Montana hunting maps: public land, units and season dates
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks divides Montana into 139 deer, elk and lion hunting districts. Across them, about 32% of the land is public: Forest Service 20%, BLM 9.5%, state land under 1%.
- 139deer, elk and lion hunting districts
- 32%public land
- 131,305square miles mapped
- 7general seasons tracked
Units measured Oct 12, 2026 · sources
Who manages Montana’s public land
- Bureau of Land Management9.5%
- U.S. Forest Service20%
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceunder 1%
- State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies)under 1%
Share of the area covered by Montana’s deer, elk and lion hunting districts.
Public land share per unit. Tap a unit to open it.
All 139 deer, elk and lion hunting districts, by public land
Sorted by public land share. Tap a column to re-sort.
| Hunting District 280 | 100% | 304 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 150 | 100% | 1,167 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 442 | 100% | 297 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 455 | 99% | 65 | state land |
| Hunting District 565 | 99% | 204 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 424 | 98% | 95 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 316 | 98% | 466 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 141 | 98% | 338 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 415 | 98% | 206 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 140 | 97% | 876 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 250 | 97% | 554 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 202 | 93% | 958 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 100 | 91% | 1,403 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 310 | 91% | 313 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 392 | 91% | 250 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 123 | 90% | 238 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 130 | 90% | 671 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 216 | 89% | 296 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 200 | 87% | 237 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 361 | 87% | 224 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 282 | 86% | 41 | state land |
| Hunting District 313 | 85% | 194 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 110 | 85% | 791 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 270 | 84% | 662 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 301 | 82% | 328 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 211 | 82% | 407 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 121 | 82% | 978 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 318 | 82% | 269 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 350 | 81% | 356 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 240 | 80% | 670 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 101 | 77% | 803 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 212 | 77% | 133 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 331 | 76% | 1,359 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 104 | 75% | 754 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 319 | 75% | 619 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 201 | 73% | 1,043 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 448 | 73% | 383 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 285 | 72% | 661 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 281 | 70% | 378 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 302 | 69% | 597 | BLM |
| Hunting District 303 | 66% | 326 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 621 | 65% | 814 | BLM |
| Hunting District 317 | 65% | 423 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 555 | 65% | 789 | BLM |
| Hunting District 525 | 62% | 1,628 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 321 | 61% | 785 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 124 | 61% | 129 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 323 | 61% | 2,060 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 622 | 60% | 741 | BLM |
| Hunting District 204 | 60% | 402 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 329 | 59% | 789 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 261 | 57% | 214 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 630 | 55% | 1,582 | BLM |
| Hunting District 335 | 54% | 217 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 293 | 53% | 444 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 214 | 53% | 116 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 360 | 52% | 677 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 343 | 51% | 245 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 122 | 49% | 715 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 215 | 47% | 578 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 103 | 47% | 1,445 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 420 | 47% | 77 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 416 | 45% | 653 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 213 | 44% | 495 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 380 | 43% | 1,043 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 320 | 42% | 802 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 340 | 41% | 850 | BLM |
| Hunting District 210 | 41% | 487 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 304 | 40% | 438 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 432 | 40% | 491 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 314 | 39% | 541 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 410 | 38% | 1,575 | BLM |
| Hunting District 422 | 37% | 484 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 670 | 35% | 4,111 | BLM |
| Hunting District 391 | 34% | 472 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 324 | 34% | 516 | BLM |
| Hunting District 370 | 34% | 185 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 413 | 33% | 877 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 620 | 33% | 1,747 | BLM |
| Hunting District 652 | 33% | 312 | BLM |
| Hunting District 452 | 32% | 338 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 441 | 29% | 594 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 417 | 28% | 858 | BLM |
| Hunting District 217 | 28% | 142 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 292 | 28% | 483 | BLM |
| Hunting District 540 | 27% | 582 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 700 | 27% | 2,693 | BLM |
| Hunting District 425 | 26% | 143 | state land |
| Hunting District 704 | 25% | 5,419 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 705 | 23% | 6,159 | BLM |
| Hunting District 120 | 21% | 492 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 312 | 20% | 494 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 339 | 18% | 294 | BLM |
| Hunting District 315 | 18% | 579 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 322 | 18% | 455 | BLM |
| Hunting District 290 | 18% | 53 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Hunting District 411 | 17% | 1,177 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 446 | 17% | 592 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 580 | 15% | 1,126 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 426 | 14% | 843 | BLM |
| Hunting District 291 | 14% | 321 | BLM |
| Hunting District 284 | 13% | 17 | state land |
| Hunting District 418 | 12% | 479 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 701 | 12% | 7,208 | BLM |
| Hunting District 535 | 12% | 2,761 | BLM |
| Hunting District 600 | 11% | 3,052 | BLM |
| Hunting District 388 | 11% | 196 | BLM |
| Hunting District 412 | 11% | 659 | BLM |
| Hunting District 703 | 9.8% | 5,449 | BLM |
| Hunting District 447 | 9.7% | 882 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 690 | 9.2% | 3,987 | BLM |
| Hunting District 393 | 8.7% | 616 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 650 | 8.3% | 3,525 | BLM |
| Hunting District 451 | 7.4% | 142 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 471 | 6.8% | 750 | BLM |
| Hunting District 502 | 6.6% | 732 | BLM |
| Hunting District 450 | 6.5% | 406 | BLM |
| Hunting District 390 | 6.2% | 340 | BLM |
| Hunting District 260 | 5.9% | 154 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Hunting District 445 | 5.2% | 694 | BLM |
| Hunting District 298 | 4.9% | 152 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 590 | 4.4% | 2,912 | BLM |
| Hunting District 311 | 3.6% | 564 | BLM |
| Hunting District 702 | 3.6% | 2,756 | BLM |
| Hunting District 403 | 3.5% | 659 | BLM |
| Hunting District 400 | 3.4% | 1,887 | BLM |
| Hunting District 444 | 3% | 484 | state land |
| Hunting District 405 | 2.7% | 470 | BLM |
| Hunting District 421 | 2.6% | 809 | Forest Service |
| Hunting District 406 | 2.5% | 705 | state land |
| Hunting District 170 | 2.2% | 361 | state land |
| Hunting District 640 | 2.1% | 3,730 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Hunting District 404 | 1.4% | 1,941 | Fish & Wildlife Service |
| Hunting District 401 | 1.2% | 1,806 | BLM |
| Hunting District 515 | 1.1% | 2,517 | BLM |
| Hunting District 575 | 1% | 817 | BLM |
| Hunting District 419 | under 1% | 684 | BLM |
| Hunting District 309 | under 1% | 172 | state land |
| Hunting District 262 | 0% | 125 | — |
Montana hunting season dates, 2026
Statewide general seasons from WikiHunt’s season table (updated Sep 2, 2026). Units, zones and draw hunts can differ, so confirm in the Montana regulations.
- General license covers deer and elk in most units
- Special permit required for moose/goat/sheep
| Species | Season | 2026 dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | Archery DeerArchery | Sep 5 – Oct 18 | Statewide general archery; OTC general deer license (bow-and-arrow license also required). Backcountry HDs 150/280/316 differ. |
| Deer | General Rifle DeerRifle | Oct 24 – Nov 29 | Statewide general rifle, OTC general deer license. Youth weekend Oct 15-16; backcountry HDs run Sept 15-Nov 29. |
| Elk | Archery ElkArchery | Sep 5 – Oct 18 | Statewide general archery; OTC general elk license. Some HDs require a drawn permit for either-sex/antlerless. |
| Elk | General Rifle ElkRifle | Oct 24 – Nov 29 | Statewide general rifle, OTC general elk license. Many HDs restrict to brow-tined-bull or require drawn permits. |
| Pronghorn | Rifle AntelopeRifle · draw or permit required | Oct 10 – Nov 8 | General antelope license is limited-quota/draw-only (deadline June 1). Archery antelope Sept 5-Oct 9. |
| Moose | MooseAny legal weapon · draw or permit required | Sep 15 – Nov 29 | Once-in-a-lifetime limited-draw special license (deadline May 1). General any-weapon Sept 15-Nov 29; archery-only Sept 5-14. |
| Black bear | Fall BearAny legal weapon | Sep 15 – Nov 29 | Fall black bear statewide general; OTC black bear license (bear ID test required, no draw). Fall archery-only Sept 5-14. |
When is the rut in Montana?
Mule deer and white-tailed deer
Mule deer · Missouri River Breaks Agency
Nov 21 – Dec 1
Three-quarters of litters were conceived in this window; middle date about Nov 25. One study area.
Source: MT FWP, Mule Deer in the Missouri River Breaks (1989)
Whitetails · statewide Agency
Mid – late November
In western Montana, late November to early December.
Source: Montana Field Guide, White-tailed Deer
Whitetails · Northwest Secondary
≈ Nov 21
Statistical peak of conceptions, as reported in the press.
Source: Spokesman-Review (2010)
Questions
How much of Montana is public land?
About 32% of the area covered by Montana’s deer, elk and lion hunting districts is federal or state public land in USGS PAD-US 4.1, led by U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and State land (wildlife, trust and natural-resource agencies).
Which Montana units have the most public land?
Hunting District 280 (100%), Hunting District 150 (100%), Hunting District 442 (100%). The full table above sorts every unit.
When is deer season in Montana in 2026?
Archery Deer: Sep 5 – Oct 18; General Rifle Deer: Oct 24 – Nov 29. Unit and zone dates can differ; check the regulations.
Does WikiHunt have property lines for Montana?
Yes. Parcel boundaries for Montana are part of the Single State ($19.99 a year) and All States ($39.99 a year) plans in the app and on the web map.
Sources
- Unit boundaries: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
- Public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1, Fee Managers (public domain), measured per unit on a ~250-cell grid after ~100 m simplification.
- Season dates: WikiHunt’s season table, updated Sep 2, 2026; regulations: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/regulations.
- Rut dates: each row links to its source (state agency, study or press).