The Missouri Breaks [2021]

The Missouri Breaks area is exceptionally remote, even by Montana standards. Much of the Missouri Breaks area is completely uninhabited as it lies within the Charles Russell Wildlife Refuge. And the part of the breaks area that is outside of the refuge consists of scattered ranches and sizable blocks of BLM lands. In short, if you want to be alone, the Missouri Breaks area is a very fine place to go.

The Missouri Breaks

The Missouri Breaks is famous for its' superb hunting. And, indeed, hunting is how I first came across this remote region of Montana. The elk hunting in the Missouri Breaks is legendary for trophy bull elk. Each year, about 75 lucky hunters draw a permit to hunt the trophy elk that reside in the areas draws, forests and plains. Other lucky hunters, like me in 2004, are able to procure a cow permit which allows for hunting of antlerless elk. And while I came away skunked in my hunting trip to the breaks in 2004 - the trip was hardly a waste - as I came back having explored a new region of Montana that is beautiful, remote and truly wild.

The entertainment industry, however, DOES require breaks and rest periods for youth workers. A youth cannot work more than five and one-half hours without a meal break. Additionally, a 15-minute rest period (which counts as work time) is required after each two hours of continuous work for youth in the entertainment industry.

Armed with a GPS, camera and notebook, the volunteers tramped the two-track roads along the crumbling cliffs and bottoms of the breaks, noting where they saw wildlife, invasive weeds or evidence of man.

With the heat, Sondra goes overboard into the water to float along with the boat, wearing a shirt and floppy hat, now both wet and sagging, to protect her from the sun. She stretches out her arms and with cupped hands slowly oars herself along, her hands so small and vulnerable in the wide Missouri, it nearly breaks my heart. 041b061a72