Region 7 produces, on average, one-quarter (25%) of the state’s annual mule deer harvest; 10% of the state’s white-tailed deer harvest (17% of the total statewide deer harvest); 35% of the state’s annual antelope harvest; and 5% of the state’s elk harvest. The Region supports populations of six species of upland birds and a variety of waterfowl to provide diverse hunting opportunities.

Antelope

Antelope are common throughout Southeastern MT (R7). Hunting Districts (HD) 701 and 705 are traditionally the more productive antelope districts.

Elk

Isolated but expanding populations of elk exist throughout Region 7. Primary elk hunting opportunities are located in the northern portion of HD 700 as well as the southern portion of HD704.

Mule Deer

Mule Deer are common throughout Southeastern MT (R7). HD 704 and 705 are traditionally the more productive mule deer districts.

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed deer can be found across the region associated with riparian and agricultural habitats. HD 701 and 703 offer the majority of white-tailed deer habitat.

Upland Game Birds

Six species of upland game birds occur in Southeastern Montana. Native birds include sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse and the migratory mourning dove. Non-native species are the ring-necked pheasant, Hungarian (gray) partridge and Merriam’s turkey. Sharp-tailed grouse are well dispersed throughout the region. Pheasant numbers are generally stronger in the NE portion of the region but can be found concurrent to major riparian areas throughout the region. Turkeys are generally found across the region in association with riparian bottoms and forested areas where adequate cropland food sources exist.

Waterfowl

Several species of waterfowl can be found throughout the region in stock ponds, reservoirs and major river systems. Excellent late-season Canada goose hunting opportunities are present along the Yellowstone River Valley. The Yellowstone River, below the high-water mark is closed to waterfowl hunting from the mouth of the Big Horn River east to the Rosebud/Custer County line. Waterfowl hunting is legal off the river on adjacent land (See waterfowl regulations).

Included in this Guide is a regional map depicting the general location, identification number, and permission type for each BMA. There is also an associated chart that is organized by county and arranged in order by the BMA number. This chart gives general information for each BMA. The information in this chart will help locate the hunting opportunities you wish to pursue. It is important to recognize each BMA cooperator utilizes their own management style; this may include limits on daily hunter numbers, vehicular travel restrictions, pasture assignments, temporary closures, etc... The following outlines the procedure to request additional information for individual BMA’s:

1. Refer to the map and chart to identify individual BMA’s you are interested in hunting. Note: The chart lists ‘Primary Hunting Opportunities’. This is intended to assist hunters in selecting a BMA that fits their desired hunting opportunity. In contrast, for a BMA that does not list a particular commission-authorized game species, the omission of that species is not intended to represent that those game species may not be found or may not be hunted on that particular BMA. ‘Primary Hunting Opportunity’ information should be used as a general reference regarding game that is most likely to occur on the BMA. BMA’s that have a formal species restriction in place will have such a restriction noted in the ‘Additional Information’ column. It is important to note that Block Management cooperators may exercise their discretion in managing the hunting on their property in response to environmental conditions and game numbers.
2. If you select a Type 1 BMA… Rules/maps can be obtained onsite at the hunter sign-in boxes or in person at the Regional office in Mils City.
3. If you have selected a Type 2 BMA…Using the BMA number, request landowner contact information from the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 7 headquarters in Miles City. Individual landowner contact information may be obtained in person at 352 I-94 Business Loop, by e-mailing fwpr7bmp@mt.gov or by calling (406) 234-0930.
4. If you need more specific information about a BMA to assist in your planning efforts, a complete set of R7 BMA maps will be available for viewing at the Regional headquarters. Hunters are allowed to receive a maximum of five maps per day. Please help us reduce administrative costs by only requesting the maps of BMA’s you intend to visit.
5. Individual BMA rules/maps will also be available for viewing/printing on the FWP website: www.fwp.mt.gov/hunting/hunterAccess/blockman

How to Obtain Permission to Hunt R7 BMAs

Again, Type 1 BMA’s are hunter administered (see step 2 above). For Type 2 BMA’s, landowner contact information will be given for up to 5 BMA’s per phone inquiry. Contact information usually consists of the name and phone number of the person(s) with authority to grant permission. When you are contacting landowners to secure permission to hunt, please abide by the specified calling times for the cooperator. When call times are not specified, please call between 7:00 AM and 9:00 PM Mountain Time. Due to the volume of calls received, landowners are not required to and should not be expected to return phone calls. While obtaining permission to hunt BMA’s within R7, please keep the following administrative rules/policies in mind:

• Use only current year BMA rules/maps. R7 produces new rules/maps each year to address rule, boundary, or permission method changes. Also, there is some turnover in BMA’s from year to year, therefore a BMA from a previous year may no longer be enrolled.
• Reservations may not be made before August 22nd. If a BMA takes reservations, a hunter may only have 1 reservation on that BMA at any one time. After the dates of the reservation pass, a hunter may make another reservation to hunt that BMA. Hunters may have reservations on more than one BMA as long as they are not for the same hunting dates. However, due to the high demand, reservations will only be granted for 1 BMA at a time for the BMA’s that are administered through the Region 7 office. Reservations can be up to 3 days, but must be for consecutive days. Individuals from the same hunting party may not make reservations for consecutive 3-day blocks in an attempt to book more than 3 days for their party. Hunters may hunt more than one BMA in a day, but are prohibited from making reservations to hunt on more than 1 limited-hunter BMA per day.
• Cancellations. If you make advance reservations on a BMA and are unable to hunt, please inform the landowner of this as soon as possible. In addition, inform the landowner if you are successful early in your hunt and won’t be hunting for your full scheduled reservation. Failure to do so may result in the loss of hunting privileges on that BMA for the remainder of the hunting season. Please be courteous and give others an opportunity to hunt.

Approximately 10% of the total land base in FWP Region 7 is enrolled in the Block Management Program, leaving a substantial amount of land and associated hunting opportunities for hunters to explore. As a result, hunters are encouraged to consider these alternative opportunities and not limit their hunting activities to only Block Management Areas.

Private Lands NOT Enrolled in Block Management

Region 7 is comprised of primarily private land (76%). Although the region hosts the largest Block Management Program with 259 BMA’s, enrolling approximately 1.56 million private acres (8%) of the 19.2 million acres of private land in Region 7, hunting access can often be obtained on non-Block Management private property throughout much of the region by respectfully asking for hunting permission. Always remember to “Ask First” before hunting on private land.

Public Lands

In Region 7, there are over 3.8 million acres of public ownership (BLM, State Lands, National Forest Service and National Wildlife Refuge). This assortment of public land constitutes a land base composition of 18% federal land and 6% State of Montana Department of Natural Resources (DNRC) land. Public lands are accessible via public roads or waterways, adjacent public land and adjacent private land with landowner permission. Hunting activities on federal lands are subject to both state and federal regulations. Some legally accessible tracts of Department of Natural Resource Land (State School Trust Land) are formally enrolled in the Block Management Program. Formally enrolled State Land must be posted with contact information for the method of obtaining permission. If a BMA contains formally enrolled State Land, it will be noted in the Access Guide and on the map. Please contact regional FWP staff to verify accessibility and use rules for accessing public lands contained within BMA boundaries.

FWP administers Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) throughout the region, each of which provides some hunting opportunities. WMAs in the region include:

• Amelia Island WMA: 191 acres, north of Hysham
• Isaac Homestead WMA: 1,263 acres, west of Hysham
• Elk Island WMA: 1,408 acres, near Savage
• Seven Sisters WMA: 1,554 acres, near Crane

WMA maps available online in our Hunt Planner

FWP also administers numerous Fishing Access Sites (FASs) and State Parks (SPs) throughout the region that provide some hunting opportunities. These sites include:

• Myer’s Bridge FAS: 49 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Far West FAS: 34 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Twelve Mile Dam FAS: 27 acres, waterfowl/upland game bird season only, shotgun only
• Kinsey Bridge FAS: 28 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Bonfield FAS: 56 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Fallon Bridge FAS: 6 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• South Sandstone FAS: 581 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Stipek FAS: 119 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Intake Dam FAS: 405 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Johnson Reservoir FAS: 30 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Elk Island FAS: 69 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Seven Sisters FAS: 8 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Gartside Reservoir FAS: 159 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Diamond Willow FAS: 80 acres, no weapons restrictions
• Pirogue Island SP: 269 acres, archery and/or shotgun only
• Medicine Rocks SP: 330 acres, no hunting around campgrounds & developed areas
• Makoshika SP: 11,538 acres, contact the park for hunting regulations and restrictions

Maps available online in our Hunt Planner

Other public hunting opportunities include:

• Tongue River Ranch (DNRC): 20, 979 acres, southwest of Miles City
• Pumpkin Creek Ranch Recreation Area (BLM): 21,206 acres, south of Miles City
• Knowlton Travel Management Area (BLM): 15,000+ acres, east of Knowlton
• Hay Draw Travel Management Area (BLM, DNRC, FWP): 30,000+ acres, east of Broadus, road open July 1st – December 15th

Maps available at the Region 7 FWP office in Miles City