RE: Montana public land for elk.
I think that area (703) is kind of like some of the areas up north of the breaks. They have a general season on elk because there aren't any there and they want to keep it that way. If any elk wander out of the breaks or get loose from some game farms up in Canada they are pretty much open season. If you read the description of some of these hunting districts (670 for instance) it specifically says "Note: Elk numbers are low and will be difficult to find."