MONTANA HUNTING REGS
Verify everything at fwp.mt.gov. Built from FWP's 2026 Deer · Elk · Antelope, Migratory Bird and Upland Game Bird regulations and FWP's 2026 map layers. FWP's regulations and each tribe's rules are the legal authority — verify at fwp.mt.gov.
Deer & elk · waterfowl · upland birds · one spot, one day

What can I hunt here today?

Drop a pin and set the date. We check deer & elk, waterfowl and upland bird rules for that spot, give you FWP's legal shooting hours, and list the licenses you'd need. Your pin and date carry over to every tab.

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Deer & elk district at your pin Reservation Closed or restricted area Roads: Natural Earth (major highways only) · towns: US Cities Database
Your detailsEdit
I hold
Deer & elk · 139 hunting districts

Deer & elk: what's legal here?

Every hunt FWP lists for the district at your pin, checked against your date, weapon and licenses. Every answer links to the regulation page it came from.

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Your district Portion with its own rules Closed or restricted area Blank areas: not a state deer/elk district (reservations, national parks, state game preserves) Roads: Natural Earth (major highways only) · towns: US Cities Database
Your detailsEdit
I hold
Deer & elk · 139 hunting districts

Deer & elk: where can I hunt?

Describe the hunt you want. We check every district's table so you don't have to.

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Matches your search No match
Ducks · geese · swans · cranes · doves · snipe · 2026–27

Waterfowl: what's open here?

Montana is split between the Pacific and Central flyways, and the Central Flyway has two zones with different dates. Tap the map, set the date, and we'll show what's open, the bag limits and the licenses you need.

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Pacific Flyway Central Zone 1 Central Zone 2 Waterfowl closure
Your detailsEdit
Pheasant · grouse · partridge · turkey · 2026–27

Upland birds: what's open here?

Upland seasons depend on where you stand and who you are: sage and sharp-tailed grouse are closed west of the Continental Divide, and nonresidents on public or access-program land start 10 days later for every species except mountain grouse.

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West of the Divide East of the Divide Area with its own rules Upland closure
Your detailsEdit
Inside reservation boundaries

Hunting on tribal lands

About this site

An easier way to read Montana's hunting regulations

Montana Hunting Regs is an independent project. It takes the official regulations published by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and makes them easier to search, map and understand for a specific place and day.

Not an official site

This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), any tribal government, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The official regulations, and each tribe's own rules, are the legal authority. If anything here differs from them, the official regulations win.

Always check the official regulations

  • FWP hunting regulations: fwp.mt.gov/hunt/regulations
  • FWP can change seasons, close areas or adjust quotas during the year. Emergency closures and late changes may not appear here right away.
  • On a reservation, contact that tribe's fish and wildlife department. Tribal rules can change mid-season.
  • You are responsible for knowing where you are, whose land you are on, and the rules that apply. Permission is required to hunt private land.

What this site covers

  • Deer & elk: every hunting district's seasons, licenses, permits and restrictions from the 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations.
  • Waterfowl & migratory birds: zones, seasons, bag limits, swans, cranes, doves and snipe from the 2026 Migratory Bird Regulations.
  • Upland game birds: pheasant, grouse, partridge and turkey from the 2026 Upland Game Bird Regulations.
  • Legal shooting hours: read from FWP's official sunrise-sunset tables for your county's zone.
  • Tribal lands: the state rule for reservations and a summary of each tribe's non-member rules, with contacts.

Not covered yet: antelope, black bear, mountain lion, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, wolf and furbearers.

How it works

  • The regulation tables are read directly from FWP's published booklets and checked against the printed pages. Each answer cites the booklet page it came from.
  • Hunting district, portion, closure and turkey-area boundaries come from FWP's published map layers. Reservation boundaries come from the Montana State Library. Shapes are simplified for the web, so near a boundary, check the legal description in the regulations.
  • Everything you enter (your pin, date and licenses) stays in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Spot an error? Tell us

If something here doesn't match the official regulations, or a boundary or date looks wrong, email info@montanahuntingregs.com. Include the spot and date you were checking. The Report an error link at the bottom of every page fills those in for you. Corrections are checked against FWP's booklets before they're published.

Sources and credits

  • Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope; Migratory Bird; Upland Game Bird; and Light Goose Conservation Order regulations, and FWP hunting map layers.
  • Montana State Library: Tribal Nations reservation boundaries.
  • Tribal fish and wildlife departments, as cited on each reservation card.
  • Base map: Natural Earth (public domain) roads; town locations from the US Cities Database (MIT license); state outline from us-atlas (U.S. Census Bureau).

Regulations shown: 2026–27 license year (March 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027). Site last updated October 30, 2026.