Unit 705

Key landmarks for navigation and glassing include the Flattops and Humbolt Hills, prominent ridge systems useful for spotting and orientation across the open country. The Long Pines provide another visible timbered ridge system. Stack Rocks and Chimney Rock serve as distinctive pillar landmarks visible for miles across the prairie.

Ekalaka Hills and the Devils Backbone ridge offer vantage points for surveying surrounding terrain. These high points are critical for the open nature of this unit—glassing from distance is essential hunting strategy here given the sparse cover and rolling topography.

The entire unit sits in the lower elevation band, ranging from about 2,400 to just over 4,400 feet with a median around 3,300 feet. This means consistently open country—vast grassland and sagebrush plains with scattered ponderosa pine and juniper ridges providing occasional timber. The sparse forest badge reflects these scattered woody draws and ridge systems rather than continuous forest cover.

Badlands breaks and coulees cut through the plains, creating hidden pockets of shelter. This is classic high plains terrain: wide open with enough vertical relief to generate thermal patterns and natural travel corridors for wildlife.

Extensive road network (2,811 miles total) sounds substantial but spreads thin across vast acreage, resulting in limited road density. The 'Limited Access' badge reflects practical accessibility despite road miles—many roads are secondary or ranch-based. US Highway 12 provides main arterial access, while the Broadus-Powderville Road and Broadus-Moorhead Road form key north-south routes.

Locate serves as an eastern access point. The sparse road network and limited populated places mean most of this country requires foot travel once you're off main roads. Lower density of hunters compared to forested units, but also fewer places to stage and hunt efficiently.

Unit 705 spans Carter, Custer, Powder River, and Fallon Counties in southeast Montana, bounded on the south by the Wyoming border and on the east by the North Dakota line. The unit encompasses a vast landscape anchored by the town of Broadus to the west and extending east toward the Powder River drainage system. Highway 12 forms the northern boundary, running through Locate and providing a major east-west reference across the unit.

The landscape represents the heart of Montana's high plains, where prairie, badlands, and scattered timber ridges create a distinct topography.

Water is the defining constraint in Unit 705. Limited reliable sources mean hunters must work around existing reservoirs and springs. Notable water features include Eureka Reservoir, Hondu Reservoir, Forsgreen Reservoir, and several others scattered throughout the unit. Springs like Edwards, Dunbar, and Church Spring provide potential water sources.

Drainages include the South Fork Three Bar Creek, Pinto Creek, and Powder River breaks to the east, but these flow seasonally. The Powder River itself borders portions of the unit and provides consistent water, but access and terrain around it present their own challenges. Early and late season water hole hunting becomes critical strategy.

Unit 705 is pronghorn country across high plains and sagebrush. The sparse timber and open terrain create ideal conditions for glassing and stalking antelope across wide sight lines. Hunt early mornings and late afternoons when pronghorn are active; midday requires working coulees and scattered timber for shade.

Water holes become critical hunt locations, especially as summer heat intensifies. The rolling plateaus and breaks provide natural funneling points between water sources and bedding areas. Terrain complexity is moderate—the country looks simple from a distance but requires careful reading of wind, topography, and movement patterns.

Success depends on patience, glassing discipline, and the willingness to cover ground on foot.