and black bear are the draw, and the whole district sits squarely in occupied grizzly country.
Terrain
Broad Blackfoot valley floor rising into steep, heavily timbered mountains and the Continental Divide crest near Rogers Pass and the Landers Fork.
Cover: Douglas-fir and lodgepole on the slopes with spruce-fir higher up, sagebrush and grass benches on the valley floor, and willow-cottonwood bottoms along the Blackfoot and its tributaries.
Landmarks: Rogers Pass · Continental Divide · Landers Fork of the Blackfoot · Upper Blackfoot River · Beaver Creek · town of Lincoln · Stemple Pass area
Access
A workable public/private mix: large blocks of Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest cover the higher slopes and Divide country, while the Blackfoot valley floor around Lincoln is a patchwork of private ranch and forest. Check FWP Block Management for enrolled private parcels that open valley and foothill ground, and use DNRC state-trust sections with the required recreational use license.
Managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, USFS Lolo NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Highway 200 corridor through Lincoln · Rogers Pass on Highway 200 · Landers Fork / Beaver Creek Road · Stemple Pass Road · numerous USFS roads off Highway 200
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk use the timbered Continental Divide slopes and move between forest security cover and valley meadows; classic mountain elk hunting near Lincoln.
- →Hunt timber pockets and north-slope security cover away from roads
- →Glass valley-edge meadows and burns at first light
- →Work the September rut with calls on the Divide benches
- →Watch for snow pushing elk toward lower private/Block Management ground
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer on the open foothill benches, sage flats, and higher ridgelines along the Divide.
- →Glass open sage benches and foothill breaks at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt higher ridges early, then follow deer down with snow
- →Spot-and-stalk on the transition between timber and grassland
Whitetail Deer
common qualityWhitetails are common in the Blackfoot River bottom and ag/valley edges around Lincoln.
- →Still-hunt cottonwood and willow river bottoms
- →Hunt the November rut along field-and-timber edges
- →Target Block Management valley parcels for bottomland whitetails
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears on spring green-up slopes and fall berry and whitebark benches — but grizzlies share this ground, so identification matters.
- →Glass south-facing green-up and avalanche chutes in spring
- →Hunt berry fields and old burns in fall
- →Positively identify every bear before shooting
Moose
limited qualityShiras moose frequent willow bottoms and beaver complexes along the upper Blackfoot and Landers Fork — a limited-draw tag.
- →Hunt willow flats and riparian meadows early and late
- →Work beaver-pond complexes and wet drainage heads
Pro tips
- →Base out of Lincoln for easy access to both valley whitetails and Divide-country elk
- →Pull the FWP Block Management maps before the season — enrolled ranches open key valley and foothill access
- →Hunt the timber for elk security cover; they bump off open ground fast under pressure
- →Late-season snow at Rogers Pass pushes elk and mule deer downhill — be positioned on the transition
- →Carry bear spray and store food properly; Lincoln sits in the grizzly recovery zone
Watch out for
- !Occupied grizzly country (Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem) — carry bear spray and follow food-storage orders
- !Valley floor is a private-ranch patchwork — verify boundaries and use Block Management or get permission
- !Extreme cold and heavy snow near Rogers Pass and the Divide late in the season
- !State-trust (DNRC) sections require a recreational use license to hunt
Logistics
Lincoln, right in the district on Highway 200, has fuel, lodging, food, and outfitters — a convenient base. Great Falls and Helena are each about an hour-plus for major resupply; Missoula is roughly two hours west. Forest roads off Highway 200 open much of the mountain country by truck or ATV.
Nearest towns: Lincoln, Ovando, Helmville, Great Falls
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP 2024-2025 Hunting District Legal Descriptions (HD 281 Upper Blackfoot) · MTFWP Hunt Planner · USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 281 in Montana?
- Unit 281 (District 281 (Region 2)) covers about 379 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,100 to 8,100 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 281?
- Approximately 65% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, USFS Lolo NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 281?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear, Moose. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 281 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.