The majority of the deer units in Montana are managed for hunter opportunity and not trophy hunting. Montana’s general deer tags provide a great opportunity for hunters to harvest a nice mule deer or whitetail buck. The archery season is September 6 - October 19, rifle season is October 25 - November 30, and muzzleloader season is December 13 - 21. The rifle season dates allow hunters to hunt the entire rut. The downside of hunting the rut is that most of the mature bucks on public land are harvested every season, and it does not allow for many older age class bucks on the landscape. The reason Montana can manage this way is due to all the private land that allows a sanctuary for deer to get some age on them. Finding a 160” mule deer buck on public land is harder today than at any time in the last decade.
The eastern side of the state typically provides the best general mule deer hunting, but the populations are way down. That side of the state has a lot of private land, but there is plenty of Block Management and public land for anyone to have a good hunt. For hunters wanting to see more deer, the central and eastern parts of the state are where they should be looking. For hunters who enjoy mountain hunting and not seeing a lot of mule deer, they should look towards regions 1, 2, and 3. There have been more mature bucks being taken in these more timbered mountain areas. A big buck can come from anywhere in the state as long as he can get some age on him.
A hunt that is gaining popularity is the muzzleloader hunt. This hunt is post-rut with bucks feeding hard to put some body weight back on for the winter. This is the best time to be out in the field if you do not want to see a lot of other hunters. Be prepared for a cold weather hunt if you plan on hunting the mid-December muzzleloader hunt.
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There are some better limited-entry units, and they give a hunter a good hunt for an above-average buck. The Bitterroot Valley units of 261, 262, and 270 have long been known as the best place to take trophy bucks, but like everywhere else in the West, these units have been struggling to produce the big bucks they are known for. Unit 270 did produce two bucks that scored over 190” in 2024. Units 261 and 270 have plenty of public land and are quality units. In 2024, all of the non-resident deer permits were drawn in unit 261-50, and two of the four 270-50 tags were drawn by non-resident landowners. In Montana, 15% of all permits for elk and deer can go to landowners. The landowner draw takes place before the regular draw. Any special permit that a non-resident landowner draws will count against the 10% non-resident quota for that unit.
Over the last six years, all non-resident permits were drawn by non-resident landowners in unit 261, and 13 out of 21 tags for unit 270 were drawn by non-resident landowners. Unit 262 is still producing a couple of good bucks a year, but if you don’t want to hunt on private land around houses, don’t apply for this unit. This is not going to be a fun hunt for a self-guided non-resident, as access is typically granted to local hunters who spend the spring and summer months knocking on doors to secure areas to hunt. Access is getting harder to come by, as many landowners in the area have grown tired of being asked for permission to hunt their land. Outfitters are also struggling to find access in this unit. Finding a big buck in unit 262 is more difficult now than in the past.
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The 2024 mule deer population estimate was the lowest it has been since 2013. The units in Eastern Montana have taken the biggest population hit, especially in regions 6 and 7. Hunters had to work a lot harder in 2024 to fill their tags. The herds in Western Montana are small but stable.
The central and eastern parts of the state are stable to declining populations of mule deer. The 2024 statewide estimate was 249,157, which is a 3% decline over the 2023 population estimate. They further broke that number down into each region as follows: region 1 with 8,499; region 2 with 13,191; region 3 with 43,037; region 4 with 55,998; region 5 with 23,510; region 6 with 45,878; and region 7 with 59,044. Hopefully, Montana will continue with cutting mule deer doe tags and give these deer a chance to rebound. If you are a doe mule deer hunter, remember that all mule deer doe permits will only be valid on private land in regions 6 and 7.
Montana estimates its whitetail population to be at 200,000, which is up from last year but down from the population estimate in 2022 of 206,653. The 2024 population estimate is still below the 10-year average of 206,159. The breakdown of whitetail per region is as follows: region 1 with 68,733; region 2 with 39,874; region 3 with 21,233; region 4 with 32,602; region 5 with 12,088; region 6 with 11,205; and region 7 with 14,265. The more popular areas for whitetail are along the river systems and large agricultural areas throughout the eastern part of the state. Private land is the key to hunting whitetail, unless you are hunting the mountainous regions in Western Montana.
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The Montana application deadline for deer is April 1, 2025.
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Up-Front Fees |
|
|---|---|
| Big Game Combination License (Elk & Deer) | $1,315.50 |
| Deer Combination License | $781.50 |
| Youth Big Game Combination License | $671.50 |
| Youth Deer Combination License | $404.50 |
| Special Deer Permit Application | $5 |
| Bow and Arrow License (mandatory for all archery hunts) | $10 |
| Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional) | $100 |
| Outfitter Preference Point Fee for Combination License (optional but must hunt with an outfitter) | $100 |
| Bonus Point Fee per Species (optional) | $20 |
| *All Combination License prices include the required Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass, and Application Fees. | |
MT Deer Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
Additional Resources:
> Navigating Montana's Elk and Deer Draw System
> Montana General Elk and Deer
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