Unit 360 District 360 (Region 3)
A marquee Madison Range elk district — big public wilderness timber above a ranch valley, with pronghorn on the flats and grizzlies in the high country.
Madison Valley — Region 3 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
678
sq mi
Public land
55%
approx.
Elevation
5,000–11,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
HD 360 is the heart of the Madison Valley in Madison County, running from the ranchlands around Ennis and Cameron up into the Madison Range on the east and the Gravelly Range on the west. It is one of Region 3's premier elk districts: elk had climbed over population objective before a hard winter and heavy harvest pulled the herd back toward target. The FWP Bear Creek and Wall Creek Wildlife Management Areas provide critical winter range holding up to a thousand elk, and the mix of national forest, wilderness and Block Management makes this a big, varied hunt — but the game shifts constantly between public high country and private valley floor.
Terrain
The broad Madison River ranch valley flanked by two big ranges — the rugged, glaciated Madison Range to the east and the rolling high Gravelly Range to the west.
Cover: Sagebrush-grassland and irrigated ranch hay on the valley floor; Douglas-fir and lodgepole on the mid slopes; spruce-fir, whitebark and alpine tundra on the high Madison peaks; willow bottoms along the Madison River and its tributaries.
Landmarks: Madison River · Madison Range · Gravelly Range · Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Taylor–Hilgard) · Bear Creek WMA · Wall Creek WMA · Sphinx Mountain
Access
The mountains are largely public — Custer Gallatin National Forest and Lee Metcalf Wilderness in the Madison Range, Beaverhead-Deerlodge in the Gravellys — plus the Bear Creek and Wall Creek WMAs (note WMA seasonal winter-range closures). The valley floor between them is dominated by large private ranches; Block Management opens key parcels to free public hunting and is often the only legal path across private ground to the mountain access points.
Managers: USFS Custer Gallatin NF, USFS Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust, FWP Wildlife Management Areas
Access points: Bear Creek WMA (Madison Range front) · Wall Creek WMA · Forest roads off US 287 in the Madison Valley · Gravelly Range Road / Standard Creek · Lee Metcalf Wilderness trailheads · Block Management parcels along the valley
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
abundant qualityA flagship Madison elk herd that ran over objective before a severe winter and heavy management harvest cut it roughly 25% back toward target. Elk summer high in the Madison Range and Gravellys and winter on the WMAs and private valley ranches, so timing and access dictate success.
- →Hunt the public forest and wilderness fringe of the Madison and Gravelly ranges early season
- →Pattern elk moving between high timber and the valley WMAs and ranches as snow builds
- →Use Block Management to legally reach mountain access across private valley ground
- →Late-season storms push elk toward Bear Creek and Wall Creek winter range — hunt the public edges of it
Mule Deer
common qualityMule deer use the sage foothills, mountain parks and high basins of both ranges; the Gravelly Range in particular offers classic open high-country muley hunting.
- →Glass open sage and mountain parks at first and last light
- →Hunt high in the Gravelly Range for bucks in the alpine and timber pockets
- →Work the sage-to-timber transition on the Madison front
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetails hold in the Madison River bottoms and irrigated ranch cover on the valley floor, concentrated in the willow and cottonwood riparian corridors.
- →Hunt willow and cottonwood bottoms along the Madison River
- →The November rut concentrates bucks in the riparian corridors
- →Chase Block Management ground for the best valley-bottom whitetail cover
Pronghorn
common opportunityThe Madison antelope herd ranges the sagebrush valley flats, though it took heavy losses in a severe winter that killed a large share of collared animals. Numbers have been rebuilding on the open sage.
- →Glass the open sagebrush flats of the valley floor
- →Spot-and-stalk using the rolling sage terrain
- →Focus on Block Management and public parcels — much antelope range is private ranch
Moose
limited qualityShiras moose inhabit the willow bottoms and timbered drainages of the Madison Range; a limited, coveted special-permit opportunity.
- →Hunt willow bottoms and beaver-pond drainages
- →Work the wet timbered stringers in the Madison Range foothills
- →Requires a special permit — plan around draw odds
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bears are common in the timbered drainages of both ranges; spring green-up and fall berry crops draw them onto huntable forest. This is also occupied grizzly range — identify your target carefully.
- →Glass green-up on avalanche chutes and south slopes in spring
- →Check berry patches and mast in the fall timber
- →Be certain of species — grizzlies share this country and are protected
Cougar
common opportunityMountain lions track the deer and elk through both ranges; a winter snow-tracking pursuit in the foothill drainages.
- →Cut tracks on forest and valley-fringe roads after fresh snow
- →Focus on deer-wintering slopes along the Madison front
Pro tips
- →Hunt high and public early, then follow the elk down toward the WMAs and valley as snow builds
- →Line up Block Management access before the season — it is often the only legal route across private valley ground to the mountains
- →The Gravelly Range offers excellent open-country mule deer away from the Madison Range crowds
- →Respect Bear Creek and Wall Creek WMA seasonal winter-range closures — know the dates and boundaries
- →Time whitetail and rut-phase elk hunting to November
- →Carry bear spray and know grizzly identification — this is occupied grizzly country
Watch out for
- !This is occupied grizzly country in the Madison Range and Gravellys — carry bear spray, hunt alert, and be scrupulous identifying bears before any shot
- !The valley floor is heavily private ranch land — use Block Management or permission, and verify access to mountain trailheads
- !WMA seasonal winter-range closures restrict access — check current dates
- !Severe winters and heavy snow close high forest roads and can strand vehicles; the herd is sensitive to hard winters
- !Verify boundaries in the mix of forest, wilderness, WMA, DNRC and private ranch
Logistics
Ennis is the hub, with lodging, fuel, guides and services and a reputation as a Madison River destination town; Cameron and McAllister offer more limited services up-valley. US 287 runs the length of the district and forest roads climb both ranges, but the highest Madison Range and Gravelly hunting requires hiking or horses from trailheads. Bozeman airport is roughly an hour and a half east.
Nearest towns: Ennis, Cameron, McAllister, Sheridan, Virginia City
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: FWP Deer/Elk Hunting District 360 (map) · RMEF — Montana 2023 Hunting Forecast (HD 360 elk decline within objective; Madison pronghorn winterkill) · FWP Bear Creek WMA Detail (winter range for up to 1,000 elk) · FWP Moose Hunting District 360 — Madison Range (map)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 360 in Montana?
- Unit 360 (District 360 (Region 3)) covers about 678 square miles, ranging from roughly 5,000 to 11,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 360?
- Approximately 55% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Custer Gallatin NF, USFS Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF, private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust, FWP Wildlife Management Areas. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 360?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Pronghorn, Moose, 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 360 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.