One integrated guide to colony hunting areas, contacts, access, camping and field notes.
Combined the colony contact guide and newer hunting guide into one edition, including nine BMA areas, twelve contact leads, camping and preserved notes. Reconciled Sunnybrook and Hartland access evidence.
Research dates are retained in the guide. This revision does not imply every fact has been rechecked.
Download again after an update. External maps, source pages and videos require a connection or their own saved copies. A phone file-preview app may limit controls; use a compatible browser or HTML viewer. Personal logs and selections remain on their device unless exported.
Conditional estimates, not promises of game on a given parcel.
Best combined search: Sunnybrook. The mapped Marias frontage, crop/grass benches, large walk-in footprint and remote location satisfy the most criteria at once. Best managed hunt: New Rockport. Teton bends and a ten-hunter daily cap are appealing if written access is available. Eastbound from Havre: Hartland. Western Region 6 birds look promising; whitetails need more caution because the 2025 harvest and 2026 surveys fell sharply.
Scout Sunnybrook's Marias bends and nearby benches; verify local EHD impact with FWP.
Secure New Rockport permission, then work the legal Teton cover and adjoining grass.
Drive to Hartland north of Chinook and hunt it bird-first; treat deer as a scouting question.
Season check on September 25: Sharp-tailed grouse is open where permitted. General pheasant season starts October 10 for residents; on BMA/public land nonresidents start ten days later. Deer archery is open; general deer season starts October 24. The BMA access date does not itself open a species season. FWP bird rules · FWP seasons.
Nine BMA locations across north-central Montana and the southern detours.
Pins show an approximate location inside the largest mapped parcel, not a sign-in box or driving destination. Roads and towns are for orientation. Use each FWP property PDF for current boundaries, legal approach and access rules. Data: FWP 2026 BMA boundary layer and Montana State Library roads, municipalities and state outline.
| Priority and ground | Whitetail assessment | Upland assessment | Access |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 · SunnybrookMarias River, cut coulees, crops; remote | High potential · HD 400 down 16% in 2025 | Good; sharp/gray now, pheasant later | Type I · 15,462 ac |
| 2 · New RockportTeton bends, green edge, dry bench | High potential · HD 404 down 12% | Good, mixed cover | Type II · 10/day |
| 3 · HartlandBattle Creek, crop and prairie; eastbound | Guarded · HD 600 down 49% | Good; western R6 improving | Type I · 16,769 ac |
| 4 · RockportDry fork, draws, grain fields | Medium · HD 441 down 3% | Fair to good, patchy | Type I · 13,895 ac |
| 5 · GrasslandsSand Coulee, crop and open cover; near city | Medium · HD 413 down 23% | Fair | Type I · 9,357 ac |
| 6 · CamroseOpen benches and Tiber-side coulees | Low to medium · sparse river cover | Fair sharp/gray prospect | Type I · 3,990 ac |
| 7 · Golden ValleyRock Creek, Big Coulee; scattered blocks | Medium · HD 515 up 3%, R5 below average | Fair; spotty sharp, good gray | Type II · slip box/phone |
| 8 · Twin HillsSmall crop block and single coulee | Low to medium; district signal overstates parcel | Fair to low | Type I · 1,020 ac |
| Deer only · Surprise CreekCreek/crops near Stanford | Medium hypothesis | Upland prohibited | Type I · 11,920 ac |
These are scouting priorities, not FWP animal-density grades. Regional/district estimates apply to much larger areas than a BMA. A lower-ranked creek could outperform a higher-ranked one after weather, hunting pressure and local cover are checked.
Permission, current property map and legal entry route belong together. Use the official 2026 BMA card below for mapped land; call a listed colony for any separate private-land request.
Two overlapping names need special care: the older directory lists Sunny Brook with a Fort Benton postal address and Hartland with a Havre postal address. The 2026 FWP maps show Sunnybrook BMA #194 approached from Chester and Hartland BMA #222 approached from Chinook. A directory address is a contact lead, not a BMA entry point. Use each map’s sign-in and route directions; confirm any separate colony-property request by phone.
Ask the switchboard for whoever authorizes hunting on the intended land. Confirm the date, species, party size, dogs and exact fields. Ask about parking, check-in, vehicle use and game retrieval.
Record who approved what. Respect a refusal and ask separately before camping, touring or photographing the community.
Type I: hunters follow the listed self-permission procedure, often a sign-in box.
Type II: permission comes from the designated landowner or FWP contact; reservations may be required.
The individual map controls boundaries and conditions. In Region 4, at least one person in the party must first obtain the FWP BMA map.
FWP permission procedures ↗Private hunting permission is required even on unposted land. Confirm current ownership and legal access to public parcels; a public-land patch does not authorize crossing private land.
The 2026 FWP maps below identify nine specific colony BMAs. Their mapped boundaries and procedures control only those enrolled parcels; a public-land patch does not authorize crossing private land. Carry the applicable official map offline.
Open Montana Hunt Planner ↗“Hello, I’m planning to hunt [species] with [number] people and [number] dogs on [date]. Who handles hunting permission? Is any access available, and which fields, parking area and check-in rules would apply?”
Block Management office
Mon–Fri, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
2165 Highway 2 East
Havre, MT 59501
Block Management program
1 Airport Road, Glasgow
Before travel: check current species regulations, closures and fire restrictions; obtain road-condition advice before taking a camper onto dirt roads. Keep dogs under control around homes, barns and livestock. FWP hunting regulations ↗ · Restrictions & closures ↗
Tap a card for district harvest, bird trend, directions and the move to make on arrival.
9 areas
BMA #194 · Chester · Behind the eastbound Havre leg
Ground: The official aerial map shows actual Marias River frontage within the mapped BMA, deeply cut coulees and bench grass next to grain fields. The river ribbon is narrow; most acres are dry bench or coulee, so work the transitions instead of treating the entire BMA as river bottom.
Whitetail signal. HD 400: FWP estimated 366 whitetails harvested in 2025, including 203 bucks and 165 bucks in its “4 or more points” class, down from 435 total whitetails in 2024. Region 4 remains generally strong in 2026, with localized 2025 EHD losses not mapped precisely to this BMA. River cover and remoteness raise the site-specific encounter hypothesis; the harvest totals cover all of HD 400. [D]
Upland signal. FWP expects Region 4 pheasant numbers to improve where habitat is good, while sharptail lek counts remain below the historic average. The bench/crop edges favor sharptails and gray partridge; denser river and crop margins are the better pheasant hypothesis once season opens. [B]
Buck quality. Older-buck potential is plausible in the broken river corridor, but no parcel-level age or antler survey verifies it.
Permission. Type I; every party member signs in daily. Walk-in only; use mapped routes. Camping and fires are prohibited on this BMA. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Chester: 25.8 mi south on MT 223, then 6.5 mi east on Goosebill Road.
Next move. Begin at the official sign-in on Goosebill Road. Compare the legal Marias frontage with the high benches, and ask FWP whether the 2025 EHD pockets included this corridor.
BMA #20 · Choteau · West of the current Hi-Line route
Ground: The FWP aerial map shows Teton River bends and green riparian/crop cover inside parts of the BMA, with farm flats and rolling dry bench away from the river. The colony headquarters and livestock buffer are excluded shooting areas.
Whitetail signal. HD 404: FWP estimated 503 whitetails harvested in 2025, including 277 bucks and 207 in the “4 or more points” class, versus 574 whitetails in 2024. This broad district signal plus the mapped Teton cover make it a strong whitetail prospect; neither figure measures deer on the colony itself. [D]
Upland signal. Crop/grass interfaces support a sharptail and gray partridge search; thicker river edges may support pheasants in season. Region 4 pheasant crow counts rose from 2025, but sharptail lek counts remain below the historic average. [B]
Buck quality. Ten-hunter daily cap may preserve lower pressure on a given day; actual mature-buck abundance is unmeasured.
Permission. Type II; written permission at colony headquarters only, issued by Elias Wipf or Steve Wipf. 2026 map lists Mon–Sat 6 a.m.–7 p.m., Sunday 2–7 p.m.; maximum 10 hunters/day. Active trapping is possible; watch the dogs. Walk-in only. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Choteau: 3.8 mi north on MT 220, 5.9 mi east on 18th Road NW, then about 0.4 mi south to headquarters.
Next move. Secure the written slip before planning the walk. Ask which accessible Teton bends and cover strips fall outside the quarter-mile livestock and dwelling buffer.
BMA #222 · Chinook · Best named prospect east of Havre
Ground: The mapped cover is Battle Creek and its small tributaries, crop fields, coulee breaks and rolling prairie. This is not a Milk River frontage hunt. FWP shows neighboring North Blaine BMA #15 and public parcels, but each has its own access rules.
Whitetail signal. HD 600 whitetail harvest estimate fell from 531 in 2024 to 272 in 2025 (173 bucks, 147 in the “4 or more points” class). FWP then reported 2026 Region 6 whitetail survey densities 56% below their long-term average. FWP says prairie habitats may hunt better than recent EHD-hit Milk River stretches; Battle Creek deserves scouting, not a presumption of abundant deer. [D]
Upland signal. Western Region 6 sharptail spring counts are slightly above the long-term average after three years of improvement; pheasant surveys are near or above average in central/western Region 6. The creek edge, crops and prairie make this the most compelling eastbound multi-species bird search on this shortlist. [B]
Buck quality. Remote creek bends could hold older animals, but the steep district harvest drop makes trophy expectations especially uncertain.
Permission. Type I; sign in daily at one of two boxes and carry the daily permission coupon. Stay on designated routes; no driving when wet or muddy; no OHVs. No fires. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Chinook: 10 mi north on Highway 325 to Eloam Road, then 15 mi north to the BMA.
Next move. If continuing east on US 2, this is the practical first scout. Walk Battle Creek cover for deer sign, then adjacent grass/crop edges for sharptails; ask the Havre FWP office how this exact drainage fared after EHD.
BMA #197 · Conrad / Pendroy · Western detour
Ground: A long, irregular block of dry bench, farm fields, brushy draws and the South Fork Dry Fork Marias drainage. The named drainage is not the main Marias River. The strongest deer hypothesis is along its vegetated pockets, with adjacent open upland for sharptails and partridge.
Whitetail signal. HD 441: FWP estimated 144 whitetails harvested in 2025, including 97 bucks and 63 in the “4 or more points” class; 149 total were estimated in 2024. This is a lower district harvest than HDs 400/404, but district areas and hunting effort differ, so it is not a deer-density ratio. [D]
Upland signal. FWP lists upland birds on the BMA. Test grass/crop edges for sharptails and partridge; pheasant potential depends on the amount of local woody/wet cover and may be patchy. [B]
Buck quality. No direct age/antler-quality assessment; the large property and broken draws justify scouting, not a trophy prediction.
Permission. Type I; all party members sign in daily. Walk-in only from designated routes; no camping or fires on the BMA. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Conrad/I-15 exit 339: 20 mi west on MT 219/Pendroy Road, then 3.6 mi west to the BMA.
Next move. Use the official map to distinguish the dry-fork cover from nearby excluded parcels; do not assume the main river is inside the huntable block.
BMA #198 · Great Falls / Sand Coulee · South of Great Falls; not remote
Ground: Mapped farm/grass flats, Sand Coulee Creek, scattered coulee cover and several separated pieces. The Missouri River is visible northwest of the BMA on the FWP map; do not assume the BMA includes Missouri frontage. Safety and weapon-restricted zones complicate the west parcels.
Whitetail signal. HD 413 had an estimated 698 whitetails harvested in 2025, including 390 bucks and 303 in the “4 or more points” class, versus 907 whitetails in 2024. FWP describes high whitetail numbers near parts of Great Falls, but those observations are not a survey of this particular BMA. [D]
Upland signal. Region 4 spring pheasant counts improved, and grass/crop edges offer partridge and sharptail potential. The BMA is close to roads and settlements; the best natural cover looks patchy. [B]
Buck quality. Point-class figures are district-wide and cannot establish older-buck concentration here; proximity to Great Falls reduces the solitude hypothesis.
Permission. Type I; daily sign-in. Some mapped zones are archery/shotgun only. FWP notes active trapping, so check dog safety. No camping or fires. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Great Falls: 11.6 mi south on Lower River Road/Eden Road.
Next move. Compare the Sand Coulee cover to the west-side weapon-restricted and exclusion zones before choosing an entry.
BMA #210 · Ledger / Conrad · Northwest of Havre route
Ground: Steep, dendritic coulees on the north half, open crop benches and small stock ponds to the south. Tiber Reservoir is shown beyond the northern BMA boundary; its shore is not automatically included. Little substantial woody river-bottom habitat appears on the mapped parcel.
Whitetail signal. It shares HD 400 with Sunnybrook: FWP estimated 366 whitetails harvested district-wide in 2025, down from 435 in 2024. The district signal is respectable, but Camrose has much less mapped riparian cover, so its parcel-level whitetail opportunity is a weaker inference. [D]
Upland signal. The grass/crop/coulee pattern supports sharptail and gray partridge searching. Pheasants may be localized around ponds or crop cover; verify habitat on foot. [B]
Buck quality. Broken terrain can conceal deer, but no site-specific mature-buck evidence was found.
Permission. Type I; every party member signs in daily. Walk-in only. Do not enter colony headquarters. No camping or fires. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From I-15 exit 345: 13 mi east on Ledger Road, 3 mi north on S-417, then 2.3 mi east on Union School Road.
Next move. Start at the Union School Road sign-in; glass the coulee fingers and test field margins before committing a full day.
BMA #100 · Ryegate · Large southern detour
Ground: Large but scattered parcels: Rock Creek, Big Coulee Creek and rolling dry breaks are mapped inside parts of the BMA. The Musselshell River lies mainly north of the mapped huntable parcels near Ryegate; river proximity must not be scored as river frontage.
Whitetail signal. HD 515: estimated whitetail harvest was 416 in 2025 versus 404 in 2024, including 243 bucks and 196 in the “4 or more points” class in 2025. Region 5 counts improved slightly in 2026 but many areas remain below the long-term average. Favor actual creek cover over dry upland for whitetails. [D]
Upland signal. FWP expects average Region 5 upland opportunity; gray partridge may be good, pheasants fair in favorable cover, and sharptail encounters spotty where drought or hail affected habitat. The south-facing coulee/grass mosaics merit reconnaissance. [B]
Buck quality. The district antler class is a weak indicator of harvest composition, not a parcel-specific age or trophy estimate.
Permission. Type II with an unusual first step: obtain a slip at the sign-in box for up to three consecutive days; for subsequent reservation periods the map directs hunters to 406-568-2210 starting Aug. 22. Carry the signed slip; no fires. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Ryegate: 2.3 mi south on MT 238, then 0.7 mi on the access road to headquarters.
Next move. Map the specific Rock Creek and Big Coulee pieces before going; avoid planning the hunt around Musselshell River frontage not shown within the BMA.
BMA #59 · Carter · South of the Hi-Line
Ground: A compact crop block with one pronounced coulee, a small waterbody and little continuous riparian timber. Much of the southern part is a weapon-restricted area; a short road section is closed.
Whitetail signal. HD 404 estimated 503 whitetails harvested in 2025 (277 bucks, 207 in the “4 or more points” class), but that district includes far better river habitat than this 1,020-acre parcel. Treat this as a local scouting stop, not a district-wide deer proxy. [D]
Upland signal. FWP lists upland birds; crop edges and coulee grass might hold partridge or sharptails. Small size and limited natural cover keep expectations modest. [B]
Buck quality. No meaningful mature-buck inference from a small isolated BMA and a broad district total.
Permission. Type I; all hunters sign in daily. Walk-in only. Archery, shotgun, muzzleloader and traditional handgun only in the mapped restricted area; no fires. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Carter: 2.2 mi north on Buck Bridge Road.
Next move. Check the restricted-area overlay before bringing a rifle; walk the central coulee and crop edge only if the land cover looks promising.
BMA #203 · Stanford · Southern detour
Ground: Surprise Creek and narrow green drainage strips cross a large patchwork of dry pasture, crop parcels and open benches. Multiple safety buffers and separated parcels require a close read of the official map.
Whitetail signal. The map straddles HDs 419 and 432. In HD 419 alone, FWP estimated 228 whitetails harvested in 2025 versus 271 in 2024, including 131 bucks and 107 in the “4 or more points” class. HD 419 is only a partial proxy; the public search returned no comparable HD 432 line for this period. [D]
Upland signal. Upland bird hunting is expressly PROHIBITED on the 2026 BMA map, regardless of what the general Region 4 forecast or nearby habitat suggests. [B]
Buck quality. Creek cover merits deer scouting; no mature-buck claim is supported by the accessible evidence.
Permission. Type I; daily sign-in, walk-in only, livestock/safety buffers. Camping and fires prohibited. Upland birds prohibited. Official 2026 map and rules ↗
Drive. From Stanford: 5 mi west on Highway 200, then 1.2 mi south on Surprise Creek Colony Road.
Next move. Use only for a deer-focused day after confirming the exact parcel and hunting district; do not take the bird dogs for an upland hunt on this BMA.
Twelve published switchboard and location leads. Search or star a call list. These directory listings do not grant access to a BMA or other private land; mapped hunting areas are in the section above.
Contact versus property: Sunny Brook and Hartland appear in both sources, but the postal/directory locations and FWP BMA entry routes serve different purposes. For Sunnybrook #194 and Hartland #222, follow their official map first. Other listed colonies are unverified hunting leads; no 2026 BMA map was established for them in these sources.
| Colony / status | Nearest town / area | Listed contact | Travel / location | Hunting / public land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunny Brook Directory contact unverifiedSouth of the Hi-Line Directory source ↗Listing: 2022 / 2024 directory versions |
Fort Benton / Chester reference Region 4 · Chouteau Nearest town not independently verified. Fort Benton is the postal address; GAMEO uses Chester. |
406-456-3347 12495 Goosebill Road, Fort Benton, MT 59442 Published listing • not called |
Goosebill Road address. Call for the correct entrance and road conditions before making the detour. Location reference48.158611, -110.730833 Montana address record ↗ |
Confirm the exact fields, species, dates and permission contact. No separate private-land hunting arrangement established. Check Region 4 BMAs ↗Official 2026 property map: Sunnybrook BMA #194. Follow mapped entry and sign-in; the published directory address is not an entry instruction. |
Riverview Access unverifiedSouth of the Hi-Line Directory source ↗Listing: Aug 2020 |
Chester area Region 4 · Locality: Chester Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-456-3369 1145 Dugout Road, Chester, MT 59522 Published listing • not called |
Dugout Road listing, south of Chester. A separate destination from Sunny Brook. Location reference48.178056, -111.031944 |
Ask who handles access for the particular parcel. Permission at another colony does not transfer. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 4 BMAs ↗ |
Hi-Line Access unverifiedNorth of the Hi-Line Directory source ↗Listing: May 2024 |
Chester area Region 4 · Locality: Chester Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-759-2100 1262 Whitlash Road, PO Box 648, Chester, MT 59522 Published listing • not called |
Whitlash Road address northwest of Chester. Confirm the approach; the name does not mean it is on US 2. Location reference48.8166, -111.2547 |
Request current permission procedure and any vehicle or dog restrictions. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 4 BMAs ↗ |
Sage Creek Access unverifiedNorth of the Hi-Line Directory source ↗Listing: Aug 2020 |
Chester area Region 4 · Locality: Chester Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-292-3510 470 Laird Road, Box 519, Chester, MT 59522 Published listing • not called |
North of Chester near the international border; allow for a separate northbound trip. Location reference48.929444, -110.973333 |
Confirm the property boundary and access point before leaving the public road. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 4 BMAs ↗ |
Gildford Access unverifiedWest of Havre Directory source ↗Listing: Oct 2023 |
Gildford area Region 6 · Locality: Gildford Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-376-3141 Box 149, Gildford, MT 59525 Published listing • not called |
North of the Gildford area. Address is a mailing box, not a driving destination. Location reference48.801667, -110.288056 |
Obtain an entrance description and authorized contact before planning a visit. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
Hilldale Access unverifiedNorth of Havre Directory source ↗Listing: Jun 2024 |
Havre area Region 6 · Hill Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-398-5342 Box 628, Havre, MT 59501-0628 Published listing • not called |
North of Havre. Mailing box does not identify the entrance. Location reference48.8, -109.784444 |
Ask about the intended parcel, parking and whether dogs may enter. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
East End Access unverifiedNorth of Havre Directory source ↗Listing: Mar 2024 |
Havre area Region 6 · Hill Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-398-5355 Box 297, Havre, MT 59501 Published listing • not called |
North/northeast of Havre by listed coordinates. Mailing box is not an entry point. Location reference48.75, -109.547222 |
Confirm who can authorize the hunt and how to check in on arrival. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
Hartland Directory contact unverifiedNorth of Havre / Chinook Directory source ↗Listing: May 2024 |
Havre service base Region 6 · Blaine DEQ identifies Havre as the nearest town with commercial services; this is a rural border-area destination. |
406-398-5352 2105 Woodpile Road, Havre, MT 59501 Published listing • not called |
Woodpile Road in northwest Blaine County. Havre postal address does not mean a short drive from town. Location reference48.951944, -109.45 DEQ locality record (2001) ↗ |
Confirm boundaries, road condition and the authorized entry route. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗Official 2026 property map: Hartland BMA #222. Follow mapped entry and sign-in; the published directory address is not an entry instruction. |
North Harlem Access unverifiedHarlem / Big Flat Directory source ↗Listing: Nov 2023 |
Harlem Region 6 · Blaine Harlem is the nearest town in the DEQ assessment. |
406-412-4522 55 Lilac Loop, Box 68, Harlem, MT 59526 Published listing • not called |
DEQ places the colony about 5 miles north of Harlem. Confirm the current entrance. Location reference48.585556, -108.755833 DEQ locality record (2011) ↗ |
Call for permission and exact fields; proximity to US 2 establishes no access. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
Turner Access unverifiedHarlem / Big Flat Directory source ↗Listing: Jan 2024 |
Turner Region 6 · Blaine Turner is the nearest town in the DEQ assessment. |
406-379-2350 285 Northern Breeze Drive, Turner, MT 59542 Published listing • not called |
South of Turner; a Big Flat side trip off the eastbound US 2 route. Location reference48.758889, -108.435 DEQ locality record ↗ |
Confirm whether access is offered for your species and date; ask about field and road restrictions. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
Loring Access unverifiedNorth of Malta Directory source ↗Listing: Nov 2023 |
Loring area Region 6 · Locality: Loring Directory locality; nearest-town ranking not verified. |
406-674-5581 6888 Turner Cutacross Road, Loring, MT 59537 Published listing • not called |
Turner Cutacross Road listing, north of Malta. Confirm the route before leaving the main highway. Location reference48.786667, -107.972778 |
Confirm the particular tract, current permission policy and whether roads are usable. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
East Malta Access unverifiedMalta / Saco corridor Directory source ↗Listing: Apr 2026 |
Malta Region 6 · Phillips Malta is the nearest town in the DEQ assessment. |
406-770-4202 1089 E. Malta Colony Road, Malta, MT 59538 Published listing • not called |
East of Malta; retain as a contact lead while traveling toward Saco and Nelson Reservoir. Location reference48.348611, -107.608056 DEQ locality record ↗ |
Verify access to the exact property. Nearby camping or public land does not authorize colony access. BMA enrollment and nearby public-land connection not confirmed. Check Region 6 BMAs ↗ |
Preserved from the Havre conversation, with the main stops checked against their managing agencies. These are overnight leads; camping availability does not establish hunting access.
Park boundary begins about 10 miles south of Havre on MT 234; office is about 20 miles south. Rustic sites, generally first come. Water fill at the office and a dump site near mile 18.
Travel use: stay near Havre if the southbound detour fits. Verify current permit price, livestock notices and dog rules.
406-395-4565Location correction: Trafton Park is in Malta. Head north at the traffic signal. The city lists bathrooms, potable water, no hookups and first-come camping with no reservations.
Travel use: a practical eastbound town stop. Recheck fees and any temporary restrictions before arrival.
406-654-1251Reclamation lists a campground, toilets, no RV hookups and no campground fee. Its facilities inventory is undated; confirm availability and bring water.
Earlier route note: roughly 17 miles east of Malta, then 2 miles north. Retained as a planning estimate; confirm the campground approach on a current map.
Bureau of Reclamation facilities ↗These secondary leads and approximate distances are historical chat notes, not reverified arrival instructions. Current fees, stay limits, trailer limits and closures were not carried forward as facts.
FWP's Harvest Estimates Search allows species Deer, years 2024–2025 and each listed hunting district. The figures below select white-tailed deer / resident + nonresident. They are survey estimates for a whole district, not a colony headcount.
| Deer district / linked areas | 2024 WTD total | 2025 WTD total | 2025 bucks | 2025 bucks “4+ points” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400Sunnybrook, Camrose | 435 | 366 -16% | 203 | 165 |
| 404New Rockport, Twin Hills | 574 | 503 -12% | 277 | 207 |
| 600Hartland | 531 | 272 -49% | 173 | 147 |
| 441Rockport | 149 | 144 -3% | 97 | 63 |
| 413Grasslands | 907 | 698 -23% | 390 | 303 |
| 515Golden Valley | 404 | 416 +3% | 243 | 196 |
| 419Surprise Creek (partial) | 271 | 228 -16% | 131 | 107 |
“4+ points” is FWP's harvest classification, not an age or trophy-quality measurement. Buck harvest reflects permits, effort, access and hunter choice. HD 419 covers only one of Surprise Creek's two mapped deer districts; no comparable HD 432 line was returned. FWP's 2024 hunter count displayed zero in this report, so no deer hunter-success rate is calculated from it.
| 2025 bird survey region | Pheasant success | Sharptail success | 2026 survey/field interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| R4 NorthSunnybrook, New Rockport, Rockport, Camrose, Twin Hills | 72% | 74% | Pheasant crow counts above 2025; sharp lek counts similar to 2025, below historic mean. |
| R6 WestHartland | 76% | 68% | Pheasant near/above average; western sharp counts slightly above long-term mean. |
| R4 SouthGrasslands, Surprise Creek | 70% | 71% | Regional habitat improved; Surprise Creek BMA expressly closes upland hunting. |
| R5Golden Valley | 68% | 66% | Average overall; gray partridge good; pheasant fair in favorable cover; sharp spotty. |
Bird percentages are 2025 FWP survey estimates of hunters who harvested at least one bird of that species across broad reporting regions, rounded to whole percentages. They are not encounter probabilities on a specific BMA. Source: 2025 Upland Game Bird harvest workbook, hunting_harvest sheet; 2026 FWP bird outlook.
Four signals, in order: (1) whitetail survey and district harvest trend, adjusted for 2025 EHD; (2) 2026 bird surveys plus 2025 hunter-success context; (3) riparian strips, coulees, grass and crop edges visible inside each official BMA boundary; (4) road isolation and legal Type I/II access. An upland prohibition removes an area from the two-species ranking. No FWP source measures population density or mature-buck age on these particular colony parcels, so those assessments remain estimates.
The 2025 modeled statewide whitetail report put Region 4 at 36,493 animals (+18% against its previous ten-year regional average), Region 5 at 15,420 (+8%) and Region 6 at 12,252 (+2%). That model predated the full 2025 EHD impact. The newer 2026 Region 6 winter density survey is the controlling signal for Hartland, while localized 2025 EHD pockets in Region 4 require a local biologist check before treating a river as a deer guarantee. FWP model · 2026 R6 survey · 2026 R4 outlook.
Type I means hunter-administered permission, generally a sign-in box; Type II means another person issues permission. Golden Valley is Type II even though its first slip can be collected at a box. The current property's PDF governs actual entry, closed roads, boundaries and camping. State/BLM pieces shown near a BMA do not automatically have legal access through the colony. For R4, FWP requires at least one member of a hunting party to obtain the current official BMA map. FWP access definitions · R4 map policy.
Field calls: FWP Havre Area Office 406-265-6177 for Hartland/HD 600; FWP Region 4 BMA Office 406-454-5862 for Sunnybrook, New Rockport and other R4 access questions; FWP Region 5 map lists 406-247-2940 for Golden Valley questions. Ask the local biologist where 2025 EHD reports occurred and whether the particular creek/river segment retained whitetails.
Record colony, contact, date, permission scope, field or BMA number, parking, dogs, vehicles and follow-up. Notes and stars save in this browser when storage is available; they do not update the HTML file or sync between devices. Export a copy to keep them.
Colony directory: each contact row links to its GAMEO entry. Versions range from 2020 to 2026; phone numbers have not been called. The Montana Department of Livestock corroborates Sunny Brook’s street address, while DEQ records support Hartland, North Harlem, Turner and East Malta localities. Directory points, mailing towns and older locality reports do not verify a visitor entrance, hunting permission or current road conditions.
Camping: Beaver Creek Park, Malta’s Trafton Park and Nelson Reservoir link to their managing-agency pages. Secondary leads and approximate distances came from the earlier Primitive camping Havre Montana conversation, retrieved 23 September 2026. Fees, amenities, closures and dog rules need a current check. Camping permission does not grant hunting access.
Research boundary: The original contact/travel guide was checked 23 September 2026. The mapped hunting guide used 2026 BMA maps and 2025–26 FWP data and was dated 25 September 2026. Its rankings are conditional, not parcel-specific deer counts or guarantees. No colony calls or ground checks were made for this combination.
Offline: this HTML includes the schematic orientation map, rules and contacts. Linked official BMA PDFs, current regulations and external directions are online destinations; download the exact maps separately for the trip.