HD 393 lies within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge—the CMR—a vast tract of Missouri River breaks, prairie, and badlands stretching along Fort Peck Reservoir in central-eastern Montana. Elevations are modest, ranging from 2,200 feet on the reservoir shore to about 3,200 feet on the surrounding prairie benches. The landscape is classic Missouri Breaks: deeply eroded coulees and ravines cut into bentonite and sandstone, with scattered ponderosa pine and juniper growing on north-facing slopes, cottonwood in the bottoms, and sagebrush and grass on the flats. Fort Peck Reservoir dominates the middle of the HD, and the breaks country on both sides of the lake holds surprising populations of elk, mule deer, and the occasional bighorn sheep. The entire HD is federal land managed by USFWS as part of the CMR refuge, which means public access but with refuge-specific regulations—check the CMR hunting rules carefully, as they differ from general Montana regs in some respects. Access is via a handful of gravel and dirt roads that branch off US-191 and MT-24, but most of the interior is reached by rough two-track or on foot. The roads are gumbo clay and become impassable when wet—this cannot be overstated. Jordan and Glasgow are the nearest towns with services, and both are a long drive from the interior. Cell service is nonexistent. The CMR is big, lonely, and unforgiving—you can hunt for days without seeing another person, which is exactly the appeal. The elk here are prairie-breaks elk that behave differently from mountain elk; they bed in the timbered coulees during daylight and feed on the open benches at night. Bring a reliable vehicle, extra fuel, water, and a plan for getting an animal out of a coulee without cell service or help. This is one of the most unique elk hunting experiences in the lower 48. HD 393 (Charles M. Russell NWR / Fort Peck) lies within the CMR National Wildlife Refuge — a vast tract of Missouri River breaks and prairie along Fort Peck Reservoir. The entire HD is federal land managed by USFWS, meaning public access but with refuge-specific regulations that differ from general Montana regs. Check the CMR hunting rules carefully — weapons restrictions, vehicle access limitations, and seasonal closures apply. General elk tags are available OTC for residents, but the CMR elk are prairie-breaks animals that behave differently from mountain elk, bedding in timbered coulees during daylight and feeding on open benches at night. Mule deer are the primary draw, with the breaks producing trophy-class bucks. Block Management does not apply since this is entirely federal refuge land. The gumbo clay roads become impassable when wet — this cannot be overstated. Jordan and Glasgow are the nearest towns with services, and both are a long drive from the interior. Cell service is nonexistent. Bull-to-cow ratios for elk are moderate. This is one of the most unique elk hunting experiences in the lower 48 — prairie-breaks elk in badlands terrain that looks nothing like the mountains most people picture for Montana.