Unit 432 District 432 (Region 4)
The east face of the Little Belts — an island-range forest of elk, timbered mule deer, and creek-bottom whitetails carved out east of Highway 89.
Little Belt Mountains — Region 4 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
492
sq mi
Public land
—
approx.
Elevation
4,000–8,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
District 432 covers the eastern Little Belt Mountains and their foothills in Cascade and Judith Basin counties, the country lying east of U.S. Highway 89 between Armington Junction and Kings Hill Pass. It is a newly delineated district split from the old HD 413, built around the Helena–Lewis and Clark National Forest timber of the Little Belts and the ranchland that fringes it. This is island-range hunting: elk that summer in the public forest and drift onto private grain and hay ground, mule deer in the timbered draws and foothills, whitetails in the creek bottoms, and black bear through the berry-rich high country. Elk concentrate on the east side, where game-damage complaints from valley landowners are common.
Terrain
A forested island mountain range rising from grassland foothills to high timbered ridges and open parks, drained by Belt Creek and its tributaries.
Cover: Lodgepole, Douglas-fir, and spruce timber on the higher slopes with open grassy parks and burns; aspen and brush in the draws; sagebrush and grassland foothills grading into dryland grain and hay ground; willow and cottonwood along the creek bottoms.
Landmarks: Little Belt Mountains · Belt Creek · Kings Hill Pass (Hwy 89) · USFS Road 487 · Armington Junction (Hwy 87/89) · Helena–Lewis & Clark National Forest
Access
The forested core of the Little Belts is national forest and offers solid, roaded public access. The catch is that the elk spend much of the season on the private foothill grain and hay ground east of Highway 89 — the source of the district's game-damage complaints — so getting on animals often means the forest edge or a Block Management agreement. FWP Block Management opens some of the foothill ranches to free public hunting; check current Region 4 BMA rosters. DNRC state trust sections are open with a conservation/recreation license.
Managers: USFS Helena–Lewis & Clark NF (Little Belts), private ranch + Block Management, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: U.S. Highway 89 over Kings Hill Pass · USFS Road 487 and Little Belts forest road network · county roads and Block Management access off the Belt Creek foothills · Armington Junction corridor
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common qualityThe district's headline animal — Little Belts elk that hold in the public timber but concentrate on private valley ag east of Highway 89, driving frequent landowner damage complaints. Access to where the elk actually are is the whole game.
- →Hunt the forest-edge transition where public timber meets private grain and hay
- →Locate herds during the September rut in the high parks and burns
- →Chase Block Management or landowner permission on the foothill ag ground
- →Work north-slope timber pockets and dark timber as pressure builds
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer hold in the timbered draws, foothill sage, and open parks of the Little Belts — a mix of forest and foothill hunting.
- →Glass foothill sage and grassy parks at dawn and dusk
- →Still-hunt timbered draws and ridgelines
- →Push higher into the forest early, then watch lower foothills during the November rut
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetails favor the creek bottoms, brushy draws, and ag edges along Belt Creek and the foothill farmland.
- →Still-hunt cottonwood and willow creek bottoms
- →Watch ag and hayfield edges at first and last light
- →Hunt the November rut along the brushy corridors
Black Bear
common opportunityBlack bear range the berry-rich timber and burns of the Little Belts — a spring green-up and fall berry hunt.
- →Glass avalanche chutes, burns, and logged openings in spring green-up
- →Key on huckleberry, chokecherry, and mountain-ash in fall
- →Hunt forest openings and creek heads at first and last light
Pro tips
- →Focus on the public-timber-to-private-ag edge — that boundary is where the elk hunt is won here
- →Line up Block Management or landowner permission on the foothill grain ground before the season
- →Use the forest road network to cover country and locate herds, then hunt on foot into the parks and burns
- →Watch first snows — they move elk and deer down out of the timber onto huntable foothills
- →Carry chains and extra fuel for Kings Hill and the forest roads once weather sets in
Watch out for
- !Elk spend much of the season on private valley ground — public access to them can be limited without a BMA
- !High mountain roads over Kings Hill can slick up or close with early snow
- !Grizzlies are slowly expanding eastward from the Rocky Mountain Front into central Montana ranges — stay bear-aware and carry spray, especially in the high timber
- !Thin cell coverage and fast-changing mountain weather
- !Sort out the current HD boundary carefully — 432 is a recent split east of Highway 89 from old HD 413
Logistics
Great Falls to the northwest is the major supply hub; Stanford, Belt, and the small Highway 89 towns of Neihart and Monarch offer fuel and limited services closer in. Highway 89 over Kings Hill is the paved spine, with forest roads branching off it. Weather turns fast at elevation — carry chains, extra fuel, and expect thin cell coverage in the timber.
Nearest towns: Stanford, Belt, Great Falls, Neihart, Monarch, Geyser
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP Region 4 Elk — Deer/Elk Commission packet (HD 413 split to 432) · MTFWP Deer/Elk Hunting Districts (2026–2027) · MTFWP Legal Descriptions (deer/elk/antelope)
FAQ
- How big is Unit 432 in Montana?
- Unit 432 (District 432 (Region 4)) covers about 492 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 432?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Black Bear. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 432 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.