2020 Map of Finger Buttes East

About this map

The rolling drainage basins of eastern Carter County define this remote landscape, where the seasonal flow of Blacktail Cr carves its way through the high plains. Situated in the southeastern corner of Montana, this area is characterized by the expansive Public Land Survey System grids of T5S R59E and T6S R61E, reflecting the organized ranching and grazing tracts that have long supported the local agricultural economy. The terrain reveals a complex network of dry draws and ridges typical of the northern Great Plains, illustrating how water availability, or the lack thereof, has dictated the sparse settlement patterns in this part of the state. Map collectors and historians can observe the delicate intersection of section lines and natural hydrology in a region where traditional land use remains largely unchanged since the early frontier days.