Unit 313

Major canyons including Hyalite, Gallatin, and Bear Canyon provide key navigation corridors and concentrate water and wildlife. Hyalite Peak and Mount Ellis offer glassing vantage points for surveying surrounding country. The Yellowstone River and its confluence with major tributaries like Moose Creek and Fish Creek mark reliable water reference points.

Telephone Ridge and Hyalite Ridge run north-south, creating natural travel routes and dividing the unit into manageable sections. Several named peaks—Elephant Mountain, Flanders Mountain, and Garnet Mountain—serve as distant orientation markers visible from open ridges.

Elevation rises from roughly 4,700 feet in the river valleys to above 10,300 feet on the high ridges, with most terrain clustered in the 6,500 to 8,500-foot band. Dense forest dominates the unit—primarily Douglas-fir and spruce with scattered lodgepole stands at mid-elevations. Lower elevations support sagebrush and grassland openings along the Yellowstone River corridor and bench lands.

The rolling topography creates a mix of timbered slopes, canyon bottoms, and ridge systems, with elevation gain creating distinct habitat layers across short distances.

Nearly 1,200 miles of road network traverse the unit, providing reasonable access from Interstate 90 corridors and valley-floor staging areas. Trail Creek Road, Goose Creek Road, and various ranch roads allow vehicle reach into mid-elevation terrain. Most roads cluster in lower elevations and canyon bottoms; upper ridges and interior drainages require hiking from road-accessible trailheads.

Well-connected access suggests moderate baseline pressure, though the dense forest and rolling terrain absorb hunters effectively. Early season brings valley focus; late season shifts to lower-elevation winter range accessible from primary roads.

Unit 313 occupies roughly 250 square miles of north-central Montana, bounded by Interstate 90 on the north and the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the south. The Yellowstone River forms the primary eastern reference, while the Gallatin-Yellowstone River divide marks the western limit. The unit encompasses portions of Gallatin and Park Counties, capturing the transition zone between the broad Paradise Valley and steeper terrain rising toward the park.

Several historical settlements sit adjacent to the unit, providing context for access points and local infrastructure along major drainages.

The Yellowstone River anchors the eastern boundary and holds reliable water year-round, but much of the unit's interior relies on seasonal springs and creeks. Moose Creek, Fish Creek, Wilson Creek, and Storm Castle Creek provide perennial flows through major drainages, though water becomes sparse on ridgetops and upper slopes away from canyon bottoms. Hyalite Reservoir and Old Cooper Reservoir offer reliable water access in the northern reaches.

Limited water sources in the rolling timber away from established drainages make spring location critical for extended hunting; hunters should prioritize canyon-bottom camps and established water sources.

Unit 313 is core moose country, with canyon systems and riparian areas along major creeks providing ideal habitat. Moose concentrate in willow thickets and aspen stands along Moose Creek, Fish Creek, and other major waterways, particularly in fall. Early season often favors higher-elevation glacier-fed creeks where cows and young bulls move through after summer.

The rolling timbered terrain suits calling tactics in late September through October, with bulls responding from dark spruce drainages. Late season shifts to lower canyon bottoms and river bottoms as snow drives animals down. Scout water sources and glassing points overlooking drainages to locate bulls; the terrain complexity demands patience and willingness to leave established roads.