Unit 370 District 370 (Region 3)
Mined-and-logged foothill country between Boulder and Whitehall — migrating elk and a road-riddled patchwork of BLM, state, and Block Management ground.
Boulder Valley / Bull Mountains — Region 3 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
185
sq mi
Public land
45%
approx.
Elevation
4,800–8,000
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
District 370 covers the Bull Mountains and Boulder Valley country of Jefferson County, running from the town of Boulder south to Interstate 90 and Whitehall, bounded loosely by Highway 69 and the Boulder River. It is a transitional west-central Montana landscape of forested foothills, sagebrush parks, and creek bottoms, heavily scarred by generations of mining and logging that left a dense road network behind. Elk are the headline draw — resident numbers are stable and the district fills with migrating herds as snow pushes animals down from the surrounding high country. Whitetail hold the Boulder River bottoms, while mule deer have been struggling in recent years.
Terrain
Rolling to steep timbered foothills broken by open sagebrush parks and grassy hillsides, dropping to the Boulder River valley and irrigated bottoms along the highway corridor.
Cover: Douglas-fir and pine on the higher north slopes and ridges, sagebrush and juniper on the dry southern exposures, grass parks throughout, and cottonwood-willow bottoms along the Boulder River and its tributaries.
Landmarks: Boulder River · Bull Mountain · Town of Boulder · Basin · Whitetail-Pipestone area · Interstate 90 / Whitehall corridor
Access
A genuine checkerboard of BLM, state trust, national forest, and private ranchland. The legacy mining and logging road grid means access is good where public parcels connect, but private inholdings and locked gates fragment it — several ranches are enrolled in FWP's Block Management program, opening free public hunting; check the current Region 3 BMA rosters. DNRC state trust sections are open with a conservation/recreation permit.
Managers: BLM, USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, MT DNRC state trust, private ranch + Block Management
Access points: Highway 69 (Boulder-Whitehall) · Boulder River Road · Interstate 90 frontage near Whitehall · Basin / Cataract Creek roads off I-15 · numerous BLM and old mining/logging spurs
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe district's main attraction. Resident numbers are stable and strong with good calf recruitment, and the herd swells as migrating elk pour in from surrounding districts once snow falls.
- →Time your hunt to the late-season migration when snow pushes elk down onto winter range
- →Glass the sagebrush parks and timber edges at first and last light
- →Use the mining-road grid to cover country and locate herds, then move in on foot
- →Watch the transition ground between national forest timber and lower private/BLM parks
Mule Deer
common opportunityPresent across the foothills but populations have been down in recent years; expect to work for a mature buck.
- →Glass open sagebrush ridges and juniper breaks at dawn
- →Hunt the higher timbered slopes for bucks holding above the deer pressure
- →Cover ground — densities are low, so locating animals is the challenge
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetail concentrate in the Boulder River bottoms and irrigated ag edges along the valley floor.
- →Still-hunt the cottonwood-willow river bottoms during the November rut
- →Watch ag and hay-field edges at last light
- →Focus on Block Management and public access along the Boulder River
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear scatter through the timbered drainages and berry pockets; a spring-and-fall opportunity in the higher forested country.
- →Glass green-up on south slopes and old cuts in spring
- →Key on berry patches and mast in the fall timber
Cougar
common qualityLions follow the deer and elk through the timbered foothills; a winter tracking pursuit.
- →Cut roads and ridges for fresh sign after snow
- →Follow deer wintering concentrations
Pro tips
- →Hunt this district late — the migrating elk that flood in after the first hard snows are the real prize, not the summer residents
- →Sort out the ownership checkerboard before you go; a land-layer GPS keeps you legal on the BLM/state/private mosaic
- →Work the Region 3 Block Management rosters for the private ranches that open the good bottom and foothill ground
- →Whitetail live in the Boulder River bottoms; elk and mule deer live up in the parks and timber — hunt the right ground for the right animal
- →The old mining and logging roads are your friend for covering country, but glass and still-hunt rather than road-hunt
Watch out for
- !Fragmented public/private checkerboard — know your boundaries, respect locked gates and inholdings, and use Block Management legally
- !Abandoned mine shafts and adits dot this historic mining district; watch your footing off-trail
- !Dirt and mining roads turn slick and rutted when wet; carry recovery gear
- !Grizzly bears are slowly expanding through southwest Montana; encounters remain rare here but carry bear spray and stay alert
- !Late-season cold and snow are the key to the hunt but demand real winter preparation
Logistics
Boulder and Whitehall offer fuel, food, and basic lodging; Butte is the nearest full-service hub off I-15/I-90. The mining-road network is dense but many spurs are rough, gated, or dead-end at private inholdings — carry good maps and a GPS with land-ownership layers to stay legal. Cell coverage is decent near the highway corridors and drops off in the back timber.
Nearest towns: Boulder, Whitehall, Basin, Butte
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP Deer/Elk HD 370 Bull Mountains map · FWP Region 3 Hunting Forecasts (Anaconda Leader) · MTFWP 2026/2027 Legal Descriptions · HuntScore HD 370 Boulder Valley
FAQ
- How big is Unit 370 in Montana?
- Unit 370 (District 370 (Region 3)) covers about 185 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,800 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 370?
- Approximately 45% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: BLM, USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, MT DNRC state trust, private ranch + Block Management. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 370?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail 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 370 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.