Game Plan

What to use and where to look before setting off.

A successful hunt starts long before your boots hit the trail. It starts on a rainy spring evening when you break out a map, spread it wide across the dining-room table, identify a promising drainage or lonesome BLM piece, and get to planning. Here are some helpful resources to consider.

fwp.mt.gov
For the latest regulations, season dates, harvest regions, and more. Click here.

Printed Regs
Keep copies at home and in the truck; review regularly.

OnXmaps
For land ownership info, get the app or chip installed on your device. Click here.

DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer
Handy for identifying campsites, backroads, and fishing access points, as well as land-ownership from a bird’s-eye view.

mytopo.com
Check out elevation profiles and plan stalking routes, then print the maps cheap and keep them in your pack. Click here.

Custer-Gallatin National Forest
The regional USFS office is on W. Main in Bozeman; they’ll answer questions and provide additional resources. Click here.

Montana Cadastral
Another great land-ownership resource—this one has the names and addresses of landowners (or of shadowy holding companies). Click here.

Google Earth
The best resource for approximating a boots-on-the-ground view of the terrain you’ll be in. Click here.

Avenza Maps
This app shows your real-time location on USGS maps and helps you navigate, even when you're offline. Click here.

Montana Hunting Access 
With this app you can get all of Montana's BMA info at your fingertips, even offline. Plus, it's made by folks right here in Bozeman. Click here. 

This article originally appeared in Stalk hunting guide, an annual guide to hunting southwest Montana.