With all the changes in the West and the difficulties of scoring elk tags, Montana has set itself apart as the one state that you can guarantee yourself a tag every two to three years. If you are a hunter who wants to hunt elk every year, you need to play the Montana application game. If you play the preference point game correctly, the majority of hunters will hunt Montana every other year. The general-season units cover most of the western portion of the state, with a handful of units scattered across the eastern side of the state. Since the 2026 regulations came out early, we were able to update our maps on what general units you can hunt for elk. Check out our 2026 General Districts maps on pages 106 and 107. These maps will give hunters a good idea of the units where they can hunt elk with a general tag.

Non-resident hunters must draw a general license in order to be entered into the special drawing. Non-resident hunters who draw a general license and are not successful in drawing a special, limited-entry permit will still have options. The first option is that hunters may turn their general license back into the state for an eighty percent refund, if done so by August 1, or a fifty percent refund if done so before the general season starts. Keep in mind that your preference points will not be reinstated if you return your general license for a refund. The second option is to hunt elk in one of the general units. Remember that these general units are all over-the-counter licenses for residents and do receive a fair amount of hunting pressure.

There are a number of limited-entry units that have the potential to produce bigger bulls, though most of these units are located on the eastern half of the state. The rifle permits have tough odds, but many of the archery permits can be drawn every four to six years as a non-resident. Take a look at our archery and rifle elk tables for the better limited-entry elk hunts. Remember, if a unit is mostly private land, you’ll want to make sure you are talking to an outfitter or have private access before applying.

If you draw a special elk permit, you can only hunt elk in your assigned unit while your season is open. For example, if you drew unit 410-21, which is an archery-only elk permit, you would only be allowed to hunt elk during the archery season in unit 410. Put another way, you couldn’t hunt a general elk unit during archery season with a 410-21 permit in your pocket. Once your archery season was over, you’d be free to hunt the rifle and muzzleloader elk seasons in the general units. For another example, let’s say you drew unit 380-20, which is an elk permit valid through archery, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons. Because this tag is valid for all three seasons, you would not be able to hunt elk anywhere else in the state.

Montana will always be a fun place to hunt elk, and right now, public land elk hunting is actually better than the public land deer hunting. If you are willing to put in the work, you can have a good elk hunt with a bow, rifle, or muzzleloader. If you have any questions regarding Montana’s general elk hunting, give us a call; most of the Hunt Advisors have lived in and hunted Montana general and limited-entry units for years. If you are interested in a guided hunt, the Huntin’ Fool Adventures team works with the best outfitters in the state.

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