Thanks Speedgoat, that line of thinking on boats sounds good. I'm not a boat person at all, but if I could get somebody to drop me off and then pick me up at some specified later time that would work. The 680 draw is about 1 in 13 or 14, so it'll likely be a few years before I pull the tag.

District 680 includes McClelland Ferry and runs down past Bullwhacker Creek to Cow Creek. Where Cow Creek runs in is the eastern boundary of 680, then you're in 620 (I think). I'm kind of betting, like you say, that the elk densities die off as you head upriver, but probably there are some elk from maybe Bullwhacker Creek on down. According to DeLorme's maps there is a lot of timber in that vicinity.

While I'm writing that last, I realized another reason I focused on 680. I just love that name, Bullwhacker Creek. It's currently my favorite placename in MT. Other great names: Bloody Dick Creek (there's a PC move on foot to change this name, if they do it's time for all of us to join the militia), actually I'm going to stop and go start a new post asking people for their favorite placenames.

I've had some real adventures already with the Geo on those gumbo roads, but never gotten hopelessly stuck yet.

Bobby, I haven't intruded into Region 1 much yet. My whitetail scouting has taken me north right up to the south edge of Region 1. I have backpacked into the Bob a couple times.