Select a Block Management Region
 

• Block Management Contact:
• MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks
• Region 7 Block Management Program
• 352 I-94 Business Loop
• PO Box 1630
• Miles City, MT 59301
• (406) 234-0930

2012 Statistics

339 landowners have enrolled nearly 2.5 million acres to form 288 Block Management Areas.

2012 Block Management Program

In 2012, there are approximately 288 Block Management Areas (BMAs) that provide access to over 2,475,000 acres of private, state, and federal lands. Similar to other FWP Regions, Region7 (R7) has Type 1 and Type 2 BMAs, which give hunters flexibility in gaining permission. About one-third of Region 7 BMA’s are Type 1 and two-thirds are Type 2. In general, Type 1 BMAs allow the hunter to administer their own permission, while Type 2 BMAs require obtaining permission from the landowner or a representative. Regardless of permission type, please keep in mind that BMAs are comprised wholly or partially of private lands. As a hunter you have the privilege to access these lands and your behavior will play an important role in the future of Montana’s hunting heritage. Good luck and be safe!

The Region 7 staff encourages hunters to share their experiences on specific BMAs.  Please return comment cards to sign-in boxes and/or mail in the self-addressed, postage paid comment cards. These comments are used to improve the program as well as to show your appreciation to cooperating landowners.   Pictures from your hunt are also an effective way to share your experience and can be emailed to fwpr7bmp@mt.gov.  Along with comment cards, the pictures will be shared with the landowners to express your gratitude.

How to Use this Guide for Hunting in Region 7

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 BMAs:

1. Refer to the map and chart to identify individual BMAs you are interested in hunting.
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 Miles 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 BMAs you intend to visit. Due to time and costs limitations, BMA maps will not be faxed or mailed.
5. Most individual BMA rules/maps will also be available for viewing/printing on the FWP website: www.fwp.mt.gov.

How to Obtain Permission to Hunt Region 7 BMAs

Again, Type 1 BMAs are hunter administered (see step 1 above). For Type 2 BMAS, landowner contact information will be given for 5 BMAs 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 7:00am and 9:00pm 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 BMAs 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 BMAs 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 one 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 one BMA at a time for the BMAs that are administered through the Region 7 office. Reservations can be up to three days, but must be for consecutive days. Individuals from the same hunting party may not make reservations for consecutive three-day blocks in an attempt to book more than three 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 one 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.

Additional Hunting Opportunities in Southeast Montana

Approximately 12% 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 339 cooperating landowners, enrolling approximately 2.5 million acres (12%) 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, adjacent public land and adjacent private land with landowner permission. Hunting activities on federal lands are subject to both state and federal regulations.  Some 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. Please contact regional FWP staff to verify accessibility and use rules for accessing public lands contained within BMA boundaries.

Wildlife Information

Region 7 produces, on average, one-third of the state’s annual deer harvest as well as up to 45% of the state’s annual antelope harvest.  The Region also supports adequate populations of upland birds and 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 populations of elk exist throughout Region 7. Typically most of the elk hunting opportunities are locate 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 in conjunction with riparian and agricultural areas throughout Region 7. 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.  Grouse species are well dispersed through 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.

Waterfowl - Several species of waterfowl can be found throughout the region in stock ponds 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)

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