Unit 311 District 311 (Region 3)
Big private ranches and the north Madison Range where access is the real hunt.
Lower Gallatin / Madison — Region 3 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
530
sq mi
Public land
14%
approx.
Elevation
4,200–11,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 311 — the Lower Gallatin, Madison, and Horseshoe Hills country — sprawls across portions of Madison, Gallatin, Jefferson, Broadwater, and Park counties west and southwest of Bozeman. It is a low-public-land, big-ranch district: roughly two-thirds is private, so securing access through Block Management, walk-in permission, or the scattered public parcels is the defining challenge. It runs from the Madison and Gallatin river bottoms up into the northern Madison Range and the Bear Trap Canyon unit of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness, holding elk, mule deer, and whitetails.
Terrain
River valleys and rolling ag foothills climb into the steep, high northern Madison Range; the Madison River carves the rugged Bear Trap Canyon through the middle.
Cover: Cottonwood and willow river bottoms and irrigated ag in the valleys, sage and grass foothills, juniper and Douglas-fir on the slopes, spruce-fir and alpine in the high range.
Landmarks: Madison River / Bear Trap Canyon · Horseshoe Hills · Lower Gallatin Valley · Ennis Lake area · northern Madison Range · Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Bear Trap Unit)
Access
Only about 14% is public and roughly two-thirds is large private ranches, so access is the primary challenge. Block Management Areas and walk-in permission open significant private acreage for free — check the FWP Block Management maps each season. BLM parcels, national forest on the range flanks, and state trust land fill in the rest; the BLM Bear Trap Canyon trail is a notable public artery.
Managers: private ranch + Block Management, USFS Custer Gallatin NF, BLM, Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Bear Trap Unit), MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Bear Trap Canyon BLM trailhead · Block Management Areas (annual) · Custer Gallatin NF roads on the Madison Range flank · Horseshoe Hills BLM/state parcels · county roads off US-287 and MT-84
Species notes
Mule Deer
common qualityMuleys are distributed unit-wide — some resident on ranches, others migrating between the Madison Range in summer and lower foothills in fall.
- →Glass sage and juniper foothills at first light
- →Secure Block Management or walk-in access to reach buck-holding private
- →Follow the fall migration off the high range to mid-elevation
Whitetail Deer
common qualityWhitetails concentrate in the Madison and Gallatin river and creek bottoms, mostly on private ground.
- →Hunt cottonwood and willow bottoms at dawn and dusk
- →Use Block Management to access river-corridor private
- →Watch ag-field edges during the November rut
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityElk summer on national forest and shift onto private ranches under hunting pressure or heavy snow, making access timing critical.
- →Hunt public NF early before elk pile onto private
- →Line up Block Management or landowner permission where elk winter
- →Glass the foothill fringe between public and private at last light
Pronghorn
limited opportunityScattered antelope use the open valley grasslands and sage benches on the district's lower reaches.
- →Glass wide-open sage flats and spot-and-stalk
- →Focus on Block Management grasslands
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bears use the timbered range flanks and brushy draws; grizzlies from the Madison Range are expanding into the district's western high country.
- →Glass green slopes and berry patches on forest edges
- →Carry bear spray in the higher west end and identify bears carefully
Cougar
common opportunityLions follow deer through the canyon country and foothill timber.
- →Run hounds on fresh snow
- →Check Bear Trap Canyon and deer wintering draws
Pro tips
- →Access is the whole game here — scout Block Management Areas and knock on doors before the season
- →Carry a GPS with landowner boundaries; the private/public mosaic is unforgiving
- →Hunt elk on national forest early, then follow them toward private/winter range
- →Work river bottoms for whitetails during the November rut
- →Verify grizzly presence expanding into the western high country and pack bear spray there
Watch out for
- !Roughly two-thirds private with only ~14% public — access is the main obstacle
- !Checkerboard boundaries; trespass risk without a boundary GPS
- !Grizzlies expanding into the northern Madison Range high country
- !Bear Trap Canyon and range flanks are steep and remote
- !Sudden mountain weather and cold snaps
Logistics
Bozeman, Three Forks, and Ennis provide lodging, fuel, and supplies. Most of the hunt hinges on access logistics — pull the current Block Management maps, get landowner permission early, and carry GPS with a landowner/boundary layer to stay legal against the checkerboard of private ground.
Nearest towns: Three Forks, Manhattan, Norris, Ennis, Bozeman
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: GOHUNT — Montana Hunt District 311 Unit Profile · MTFWP 2026/2027 Legal Descriptions · MTFWP Deer & Elk Hunting District Maps
FAQ
- How big is Unit 311 in Montana?
- Unit 311 (District 311 (Region 3)) covers about 530 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,200 to 11,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 311?
- Approximately 14% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch + Block Management, USFS Custer Gallatin NF, BLM, Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Bear Trap Unit), MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 311?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Rocky Mountain Elk, Pronghorn, 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 311 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.