Open Now — Active Seasons
🏹 Turkey
🚨 1d left
Archery + Shotgun — General
📆 Apr 15 – May 31
📍 Western MT river drainages, Yellowstone Valley
🪪 Turkey license (limited OTC). Some districts require special permit.
Spring gobbler. Best areas: Bitterroot, Flathead, Yellowstone Valley near Billings.
Official regs →
🎯 Black Bear
🚨 1d left
All Legal — General
📆 Apr 15 – May 31
📍 Most hunting districts (check regulations)
🪪 Black bear license (limited, not a draw — first-come OTC).
Spring bears emerging from dens. Focus on south-facing slopes with early green-up.
Official regs →
Opening Soon — Next 45 Days
No seasons opening in the next 45 days.
📋 Draw Calendar
🔔 ACTIVE NOW: Draw Results Released
Through May 31
Special license draw results posted to myFWP account. B-tags, permits, and special season licenses available here.
🔔 ACTIVE NOW: Antlerless Elk B-Tags Available
Through Aug 31
B-tag (antlerless elk) permits purchased after draw results. Limited quantities per HD. Check current availability at fwp.mt.gov before heading out.
Montana combination licenses are OTC — no draw needed. Special permits (moose, sheep, goat) are highly competitive draws with multi-year wait times.
🏞️ Block Management Areas (BMA)
6.2 million acres
1,100+ units
Montana's Block Management Program (BMP) opens 6+ million acres of private land to public hunters through voluntary landowner agreements with FWP.
Most BMA units are walk-in only (no motorized vehicle access). Some allow vehicle access — check BMA booklet.
Eastern Plains
McCone, Garfield, Petroleum, Musselshell, Custer
Species: Antelope, Mule Deer, Pheasant, Sharptail
Largest BMA concentration — thousands of acres per unit.
Missouri River Breaks
Phillips, Blaine, Fergus, Valley
Species: Mule Deer, Elk (limited), Antelope
Rugged breaks country with excellent mule deer.
Yellowstone Valley
Yellowstone, Carbon, Stillwater
Species: Pheasant, Whitetail, Mule Deer
River bottom habitat, CRP fields — top pheasant ground.
Southwestern MT
Beaverhead, Madison, Gallatin
Species: Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail
Access to private land adjacent to Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF.
🎯 HuntScore™ Montana Units
MFWP Hunting District (HD) scores based on elk/deer density, access quality, CWD zones, tribal land proximity, and special permit requirements.
83
HD 520 — Sweet Grass / Boulder River
South-central MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear
Excellent elk numbers. Boulder River WMA + private BMA acres. Big Timber area is…
82
HD 100 — Bitterroot
Western MT · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Black Bear
BMA acres available east and north of Darby. USFS trailheads on both sides of Bi…
81
HD 260 — Clark Fork / Superior
Western MT · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear, Moose
Excellent elk numbers near St. Regis and Superior. Alberton Gorge access. Cabine…
80
HD 311 — Madison
Southwest MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear
Large BMA access. Sportsman, Bear Creek, and Green Mountain WMAs. Less pressure …
79
HD 500 — Musselshell / Roundup
Central MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Prairie/foothills transition. Long shots, open country. BMA acres available. Low…
78
HD 110 — Bitterroot West
Western MT · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer
Steep private/public mosaic. Most access via West Fork road.
78
HD 410 — Judith Basin / Crystal Crater
Central MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Crooked Creek RNA, Judith River Canyon WMA. Underrated unit, lower pressure than…
77
HD 320 — Jefferson
Southwest MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
BMA-heavy region. Highland and Whiskey Creek WMAs. Mining country access roads.
76
HD 420 — Shields River / Crazy Mountains
South-central MT · Good
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Less pressured than Gallatin. Shields River BMA private access. Crazy Mountain a…
75
HD 200 — Rattlesnake
Missoula Area · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer
CWD Surveillance
Mix of MT DNRC state land and private. Rattlesnake NRA trail access for approach…
74
HD 250 — Clearwater / Seeley Lake
Missoula Area · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Moose
CWD Surveillance
Seeley Lake valley floor BMA + Lolo NF. Good for combination elk/whitetail.
74
HD 600 — Missouri Breaks (Fort Benton / Loma)
North-central MT · Good
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer
Steep river breaks terrain. Remote access, few hunters. Long shots across CRP fi…
Showing 12 of 22 scored units · Full MT Hunting Page →
HuntScore™ is a forecast — verify all unit regulations with MFWP at fwp.mt.gov/hunt
🧬 CWD Zones
Voluntary sampling encouraged statewide. Mandatory zones have designated drop stations. Do not transport intact heads or spines out of positive detection zones.
Affected species: White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk
HD 250, 291, 292, 293, 294 (Missoula/Ravalli area)
CWD detected in deer — check FWP for current test station locations
Southeast MT prairie units
Ongoing surveillance area near WY border
📎 Official Resources
⚖️ Legal Compliance Required
- Verify all regulations with state fish & game before hunting.
- HuntScore™ scores are forecasts, not guarantees of animal activity or harvest success.
- Draw odds are historical — actual odds may vary year to year.
- PeakScout does not replace hunter safety education or state licensing requirements.