Unit 540 District 540 (Region 5)
General-tag elk in the Little Belts' southeast tail above the Musselshell
Southeast Little Belt Mountains — Region 5 (South-Central Montana) · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
584
sq mi
Public land
40%
approx.
Elevation
4,600–8,000
feet
Motorized
moderate
access
Overview
District 540 sits on the southeast corner of the Little Belt Mountains in central Montana, rising from the north banks of the Musselshell River between Martinsdale and Harlowton into the timbered mountain tail. It is a productive general-tag elk and deer unit built around the Haymaker Wildlife Management Area — a key elk winter range in the center of the district. Numbers of elk and deer are good, though trophy quality is modest; the appeal is opportunity on a general tag with strong National Forest access up high and a working landscape of private and state land in the foothills.
Terrain
Rises from the Musselshell River floodplain and rolling foothill benches on the north into the forested, increasingly mountainous southeast tail of the Little Belt Mountains.
Cover: Sage-grass foothills and dryland ag/hayground along the Musselshell give way to Douglas-fir and lodgepole timber, aspen pockets, and grassy south-facing parks in the higher Little Belts.
Landmarks: Little Belt Mountains · Haymaker WMA · Musselshell River · Martinsdale · Harlowton
Access
The upper mountain is National Forest with good road and trail access and primitive camping; the Haymaker WMA in the district center is public and a major late-season elk draw. The foothills and Musselshell bottoms are a checkerboard of private ranch and DNRC state trust — Block Management Areas open substantial private acreage here, and surrounding private land around Haymaker holds elk late. Verify boundaries before hunting the lower country.
Managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, MT DNRC state trust, private ranch + Block Management, MT FWP (Haymaker WMA)
Access points: Highway 12 (Harlowton–White Sulphur Springs) · Haymaker WMA access roads · Forest Service roads into the Little Belts · Martinsdale / Two Dot county roads · DNRC state-trust sections
Species notes
Rocky Mountain Elk
common opportunityThe headline species — good elk numbers on a general tag, with the Haymaker WMA and adjoining private serving as a main Little Belts winter range that fills up late in the season.
- →Hunt National Forest timber and parks during archery, then follow elk to Haymaker WMA and low private as snow deepens
- →Glass grassy south slopes and timber edges at first and last light
- →Work the transition between Forest timber and foothill ag late season
- →Cover the road network to locate herds in the big timber
Mule Deer
common opportunityMule deer scatter across the foothill breaks, sage benches and open mountain parks north of the Musselshell.
- →Glass coulees, sage benches and south-facing openings at dawn
- →Still-hunt timber edges and rimrock draws
- →Hike back off the roads for undisturbed bucks
Whitetail Deer
common opportunityWhitetail hold in the Musselshell River bottoms and irrigated ag corridors along the district's northern edge.
- →Hunt river-bottom cottonwoods and cropland edges morning and evening
- →Rattle and grunt during the November rut
- →Use fresh snow to read travel between bedding and feed
Pronghorn
limited opportunityPronghorn use the open sage-grass flats and foothill benches in the lower, more open parts of the district.
- →Glass wide open benches and spot-and-stalk
- →Focus on private and Block Management ground where antelope concentrate
- →Use terrain folds to close the distance
Black Bear
limited opportunityBlack bear inhabit the timbered Little Belts; this is an isolated island range with no established grizzly population.
- →Glass green-up openings and old cuts in spring
- →Watch berry and chokecherry pockets in the timber
- →Hunt north-slope timber near forage edges
Pro tips
- →Time it for late season — snow moves elk from the Forest down onto Haymaker WMA and low private
- →Hunt Haymaker WMA and knock on the surrounding private (or use Block Management) for late elk
- →Whitetail live in the Musselshell bottoms; mule deer and antelope in the open foothills
- →It's an opportunity unit on a general tag — manage trophy expectations
- →Use fresh snow to concentrate game and read tracks
Watch out for
- !Checkerboard private ranch and DNRC state trust in the foothills — verify public vs. private before hunting the lower country
- !Upper Forest roads can gate, drift or snow up early in late season
- !Foothill and prairie two-tracks turn to slick gumbo when wet
- !Late-season elk shift onto private — line up access early
Logistics
Harlowton offers basic lodging, fuel and supplies at the district's east end, with Martinsdale and Two Dot as small waypoints; White Sulphur Springs and Big Timber are larger options on the fringes. The Forest Service road network gives good access to the mountain, and public campgrounds plus dispersed camping support backcountry archery camps.
Nearest towns: Harlowton, Martinsdale, Two Dot
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP Region 5 (South-Central Montana) · MTFWP Region 5 Hunting Districts (Draft Elk Management Plan) · Montana Hunt District 540 Unit Profile (GOHUNT) · MTFWP Haymaker Wildlife Management Area
FAQ
- How big is Unit 540 in Montana?
- Unit 540 (District 540 (Region 5)) covers about 584 square miles, ranging from roughly 4,600 to 8,000 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 540?
- Approximately 40% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: USFS Helena-Lewis & Clark NF, MT DNRC state trust, private ranch + Block Management, MT FWP (Haymaker WMA). Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 540?
- Rocky Mountain Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Pronghorn, 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 540 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.