Montana Elk Hunting 2026

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.

Montana Elk Hunting Draw

One of the perks of Montana’s general elk license is the long season that comes along with it. This is a great opportunity for a hunter with a lot of time, as you’ll have over 12 weeks to hunt with the combined archery, rifle, and muzzleloader season dates. Archery season is September 5 through October 18, rifle season is October 24 through November 29, and muzzleloader season is December 12 through 20. The archery season dates will allow you to hunt all phases of the rut. The opening weekend of rifle season can be crowded; then again, most of the resident hunters wait for snow to push the elk down into lower, more accessible country. The muzzleloader season may be the best hunt right now, as relatively few hunters get out during this season and it’s a great opportunity to hunt wintering bulls in the middle of December.

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.

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The Missouri Breaks units are limited-entry units and continue to produce good bulls as well as a couple of true giants each year. The majority of the bigger bulls are coming off private land. Elk populations in most of the Breaks units are below objective. There was a thirty-three percent reduction (or 500 tags) in archery elk permits from hunt 620-21, and a fifty percent reduction (or 100 tags) in archery elk tags from unit 630-21. These tag cuts should help improve bull quality and reduce hunter over-crowding. The Missouri Breaks has experienced drought for a number of years, and bull size has been down in all the Breaks units except 690 as a result.

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.

2026 Montana Elk Hunting Season Dates

Montana Elk Hunting | Self-Guided, DIY Hunts

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Private Land, Semi-Guided, and Guided Elk Hunts in Montana

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Montana Elk Hunting Application Deadline

The Montana Application Deadline For Elk is April 1, 2026.

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2026 Non-Resident Montana Elk Hunting Fees

Additional Resources:

> Navigating Montana's Elk and Deer Draw System
> Montana General Elk and Deer