Unit 284 District 284 (Region 2)
Compact archery-only district on the Blackfoot bottoms and foothills at Lincoln
Upper Blackfoot / Lincoln — Region 2 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
17
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
4,100–7,300
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 284, the Lincoln Archery District, is a small special archery-only unit in Lewis and Clark County wrapped around the town of Lincoln at the head of the Blackfoot River. It runs from the Highway 200 corridor and the Blackfoot/Landers Fork bottoms up into the Dalton Mountain and Stemple Pass foothills of the Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest. Elk, both deer species, and black bear draw archers to close, quiet valley-edge cover, and the whole district sits inside occupied grizzly country in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem.
Terrain
Blackfoot and Landers Fork valley bottom around Lincoln rising into timbered foothills toward Dalton Mountain and Stemple Pass.
Cover: Willow-cottonwood river bottoms and grass-sage benches on the valley floor grading into Douglas-fir and lodgepole on the surrounding foothills, with meadow and old-burn openings.
Landmarks: Town of Lincoln · Blackfoot River · Landers Fork · Beaver Creek · Dalton Mountain · Stemple Pass · Herrin Lakes
Access
A tight private/public mosaic: the Blackfoot valley floor around Lincoln is largely private ranch and rural parcels, while the surrounding foothills are Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest reached by roads off Highway 200. Check FWP Block Management for enrolled valley ground and use DNRC state-trust sections with the required recreational use license. Note Section 24, T14N, R9W is closed to big-game hunting.
Managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Highway 200 through Lincoln · Beaver Creek Road · Stemple Pass–Poorman Creek Road · Dalton Mountain Road · Herrin Lakes Road
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk work the timbered foothills and drop to valley-edge meadows; the archery-only setting and September rut make this quiet, close-range elk country.
- →Call the September rut in foothill timber pockets
- →Glass valley-edge meadows and burns at first and last light
- →Hunt north-slope security cover away from roads
- →Set up on transition edges between forest and the Blackfoot bottoms
Whitetail Deer
common qualityWhitetails hold in the Blackfoot and Landers Fork bottoms and along ag and valley edges near Lincoln.
- →Still-hunt cottonwood and willow river bottoms
- →Watch field-and-timber edges morning and evening
- →Work Block Management valley parcels for bottomland bucks
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer use the open foothill benches and grass-sage slopes above the valley.
- →Glass open foothill benches at dawn and dusk
- →Spot-and-stalk the timber-to-grassland transition
- →Hunt higher ridges early in the season
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears on spring green-up slopes and fall berry benches, but grizzlies share this ground so identification is critical.
- →Glass south-facing green-up in spring
- →Hunt berry fields and old burns in fall
- →Positively identify every bear before releasing an arrow
Pro tips
- →Treat it as a close-cover archery unit — get tight to bottoms and timber edges
- →Pull FWP Block Management maps before the season for valley access around Lincoln
- →Base out of Lincoln for quick access to both valley whitetails and foothill elk
- →Carry bear spray and follow food-storage orders — this is grizzly recovery country
- →Remember Section 24, T14N, R9W is closed to big-game hunting
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
- !Section 24, T14N, R9W is closed to big-game hunting
- !Hard cold and early snow at Divide-country elevations
Logistics
Lincoln sits right in the district on Highway 200 with fuel, food, lodging, and outfitters. Helena and Great Falls are each roughly an hour-plus for major resupply, and Missoula is about two hours west. Forest roads off Highway 200 open the surrounding foothills by truck or ATV.
Nearest towns: Lincoln, Ovando, Helena, 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 284 Lincoln Archery District) · MTFWP Hunt Planner · USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark National Forest
FAQ
- How big is Unit 284 in Montana?
- Unit 284 (District 284 (Region 2)) covers about 17 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,100 to 7,300 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 284?
- Approximately 45% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 284?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 284 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.