HD 313 is the Gardiner Basin and the country immediately north of Yellowstone National Park—ground zero for one of the most famous elk hunts in North America. The HD straddles the Yellowstone River corridor from Gardiner north toward Yankee Jim Canyon, with elevations running from 5,200 feet at Gardiner up to 9,000 feet on the surrounding ridges of the Absaroka and Gallatin ranges. The valley bottom is sagebrush and grassland—classic winter range for the Northern Yellowstone elk herd. The hillsides carry Douglas fir and Rocky Mountain juniper with scattered limber pine on windswept ridges. Above the Douglas fir belt, the terrain gets steep and rocky as it climbs into the Absaroka Wilderness country. The sagebrush flats and open ridges near Gardiner look deceptively easy, but the elk here are some of the most pressured animals in Montana. Nearly all of the HD is either Gallatin National Forest, BLM, or Montana DNRC land, with a few private parcels near Gardiner and in the Yellowstone Valley. US-89 from Livingston to Gardiner is the main road, and several forest roads access the country east and west of the corridor. Gardiner is small—gas, a few restaurants, basic supplies—and Livingston is an hour north with full services. Cell service works in Gardiner and along the highway. This HD's identity is inseparable from the Northern Yellowstone elk herd and the late-season migrations out of the park. When snow pushes elk north of the park boundary, the hunting can be extraordinary, but it is also a media lightning rod—animal rights groups, photographers, and news crews are part of the landscape. Shoulder-season hunts (late antlerless) can be meat bonanzas, while earlier general season hunts require more work since the elk may still be inside the park. Know the park boundary cold, bring good optics, and be prepared for an audience. HD 313 is the Gardiner Basin — the famous late-season elk hunt at the north boundary of Yellowstone National Park. This is arguably the most controversial hunting area in the United States. Here is why: the Northern Yellowstone elk herd historically numbered 20,000+ animals that migrated out of the park in winter through Gardiner and into the Paradise Valley. Hunters waiting outside the park boundary would harvest elk streaming north across the park line — what critics call the "firing line" or "Gardiner slaughter." The hunt has been scaled back dramatically since the early 2000s due to herd decline (brucellosis management, predation from Yellowstone wolves, drought). Current elk numbers are a fraction of historic levels and late-season permits are much more limited. The hunt typically runs in late January/February when deep snow pushes elk out of the park. The ethics and politics are intense: anti-hunting groups film and protest at the park boundary, wolf advocates argue the hunt undermines the park ecosystem, and ranchers in Paradise Valley want elk numbers reduced to prevent brucellosis transmission to cattle. If you draw a 313 late-season permit, understand that you are stepping into a political firestorm regardless of your personal views. The practical reality: you will be hunting on a mix of BLM, USFS, and private land in the Gardiner Basin and Yellowstone River corridor. Access is from US-89 through Gardiner and the Tom Miner Basin road. The town of Gardiner has gas, lodging, and basic supplies but is primarily a Yellowstone tourist town. Livingston (50 miles north) has full services. Bison also migrate out of the park and there is a separate and equally controversial bison hunt managed by the InterTribal Buffalo Council and MT FWP. Grizzly bears are present year-round — carry spray. This is a Region 3 hunt with specific late-season regulations that change frequently; check the current MT FWP regulations carefully.