Montana's Missouri River Country
If wildlife viewing is the primary reason you are in Missouri River Country, then you will not be disappointed. Great Northeast Montana is nationally known for its wild critters. This Montana prairie country is home to an enormous population of large and small animals and winged creatures.
Bighorn Sheep
Bison
Blue Heron
Burrowing Owl
Canada Goose
Cormorant
Waterfowl
Eagles
Elk
Fox
Grouse
Hungarian Partridge
Coyote
Osprey
Pheasant
Prairie Dog
Pronghorn
Sandhill Crane
Turkey
White Pelican
Deer
The second largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states (about 1.1 million acres), the CMR is one of America’s great wilderness regions, as well as a wildlife refuge. It embraces about 229 of the nearly 300 Missouri River Breaks’ miles, surrounds Fort Peck Lake with its 1,600 miles of shoreline and is about 125 miles long. This wild country is remote, rough and spectacular. The canyons, some a thousand feet deep, buttes, hills, coulees and river bottoms, harbor elk, bighorn sheep, antelope, deer and prairie dog towns. More than 200 species of birds and 40 species of mammals have been identified on the refuge. There are many access points spread out over a vast landscape. For maps and information, call the CMR National Wildlife Refuges at (406) 538-8706.
Just south of Plentywood, this body of water is a prairie gem and a summer home to more than 100,000 migratory waterfowl. It’s a place of high wildlife activity. A 14-mile-long driving route provides ample access to the refuge. Call (406) 789-2305 or click here for more information.
Best known for its nesting colonies of white pelicans, this series of wetlands and lakes eight miles east of Malta, is the habitat for more than 230 different species of birds and waterfowl. There are many access points to the heart of the refuge and a 90 minute autoroute enables you to see much of this haven. Call (406) 654-2863 for further information.
Big game, as well as all the lesser critters, roam here. Isolated and beautiful, this refuge is located deep in the Missouri River Breaks about 50 miles south of Malta and 40 miles southeast of Zortman. Visitors need to negotiate rough roads to reach the UL Bend and these passages are often impassable in wet weather. The UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is contiguous to the UL Bend Wilderness and the CMR. Call the CMR number for information, (406) 538-8706.
This is a 230 acre enclosed pasture near Fort Peck. The pasture has an all weather gravel road surrounding it with several viewing turnouts, making this a great scenic drive for viewing wildlife.
Wildlife to Watch: Various bird species, 11 Bison, family of red fox, white-tail deer, mule deer.
