Unit 404 District 404 (Region 4)
The sprawling Teton-Marias — river-bottom whitetail, coulee mule deer, and prairie pronghorn across a giant block of Golden Triangle farm country.
Golden Triangle Plains — Region 4 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
1,945
sq mi
Public land
12%
approx.
Elevation
2,600–5,200
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
District 404, the Teton-Marias, is one of Region 4's largest units, spanning the plains from Choteau east and north to the Marias and Missouri rivers and south to Great Falls, taking in parts of Teton, Pondera, Toole, Glacier, Cascade, and Chouteau counties. It is classic Golden Triangle country — dryland wheat, native grassland, and shallow coulees stitched together by the wooded bottoms of the Teton, Marias, Sun, and Missouri rivers. Whitetail thrive in those river bottoms, mule deer work the coulees and breaks, and pronghorn range the open plains; elk are few. The western edge feathers into the Rocky Mountain Front foothills near Choteau, where grizzlies now roam the plains.
Terrain
Vast rolling grain-and-grass prairie cut by coulees and by the timbered bottoms of the Teton, Marias, Sun, and Missouri rivers, rising gently toward the Rocky Mountain Front foothills on the far west.
Cover: Dryland wheat and pulse crops, native short-grass and sagebrush prairie, with cottonwood galleries, willow, and dense brush along the river and creek bottoms.
Landmarks: Teton River · Marias River · Sun River · Missouri River · Freezeout Lake WMA · Town of Choteau · Town of Fairfield · City of Great Falls
Access
Predominantly private grain and ranch land with scattered BLM, state-trust, and river-access parcels. Block Management is the workhorse for public hunting across this big district — pull the current Region 4 BMA maps and sign in. Freezeout Lake WMA is a major public parcel (primarily waterfowl) near Fairfield. The Brinkman Game Preserve within the district is closed to all big-game hunting. State-trust sections are open with a permit but are often landlocked.
Managers: private ranch + Block Management, BLM, MT DNRC state trust, MT FWP WMA (Freezeout Lake)
Access points: US Highway 89 (Great Falls–Fairfield–Choteau) · US Highway 2 corridor · Marias and Teton river-bottom accesses · Freezeout Lake WMA · county grid roads and Block Management sign-in boxes
Species notes
Whitetail Deer
common qualityThe signature deer of the district, concentrated in the Teton, Marias, Sun, and Missouri river bottoms and the ag fields beside them.
- →Hunt cottonwood bottoms and field edges morning and evening
- →Still-hunt the brushy river corridors during the November rut
- →Set up on cover-to-grain transitions for the evening feed
- →Target Block Management parcels that hold river or creek bottoms
Mule Deer
common qualityMuleys work the coulees, grass breaks, and river rims across the district; densities are moderate but mature open-country bucks are here.
- →Glass coulee heads and river breaks at first light
- →Spot-and-stalk the broken prairie
- →Hunt the late-November rut when bucks move into the open
- →Check the rougher breaks along the Marias and Missouri
Pronghorn
common qualityAntelope range the open wheat-and-grass plains across the unit — strong Golden Triangle pronghorn country when tags allow.
- →Glass from high ground before making a move
- →Use fence lines and terrain folds to close the distance
- →Focus on water sources in dry early season
- →Prioritize BLM, state, and Block Management ground
Rocky Mountain Elk
limited opportunityElk are scattered and low in number across the plains, with a few using the western foothills and river-bottom cover; not a primary elk district.
- →Focus on the western edge toward the Front foothills
- →Check large river-bottom cover where elk are reported
- →Treat elk as a bonus while hunting deer or pronghorn
Cougar
limited opportunityMountain lions follow the deer into the timbered river breaks of the Marias, Teton, and Missouri; a low-density winter track-and-snow pursuit.
- →Cut river-bottom cover and breaks for fresh tracks after snow
- →Follow the deer wintering areas along the rivers
Pro tips
- →Break this huge district into pieces around the river bottoms — whitetail on the Teton, Marias, Sun, and Missouri are the surest bet
- →Work Block Management hard: the best deer bottoms are private, and Region 4 BMAs open a lot of that ground
- →Freezeout Lake WMA is primarily a waterfowl draw but anchors public access near Fairfield
- →Glass the Marias and Missouri breaks for mature mule deer away from the crowds
- →Note the Brinkman Game Preserve is closed to big-game hunting — know its boundary
- →Don't drive the gumbo wet; plan around weather
Watch out for
- !Predominantly private — the productive river bottoms and grain edges are the good ground; use Block Management legally and secure permission
- !Grizzly bears now range onto the plains from the Rocky Mountain Front near Choteau, Fairfield, and Valier — be bear-aware in the western portion and river bottoms, and carry spray
- !Gumbo roads become impassable when wet — weather can strand you far from pavement
- !Brinkman Game Preserve is closed to all big-game hunting; know the boundary
- !Large district with a private-land patchwork — carry a mapping app and confirm ownership before you hunt
Logistics
Great Falls is the full-service hub for fuel, groceries, lodging, and processing; Choteau, Fairfield, and Conrad cover basics. The district is a graded county grid that turns to gumbo when wet — carry recovery gear. Cell coverage is solid near the highways and towns but patchy in the river breaks; a land-ownership mapping app is essential given the private-land checkerboard.
Nearest towns: Choteau, Fairfield, Great Falls, Conrad
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP 2024/2025 Legal Descriptions (HD 404 Teton-Marias) · MTFWP Region 4 Hunting Districts (Elk Management Plan) · MTFWP Deer/Elk HD 404 map
FAQ
- How big is Unit 404 in Montana?
- Unit 404 (District 404 (Region 4)) covers about 1,945 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,600 to 5,200 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 404?
- Approximately 12% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch + Block Management, BLM, MT DNRC state trust, MT FWP WMA (Freezeout Lake). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 404?
- Whitetail Deer, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk, Cougar. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 404 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.