Unit 360

The Madison Range forms the spine—use major peaks like Red Knob, Fan Mountain, and The Helmet for orientation. Beartrap Canyon and Bear Trap Canyon create dramatic reference points along the northern drainages. Expedition Pass and key ridge systems like No Man Ridge and Graycroft Ridge aid navigation through complex terrain.

Echo Lake, Lake Eglise, and Expedition Lake mark high basins worth glassing. Wolf Creek Hot Spring is a distinctive thermal feature. These landmarks establish grid references across the rolling ridges and allow hunters to verify position in terrain that can be disorienting.

The unit spans from mid-elevation valley floors near 4,800 feet to alpine summits exceeding 11,200 feet, with median elevation around 7,400 feet. Lower elevations feature sagebrush parks and aspen groves transitioning to ponderosa slopes. Mid-elevations hold moderate forest with parks and meadows interspersed throughout.

High country above 9,500 feet shifts to sparse timber and alpine tundra, with scattered cirque basins and talus fields. This elevation spread creates distinct seasonal patterns—animals migrate vertically through the unit, offering hunting opportunities across multiple zones.

Over 800 miles of road provide decent peripheral access, but interior penetration is limited—most hunting pressure concentrates along Highway 287 corridors and established trailheads near Big Sky and Ennis. The rolling, complex topography naturally disperses hunters once they move beyond main access points. Early-season crowds thin quickly when terrain gets steep and navigation demands attention.

Interior basins and ridge systems receive moderate to light pressure if approached from secondary trails. Hunters willing to climb away from obvious routes can find solitude in the high parks and cirque basins.

Unit 360 encompasses the Madison Range heartland across Madison, Park, Gallatin, Jefferson, and Broadwater Counties. The unit runs north from the Montana-Idaho border along the Madison-Red Rock divide, east to the Gallatin-Yellowstone watershed divide, then west through Yellowstone Park boundaries and back to the Madison drainage. Highway 287 provides primary access along the western edge near Ennis, while Highway 64 defines the eastern boundary.

The scale is vast—this is serious backcountry requiring solid navigation skills and terrain reading ability.

Moderate water availability supports hunting strategy throughout. Major drainages include Wolf Creek, Trail Creek, and numerous tributaries feeding both the Madison and Gallatin systems. Higher basins like Upper Tepee Basin and McAtee Basin hold reliable springs and meadow-edge water.

Several named lakes—Echo, Shadow, Expedition, Snake—provide high-country water sources. Lower elevations depend more on creek systems and the Madison River itself. Spring flows are substantial but diminish by late season, making early-summer and rut-period water planning critical for access routes.

Unit 360 is quality elk country with mule deer in mid to high elevations and whitetails along lower drainages and canyon bottoms. Early season finds elk dispersed across high meadows and parks—glass ridgelines at dawn and work downwind through basins. Rut period concentrates animals along ridges and transition zones; use herds' movement to intercept.

Late season pushes remaining elk to lower timbered slopes and protected canyons. Mule deer occupy mid-elevation parks and benches year-round. The terrain complexity rewards methodical approach—pick a drainage, study the basins and saddles, and hunt them thoroughly rather than constantly moving.

Mountain lions follow deer and elk; sign work in canyons reveals presence.