Unit 298 District 298 (Region 2)
Nevada Creek ranch country and the timbered west face of the Garnet Range
Blackfoot Valley & Garnet Range — Region 2 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
152
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
3,800–7,800
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 298 (Ovando-Helmville) spans parts of Missoula, Granite, and Powell Counties along the lower Blackfoot River and up the west and north slopes of the Garnet Range. The country runs from the Blackfoot bottoms and Nevada Creek ranch valley near Ovando and Helmville up into the logged, rolling timber of the Garnets. It is a mix of productive private ag/ranch land and public timber, with strong whitetail numbers in the bottoms and elk tied heavily to the Garnet Range and the ranches below it. This is occupied grizzly country — the NCDE reaches into the Blackfoot Valley.
Terrain
Broad river and creek valleys rising into the rolling, logged mid-elevation timber of the Garnet Range, cut by numerous small drainages.
Cover: Willow and cottonwood bottoms along the Blackfoot River and Nevada Creek, irrigated ranch hay ground and sagebrush benches, grading into Douglas-fir, lodgepole, and old clearcuts on the Garnet slopes.
Landmarks: Garnet Range · Blackfoot River · Nevada Creek · Nevada Lake · Union Peak · Garnet Ghost Town area · Ovando · Helmville
Access
A genuine checkerboard of public timber and large private ranches. Much of the best low-elevation whitetail and elk ground is private, but Montana's Block Management program opens significant Blackfoot Valley and Nevada Creek acreage to free public hunting — sign in and follow the area rules. BLM and Lolo NF parcels in the Garnets give public footing on the higher timber; watch for landlocked public that requires crossing private.
Managers: USFS Lolo NF, BLM (Garnet Resource Area), private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Highway 200 corridor (Milltown to Ovando) · Route 271 (Drummond-Helmville Road) · Nevada Creek Road · Garnet Range Road / BLM back roads · Blackfoot River access sites
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
abundant qualityThe bread-and-butter species — whitetails are thick in the Blackfoot and Nevada Creek bottoms, ranch edges, and river brush, with mature bucks in the cover.
- →Hunt cottonwood and willow river bottoms at first and last light
- →Work the transition between ag fields and timber during the November rut
- →Secure Block Management or private permission for the best bottomland
- →Glass alfalfa and hay meadows at dusk
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityElk use the Garnet Range timber and drop to private ranch ground; herds are strongly tied to private land, making access the key to success.
- →Hunt public timber pockets and clearcut edges in the Garnets
- →Chase the September rut in the higher benches with a bugle
- →Target Block Management ranches that hold wintering/transitional elk
- →Watch weather — snow pushes elk onto lower private ground
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer scatter across the sagebrush benches, foothill breaks, and open Garnet ridges above the valleys.
- →Glass open benches and coulee edges at dawn
- →Still-hunt timbered ridgelines and old burns
- →Hunt higher as bucks move up in the early season
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears work the green-up meadows in spring and berry and old-burn slopes in fall — but this is occupied grizzly country, so bear ID is mandatory.
- →Glass avalanche and logging openings at green-up
- →Hunt berry fields and creek bottoms in early fall
- →Positively identify every bear before shooting — grizzlies share this ground
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer through the Garnet timber and river breaks; primarily a winter hound-and-track pursuit.
- →Cut fresh tracks in snow along timbered ridges
- →Focus on deer-concentration corridors and river breaks
Pro tips
- →Access is everything here — arrange Block Management or private permission early for the bottomland whitetails and valley elk
- →Hunt the Blackfoot and Nevada Creek river brush hard during the November whitetail rut
- →Use public BLM and Lolo NF timber in the Garnets to reach elk that pressure has pushed off private
- →Carry bear spray and store food cleanly — the Blackfoot Valley has resident grizzlies
- →Watch the weather window; a good snow both moves game down and can slick up the back roads
Watch out for
- !Occupied grizzly country (NCDE reaches the Blackfoot Valley near Ovando) — carry bear spray and identify bears before shooting
- !Heavy private/public checkerboard — know your boundaries and avoid trespass; some public is landlocked
- !Clay and dirt back roads turn to greasy gumbo when wet or with early snow
- !Best whitetail and elk ground is private — line up access before you go
Logistics
Highway 200 is the spine, with Route 271 and Nevada Creek Road giving access to the ranch valleys and Garnet back roads. Missoula is 30-60 minutes for full services; Ovando and Helmville offer only minimal amenities. Secure access permission or line up Block Management sign-in before the hunt. Cell coverage is spotty off the highway.
Nearest towns: Ovando, Helmville, Bonner/Milltown, Potomac, Drummond, Missoula
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 298 Ovando-Helmville) · HuntScore — Montana HD 298 (Ovando-Helmville) · USFS Lolo National Forest / BLM Garnet Resource Area
FAQ
- How big is Unit 298 in Montana?
- Unit 298 (District 298 (Region 2)) covers about 152 square miles, ranging from roughly 3,800 to 7,800 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 298?
- Approximately 45% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Lolo NF, BLM (Garnet Resource Area), private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 298?
- Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Black Bear, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 298 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.