Unit 405

The Missouri River serves as the unit's primary geographic feature and water source, with notable falls including Black Eagle, Crooked, and Big Falls providing orientation points along its course. The Big Eddy rapids and Steamboat Island mark sections of the river corridor. Upland landmarks include Shepherd Butte, Rattlesnake Hill, and Indian Butte—modest summits useful for glassing prairie grassland.

Belt Creek and Box Elder Creek drain major portions of the unit and serve as natural navigation corridors. Giant Springs and Sulphur Spring supplement water knowledge, though the river itself is the dominant water reference.

Terrain spans lower elevations between roughly 2,600 and 3,900 feet with the median around 3,300 feet—entirely low-country landscape. The habitat is predominantly open prairie and grassland with scattered timber stands concentrated along drainages and butte slopes. Sagebrush and shrubland dominate the drier upland areas, while cottonwood and willow line the river and creek bottoms.

Buttes like Shepherd Butte and Indian Butte break the horizon and provide vantage points, but overall the country is rolling rather than steep. This is ranch and break country, not high elevation terrain—expect gentle slopes and accessible terrain throughout.

With 880 miles of road in the unit and proximity to Great Falls, this is the most accessible hunting country in the region. Highway 87, Route 223, Highway 89, and numerous county roads provide extensive vehicle access to hunting areas. Most hunters will concentrate near major roads and the river corridor, where access is easiest.

Fort Benton and Great Falls serve as staging points with full services. The flat terrain and connected road network mean less solitude than remote mountain units, but also lower navigation difficulty. Pressure concentrates on river-bottom habitat and accessible prairie; foot traffic thins quickly away from roads.

Unit 405 encompasses the greater Great Falls area in Cascade and Chouteau Counties, bounded by Fort Benton to the northeast, Highway 87 defining much of the western edge, and Belt Creek marking the eastern boundary near the Highwood area. The Missouri River cuts through the heart of the unit, functioning as both a geographic anchor and wildlife corridor. The unit sits at the confluence of several valleys and coulees that drain toward the river, creating natural hunting corridors.

Adjacent to Malmstrom Air Force Base, the unit covers a moderate area of mixed public and private land in one of Montana's more settled regions.

The Missouri River is the unit's lifeblood, providing reliable water year-round and supporting riparian habitat throughout the unit. Major tributaries including Belt Creek, Box Elder Creek, Highwood Creek, and Roe Creek create secondary drainage systems and water sources. Reservoirs like Morony Reservoir, Birkeland Reservoir, and Rice Reservoir offer concentrated water sources on the landscape.

Springs including Giant Springs and Sulphur Spring add to the water network, particularly useful during dry periods. Water availability in this lower-elevation unit is moderate to reliable, making thirst less of a planning concern than in arid country.

Unit 405 holds elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, and mountain lion—all species adapted to lower-elevation river breaks and prairie. Elk occupy the river bottoms and adjacent grassland, particularly concentrated in willow and cottonwood stands along the Missouri and tributaries. Mule deer favor the brushy buttes and coulee breaks, especially in early season before temperatures cool.

White-tailed deer inhabit the thicker riparian cover and willows near water. The low terrain complexity and extensive road access make spot-and-stalk from vehicles viable early season, then shift to foot hunting drainages and butte slopes as pressure increases. Water is not a constraint here—focus on habitat transitions where brush meets open prairie.