Unit 390

Several named ridges and peaks serve as key navigation references: Elkhorn Ridge runs through the western portion, while Sherlock Mountain, The Buttes, High Peak, and Sixmile Mountain provide high-ground anchors for glassing. Cedar Hill and Cedar Hollow offer additional terrain features. The major drainages—Sixteenmile Creek and its forks, Lost Creek, Meadow Creek, and Indian Creek—form distinct valleys that funnel travel and concentrate game movement.

Devils Bottom in the Sixteenmile country and the various named gulches including Timber Gulch, Cable Gulch, and Miners Gulch provide detailed topographic reference for navigating the rolling terrain.

The unit spans from roughly 3,800 feet along the reservoir floor to above 7,600 feet on the higher ridges, though most terrain clusters in the lower to mid-elevation band around 5,000 feet. Open grasslands and sagebrush dominate the lower rolling country, with scattered ponderosa pine and juniper appearing on north-facing slopes and ridge systems. The sparse forest coverage means much of the hunting occurs in open or semi-open terrain, relying on draws, ridge systems, and scattered timber patches for cover.

Higher ridgetops like Elkhorn Ridge, Sherlock Mountain, and The Buttes offer vantage points with less vegetation obstruction than heavily timbered country.

With roughly 266 miles of roads and a fair accessibility rating, the unit attracts moderate pressure during seasons, particularly from nearby communities and Highway 12 corridor hunters. Most access concentrates along the river bottoms and main creek valleys where roads are most developed. The rolling terrain and sparse timber create areas that appear open but are surprisingly difficult to navigate, potentially concentrating hunters along obvious travel routes.

Early-season access from Toston and Lombard side is straightforward, while late-season conditions may impact higher ridge access. The moderate terrain complexity means the unit requires more deliberate hunting strategy than simple basin country.

Unit 390 encompasses rolling terrain in Broadwater, Lewis and Clark, and Gallatin Counties, anchored by the Missouri River corridor and Canyon Ferry Reservoir as its northern and eastern boundaries. The unit extends inland from the river through a series of ridges and gulches to the Trout Creek-Magpie Creek Divide. Cave Gulch, Sixteenmile Creek, and the various named ridges and peaks provide natural reference points throughout the unit.

Nearby communities including Toston, Lombard, and Sixteen offer logical staging areas and supply points. The terrain sits in the transition zone between the Missouri River breaks and foothills country, creating a patchwork of access and terrain complexity.

The Missouri River and Canyon Ferry Reservoir provide perennial water along the unit's northern boundary, but water becomes limited away from major drainages. Sixteenmile Creek and its forks are reliable sources, as are Meadow Creek, Middle Fork Creek, Lost Creek, and Indian Creek. Springs exist throughout the unit including A Frame Spring, Farley Spring, Big Spring, and others, though availability varies seasonally.

Several irrigation ditches including the Broadwater-Missouri Canal and Toston Canal add to the water infrastructure but are unreliable for hunting purposes. Understanding which springs and creeks hold water throughout the season is critical for hunting success in this country.

Unit 390 holds elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and mountain lions historically. Elk tend toward the more timbered ridges and higher elevation pockets, particularly during summer and early seasons. Mule deer favor the open rolling country and scattered timber transitions, especially in the numerous gulches.

White-tailed deer use the riparian corridors and brushy drainages along the creeks and river bottoms. Early season hunting should focus on ridge systems and higher draws where cooler temperatures concentrate game; mid-season pressure pushes animals into scattered timber patches and rougher gulch country. Late season often finds elk using the lower elevation south-facing slopes and river breaks as snow builds at elevation.

Success requires mapping reliable water sources and understanding how the sparse timber provides escape cover on otherwise open terrain.