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Montana Hunting — Turkey

2 active seasons · MFWP data
Source: Montana FWP (fwp.mt.gov) · May 30, 2026
0
No-Go
No-Go — Road closure: Going-to-the-Sun Road — no access
Montana · spring season
🌤️ Weather
🚗 Roads
⚠️ Avy
🥾 Trail
◌ Battlement Mesa, Cochetopa Hills, Elkhead Mountains, Elk Mountains +20 more No Rating
🚗 Roads: 6 open · 1 closed
🎯 HuntScore™ MT Units
83 HD 520 Sweet Grass / Boulder River
82 HD 100 Bitterroot
81 HD 260 Clark Fork / Superior
80 HD 311 Madison
79 HD 500 Musselshell / Roundup
78 HD 110 Bitterroot West
+16 more →
🌙 51 — undefined
💡 Wolf presence changes elk behavior. In wolf-heavy zones (Bitterroot, Gallatin), elk spend more time in timber. Hunt the edges at dawn and dusk.
🎯 Active Seasons (2)
🦃 Turkey — Archery + Shotgun
Apr 15 – May 31 · Western MT river drainages, Yellowstone Valley
● ACTIVE NOW
Spring gobbler. Best areas: Bitterroot, Flathead, Yellowstone Valley near Billings.
License: Turkey license (limited OTC). Some districts require special permit.
🐻 Black Bear — All Legal
Apr 15 – May 31 · Most hunting districts (check regulations)
● ACTIVE NOW
Spring bears emerging from dens. Focus on south-facing slopes with early green-up.
License: Black bear license (limited, not a draw — first-come OTC).
📋 MFWP Draw Calendar
May 1 – May 31
Draw Results Released
Special license draw results posted to myFWP account. B-tags, permits, and special season licenses available here.
May 15 – Aug 31
Antlerless Elk B-Tags Available
B-tag (antlerless elk) permits purchased after draw results. Limited quantities per HD. Check current availability at fwp.mt.gov before heading out.
ℹ️ 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)
🌐 Montana's Block Management Program (BMP) opens 6+ million acres of private land to public hunters through voluntary landowner agreements with FWP.
Eastern Plains
Antelope, Mule Deer, Pheasant, Sharptail
Largest BMA concentration — thousands of acres per unit.
Missouri River Breaks
Mule Deer, Elk (limited), Antelope
Rugged breaks country with excellent mule deer.
Yellowstone Valley
Pheasant, Whitetail, Mule Deer
River bottom habitat, CRP fields — top pheasant ground.
Southwestern MT
Elk, Mule Deer, Whitetail
Access to private land adjacent to Beaverhead-Deerlodge NF.
Source: MFWP Block Management · Over 6 million acres of private land open to public hunters
🦌 CWD Surveillance Zones
MT — CWD detected in deer — check FWP for current test station locations
MT — Ongoing surveillance area near WY border
CWD prevalence in MT: low statewide, targeted culling in affected units. Mandatory check stations in Big Horn, Custer, Rosebud, Powder River, Richland counties.
🎯 HuntScore™ Montana Units
MFWP Hunting Districts scored 0–100. Click any unit for detailed conditions, season dates, and CWD/tribal zone info.
Jump to unit:
83
HD 520
Sweet Grass / Boulder River · South-central MT
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
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
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
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
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Prairie/foothills transition. Long shots, open country. BMA acres available. Low…
78
HD 110
Bitterroot West · Western MT
Elk, White-tailed Deer
Steep private/public mosaic. Most access via West Fork road.
78
HD 410
Judith Basin / Crystal Crater · Central MT
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Crooked Creek RNA, Judith River Canyon WMA. Underrated unit, lower pressure than…
77
HD 320
Jefferson · Southwest MT
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
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer
Less pressured than Gallatin. Shields River BMA private access. Crazy Mountain a…
75
HD 200
Rattlesnake · Missoula Area
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer
CWD
Mix of MT DNRC state land and private. Rattlesnake NRA trail access for approach…
74
HD 250
Clearwater / Seeley Lake · Missoula Area
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Moose
CWD
Seeley Lake valley floor BMA + Lolo NF. Good for combination elk/whitetail.
74
HD 600
Missouri Breaks (Fort Benton / Loma) · North-central MT
Elk, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer
Steep river breaks terrain. Remote access, few hunters. Long shots across CRP fi…
72
HD 201
N. Rattlesnake / Salmon River · Missoula Area
Elk, White-tailed Deer
CWD
Wilderness-adjacent. Long hike in, better elk densities.
71
HD 399
West Yellowstone / Madison River · Southwest MT
Elk, Bison (with permit), Wolf, Black Bear
Heavy elk from Yellowstone park feed into this unit. Hebgen Lake RMAA. Heavy rec…
70
HD 240
Milltown / Bonner · Missoula Area
Elk, White-tailed Deer
CWD
Milltown WMA and adjacent DNRC land. Blackfoot River corridor access.
68
HD 300
Gallatin · Southwest MT
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Black Bear
Heavy hunter pressure. BMA available on Bridger Foothills private. Gallatin Lion…
65
HD 301
Hyalite / Bozeman Pass · Southwest MT
Elk, Mule Deer
Very high pressure. Hyalite Reservoir area and Bangtail Mountains provide best o…
64
HD 900
Tongue River / Ashland · Southeast MT
Elk, Mule Deer, White-tailed Deer, Pronghorn
CWD🏹 Tribal
Rough broken terrain. Ashland Ranger District Custer NF. Tribal land border — kn…
61
HD 700
Hi-Line / Saskatchewan Border · North-central MT
White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Elk
CWD
Prairie hunt — open farmland, river bottoms, minimal cover. Very high whitetail …
58
HD 800
Southeast MT Prairie · Southeast MT
White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Pronghorn
CWD🏹 Tribal
River breaks, CRP fields, sage flats. Very high whitetail density. Tribal bounda…
57
HD 391
Late Season / Winter Range (Madison) · Southwest MT
Elk (antlerless)
Permit
Madison River valley winter range elk. Ice and snow conditions apply. Check road…
55
HD 290
Late Season / Winter Range (Swan) · Western MT
Elk (antlerless)
CWDPermit
Winter range access. Snow may restrict roads. Late season means big game concent…
HuntScore™ is a forecast score, not a guarantee. Verify unit regulations at fwp.mt.gov/hunt before hunting.
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