US state
Known for Elk

Montana (MT)

Montana is a classic elk and mule deer destination.

Agency links, deadlines, unit maps, and species opportunities are tied to official sources below.

credentials missing

Unit Map / Units

Official GIS polygon layers render here when available. Click a unit polygon to ask Jeremiah for practical hunting background; seeded unit cards appear only when no GIS layer has been imported yet.

2 GIS layers

Montana 2026 Deer/Elk/Lion Hunting Districts

Official GIS source
species units
162 polygons

Species-specific hunt/tag/management boundaries.

100 (100)314 (314)103 (103)322 (322)401 (401)445 (445)303 (303)670 (670)690 (690)640 (640)652 (652)448 (448)150 (150)202 (202)404 (404)335 (335)555 (555)290 (290)211 (211)270 (270)281 (281)405 (405)502 (502)393 (393)262 (262)124 (124)310 (310)319 (319)318 (318)140 (140)313 (313)442 (442)525 (525)416 (416)413 (413)412 (412)280 (280)302 (302)417 (417)350 (350)451 (451)410 (410)422 (422)324 (324)442 (442)313 (313)140 (140)318 (318)319 (319)310 (310)124 (124)262 (262)393 (393)502 (502)405 (405)281 (281)270 (270)211 (211)290 (290)555 (555)335 (335)404 (404)202 (202)150 (150)448 (448)652 (652)640 (640)690 (690)670 (670)303 (303)445 (445)401 (401)322 (322)103 (103)314 (314)100 (100)282 (282)403 (403)250 (250)361 (361)HOLTER LAKE/HAUSER LAKE (HOLTER LAKE/HAUSER LAKE)312 (312)380 (380)123 (123)323 (323)419 (419)293 (293)284 (284)444 (444)426 (426)580 (580)425 (425)424 (424)447 (447)650 (650)700 (700)441 (441)455 (455)446 (446)703 (703)120 (120)217 (217)104 (104)130 (130)170 (170)122 (122)406 (406)590 (590)315 (315)317 (317)BLACKFEET INDIAN RESERVATION (BLACKFEET INDIAN RESERVATION)FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION (FLATHEAD INDIAN RESERVATION)415 (415)SUN RIVER GAME PRESERVE (SUN RIVER GAME PRESERVE)NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIAN RESERVATION (NORTHERN CHEYENNE INDIAN RESERVATION)GLACIER NATIONAL PARK (GLACIER NATIONAL PARK)CROW INDIAN RESERVATION (CROW INDIAN RESERVATION)ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION (ROCKY BOY'S INDIAN RESERVATION)FLATHEAD LAKE (FLATHEAD LAKE)701 (701)FORT PECK INDIAN RESERVATION (FORT PECK INDIAN RESERVATION)YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK)565 (565)141 (141)420 (420)FORT BELKNAP INDIAN RESERVATION (FORT BELKNAP INDIAN RESERVATION)261 (261)216 (216)260 (260)392 (392)331 (331)329 (329)621 (621)515 (515)622 (622)292 (292)702 (702)214 (214)110 (110)121 (121)540 (540)316 (316)309 (309)705 (705)452 (452)600 (600)210 (210)391 (391)201 (201)101 (101)240 (240)630 (630)298 (298)343 (343)535 (535)418 (418)471 (471)704 (704)400 (400)301 (301)200 (200)388 (388)100401690150555281262318525280451442319393270335448670322282HOLTER LAKE/HAUSER LAKE323444424441120170315415CROW INDIAN RESERVATIONFORT PECK INDIAN RESERVATION420260621702540452201298471200
Map key
No district / excluded area
State outline
100 / 700 series
200 / 800 series
300 / 900 series
400 series
500 series
600 series
Hover / clicked

Cream/white gaps are places not covered by this active district layer, such as reservations, national parks, lakes/water, or other excluded/non-district areas. Colors separate hunting-district number series for readability; always verify exact rules, species, and season dates against the official source.

Montana Spring Turkey Hunting Districts

Official GIS source
species units
5 polygons

Species-specific hunt/tag/management boundaries.

799-Regional Turkey Area 7 (799)599-Regional Turkey Area 5 (599)299-Regional Turkey Area 2 - Missoula and Ravalli Counties (299)199-Regional Turkey Area 1 (199)Spring General (Spring General)799599299199Spring General
Map key
No district / excluded area
State outline
100 / 700 series
200 / 800 series
300 / 900 series
400 series
500 series
600 series
Hover / clicked

Cream/white gaps are places not covered by this active district layer, such as reservations, national parks, lakes/water, or other excluded/non-district areas. Colors separate hunting-district number series for readability; always verify exact rules, species, and season dates against the official source.

GIS unit polygons are loaded for MT. Click any polygon on the map to open Jeremiah with unit background and opportunity notes.

Agency source

1

high confidence

Opportunities

19

researched nonresident paths

Applications

0

public research mode

Unit map

GIS

ArcGIS REST

Merriam's Wild Turkey opportunities

First-pass official-source research package for nonresident applications, draw/OTC paths, odds, harvest stats, and map linkage. Retrieved 2026-05-14.

1 opportunities
1 mapped
12 sources
Application process

Montana nonresidents should use MyFWP/FWP OLS as the system of record. For a regular deer/elk application, first verify the MyFWP profile, hunter education, Conservation License, Base Hunting License fee, and any bowhunter prerequisites. Then choose one nonresident combination path: General Deer Combination, General Elk Combination, or General Big Game Combination. Add any deer/elk permit choices in the same April 1 workflow, remembering that permits are HD-specific privileges layered on the underlying license and are not extra animals. Moose, sheep, goat, and bison close May 1; antelope, Deer B, Elk B, crane, and swan close June 1; limited mountain lion closes July 22. Post-draw Deer Permit, Elk Permit, Deer B, and Elk B surplus list signup runs June 15-July 15. Boondoggle should provide the plan, links, deadlines, map context, and screenshot/PDF import, but not submit, pay, change profile data, or report harvest without explicit human approval.

Open portal
Timezone: America/Denver / Montana time; FWP pages state 11:45 p.m. MST for application deadlines
Merriam's Wild Turkey
Wild Turkey License
high
otc
nonresident
map: spring-turkey-hd-2026

Units: spring turkey hunting districts; reservations are excluded from the state layer and must be checked separately

Deadlines: OTC; season dates per annual turkey regulations

Fees: Amount: 115; Currency: USD; Label: Turkey license; Source Url: https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/hunting-licenses/nonresident-licenses/fees • Amount: 57.5; Currency: USD; Label: Turkey license with upland game bird or combination; Source Url: https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/hunting-licenses/nonresident-licenses/fees

Open map layer
Prerequisites
  • MyFWP / FWP Online Licensing System account is required for online applications, purchases, draw status, surplus signup, roster signup, and point purchases.
  • Buy a Conservation License before applying for or buying hunting licenses; 2026 nonresident cost is listed as $10.
  • Pay the annual Base Hunting License fee with the first hunting license/application; 2026 nonresident cost is listed as $50.
  • Combination licenses include season fishing and upland bird licenses, but Conservation License, Base Hunting License fee, and AIS Prevention Pass are separate.
  • Anyone born after January 1, 1985 must provide approved hunter education proof to buy or apply for a Montana hunting license.
  • Archery-only seasons or districts require a bow-and-arrow license plus bowhunter education or accepted prior bowhunting-license proof.
  • First-time black bear license buyers must complete Montana's Black Bear Identification Test before purchasing a bear license.
  • Nonresident deer/elk hunters generally need to draw or otherwise qualify for one of Montana's combination licenses before hunting general deer/elk or applying for associated special deer/elk permits.
Merriam's Wild Turkey follow-up
  • Need to parse current 2026 regulation PDFs for exact deer, elk, antelope, B-license, moose, sheep, goat, bison, bear, lion, wolf, turkey, crane, and swan hunt-code tables.
Jeremiah guide notes
What should a regular nonresident deer or elk hunter do first?

Verify MyFWP, hunter education, Conservation License/Base Hunting License fee, and then choose exactly one combination path: Deer, Elk, or Big Game. Add any deer/elk permit choices before the April 1 deadline.

Is a Montana deer or elk permit an extra animal?

No. Deer and elk permits generally authorize a special place/sex/season opportunity on top of a valid underlying license; they are not additional tags.

What are the big 2026 Montana nonresident deadlines?

April 1 for deer/elk combinations and deer/elk permits; May 1 for moose, sheep, goat, and bison; June 1 for antelope, Deer B, Elk B, crane, and swan; July 22 for limited mountain lion.

How do Montana points work?

Most species drawings use squared bonus points plus the current application chance. Nonresident combination licenses use preference points: 75% go by preference point order and 25% go randomly to zero-point applicants.

What if I miss the main deer/elk draw?

For Deer Permit, Elk Permit, Deer B, and Elk B, sign up for the surplus list June 15-July 15 if available. It is randomized, and selected hunters get email purchase instructions.

Can Boondoggle submit my Montana application?

No. Boondoggle should prepare the plan, links, deadlines, map context, and screenshot/PDF import. The actual application, payment, profile edits, and harvest reporting stay in the official FWP/MyFWP portal unless Jonathan explicitly approves a separate user-present action.

Agency portals

Official agency, license/application, regulations, draw odds, and harvest stats.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
US West
high

Online Licensing System is official FWP OLS; public draw and harvest searches are on FWP/MyFWP pages.

Official agency links are public. Private account tracking is available separately when saved application data exists.

Deadlines

Application, draw, reporting, and point purchase reminders.

No deadlines seeded yet.

Unit boundary source

Official map/GIS source for the future clickable unit-level map.

machine readable
Deer Elk and Mountain Lion Hunting Districts All Past Years (filter REGYEAR=2026)
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
hunting district
deer
elk
lion
antelope

Format: ArcGIS REST

Conversion: Query layer 0 as GeoJSON with REGYEAR filter for the current regulation year; imported REGYEAR=2026.

License/source notes: Official Montana FWP GIS open-data portal; verify dataset-specific license on item page.

Open boundary source

Species available

Starter list for this jurisdiction.

No species data yet.

Applications

State/province-specific plans, submitted applications, draw status, and spend.

No applications yet.