Unit 701 District 701 (Region 7)
Big-country prairie north of Miles City — trophy-caliber mule deer, cottonwood-bottom whitetail, and stiff competition unlocked by Block Management.
Eastern Plains / Yellowstone — Region 7 · Last reviewed 2026-07-12
Area
7,224
sq mi
Public land
25%
approx.
Elevation
2,200–3,600
feet
Motorized
extensive
access
Overview
District 701 is a sprawling southeastern-Montana unit on the north side of Miles City, overlapping parts of Garfield, Rosebud, Treasure, Prairie, Custer, and neighboring counties. Roughly four-fifths of it is open prairie where grazing is the dominant land use — grass, sage, and periodic juniper patches — with cottonwood-lined riparian corridors along the Yellowstone and its tributaries that hold excellent whitetail habitat. The district offers genuine trophy potential for mule deer and whitetail, both rebounding from recent hard winters and EHD outbreaks. Elk are scarce and highly transient. The land is a checkerboard of state, BLM, and private, so FWP Block Management is the key to public access.
Terrain
Expansive rolling prairie and grassland cut by coulees, scattered juniper breaks, and badland pockets, with river bottoms threading through the open country.
Cover: Almost entirely grass and sagebrush with periodic juniper patches on the breaks; cottonwood and willow line the Yellowstone River and riparian corridors, forming prime whitetail cover.
Landmarks: Yellowstone River · Powder River country · Miles City · Terry · prairie badlands and juniper breaks
Access
This is a checkerboard of private ranch, BLM, and state trust land, which makes navigating access difficult. Many ranches are enrolled in FWP's Block Management program, providing free public hunting on large private tracts — these BMAs are the primary way to reach quality ground. Scattered BLM and DNRC state trust parcels (state land open with a recreation permit) fill in the public picture. A land-ownership map is essential to stay legal and find huntable ground.
Managers: private ranch + Block Management, BLM, MT DNRC state trust
Access points: Block Management ranch access out of Miles City and Terry · Interstate 94 corridor along the Yellowstone · county and section roads across the prairie · BLM and state parcels — verify on an ownership layer
Species notes
Mule Deer
common trophyThe headline animal — mule deer inhabit the prairie coulees, juniper breaks, and badland pockets, with real trophy potential as herds rebound from hard winters and EHD.
- →Glass coulees, juniper draws, and sage benches from high ground at first and last light
- →Hunt the mid-to-late November rut for traveling mature bucks
- →Cover ground between Block Management parcels to locate bucks
- →Focus on the rougher breaks where big deer hold
Whitetail Deer
common qualityWhitetail thrive in the Yellowstone cottonwood bottoms and riparian corridors, with good buck potential in the thick river cover.
- →Still-hunt cottonwood and willow bottoms along the Yellowstone and tributaries
- →Watch ag edges, shelterbelts, and feed near cover at dawn and dusk
- →Hunt the November rut in the river bottoms
Pronghorn
common qualityPronghorn are widespread across the open sage-grass prairie that dominates the district — a strong plains-antelope unit.
- →Glass wide from vehicle-accessible high points and stalk
- →Lean on Block Management and BLM/state ground for legal access
- →Key on water and fence funnels during early-season heat
Rocky Mountain Elk
transient opportunityElk are scarce and highly transient, usually in small isolated pockets and mostly on private land; the average bull taken is a raghorn. Branch-antlered bulls are permit-only in the southwest corner, with spikes and cows on a general tag unit-wide.
- →Treat elk as a bonus, not a primary target
- →Scout private-adjacent breaks where small pockets hold
- →Pursue branch-antlered bulls only with the southwest-corner permit
Pro tips
- →Block Management is the master key here — pull current BMA maps and line up access early
- →Glass, glass, glass — cover the huge prairie by optics from high ground rather than walking blind
- →Time mule deer and whitetail hunts to the November rut for the best buck movement
- →The Yellowstone cottonwood bottoms are the whitetail engine — hunt the river cover
- →Don't count on elk; treat any bull as a bonus and know the SW-corner permit rules
Watch out for
- !Checkerboard ownership makes access tricky — a land-ownership map is mandatory to stay legal
- !Hunter competition can be stiff despite the big country and large game numbers
- !Gumbo prairie roads become impassable when wet — carry recovery gear
- !EHD outbreaks and hard winters can suppress deer numbers year to year
Logistics
Miles City, right on I-94 and the Yellowstone, is the well-equipped regional hub for lodging, fuel, and supplies, with Terry and Forsyth as smaller stops. The district is large and roaded but distances between accessible parcels are long — plan fuel and time accordingly, and secure Block Management sign-ins before heading out.
Nearest towns: Miles City, Terry, Forsyth, Rosebud
Seasons & regulations
This page carries no season dates or regulations. Get current rules from the official Montana sources:
Research sources: MTFWP Region 7 Elk Management Plan — HD 701 · MTFWP Block Management — Region 7 · GOHUNT Montana Unit 701 Profile
FAQ
- How big is Unit 701 in Montana?
- Unit 701 (District 701 (Region 7)) covers about 7,224 square miles, ranging from roughly 2,200 to 3,600 feet in elevation. Area is computed from the unit boundary polygon.
- How much public land is in Unit 701?
- Approximately 25% of the unit is public land. Primary managers: private ranch + Block Management, BLM, MT DNRC state trust. Always verify ownership boundaries on the ground.
- What species does the catalog list for Unit 701?
- Mule Deer, Whitetail Deer, Pronghorn, Rocky Mountain Elk. For seasons, tags, and regulations, use the official Montana agency resources linked on this page — this page carries no regulatory information.
Put Unit 701 on your map.
Boundary lines, public/private ownership, topo, and offline maps for this unit — in Baseline Maps, free for 14 days.