Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 2 (Missoula)
District 201
Montana hunting district 201 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 2 (Missoula): 1,045 sq mi in Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli, Sanders counties; 76% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land (mostly Lolo National Forest); median elevation 4,682 ft; FWP estimated 274 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Elk harvest up sharply of 106 deer, elk and lion districts: +198% (2013–2015 vs 2023–2025 three-year averages). FWP harvest estimates (calculated)
- Among the most rugged of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 5,968 ft from low point to high point. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| US Forest Service | 71.6% | |
| Montana state trust land | 3.0% | |
| Montana FWP | 1.7% | |
| City & county | 0.6% | |
| Other State of Montana | 0.1% |
Area of Montana State Library 'Montana Public Lands' polygons (derived from the Montana Cadastral Framework, Department of Revenue ownership records) intersected with the FWP district boundary, measured in NAD83(2011) Montana State Plane (EPSG:6514). Ownership is not access: some public land is closed to hunting or has no legal access.
Elk harvest estimates
| Year | Hunters | Days | Total Harvest | Bulls | Cows | Calves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | n/e | n/e | 274 | 116 | 158 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2,503 | 21,002 | 327 | 150 | 174 | 3 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 287 | 207 | 77 | 3 |
| 2022 | 2,276 | 17,321 | 245 | 153 | 92 | 0 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 121 | 76 | 42 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1,432 | 11,882 | 142 | 70 | 64 | 8 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 108 | 50 | 58 | 0 |
| 2018 | 1,479 | 10,072 | 160 | 74 | 84 | 2 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 105 | 66 | 36 | 3 |
| 2016 | 1,254 | 9,818 | 111 | 68 | 35 | 8 |
| 2015 | 1,254 | 10,504 | 124 | 73 | 50 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1,245 | 9,264 | 78 | 59 | 17 | 2 |
FWP estimates from the annual hunter harvest survey; they carry sampling error. "n/e": FWP did not estimate district-level hunter numbers that year (2019, 2021, 2023, 2025). Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.
Deer harvest estimates
| Year | Hunters | Days | Total Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,441 | 23,120 | 1,025 | 814 | 212 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 1,284 | 1,098 | 178 | 7 |
| 2023 | 3,619 | 25,408 | 1,175 | 999 | 172 | 3 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 1,029 | 859 | 166 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2,164 | 15,777 | 700 | 629 | 71 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 621 | 522 | 99 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,937 | 13,136 | 595 | 485 | 110 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 590 | 488 | 101 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1,747 | 11,124 | 559 | 491 | 64 | 4 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 643 | 560 | 77 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 512 | 431 | 80 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 538 | 486 | 52 | 0 |
FWP estimates from the annual hunter harvest survey; they carry sampling error. "n/e": FWP did not estimate district-level hunter numbers that year (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.
Mule Deer harvest estimates
| Year | Hunters | Days | Total Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,441 | 23,120 | 185 | 181 | 4 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 205 | 203 | 2 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3,619 | 25,408 | 211 | 205 | 6 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 166 | 145 | 17 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2,164 | 15,777 | 87 | 87 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 60 | 60 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,937 | 13,136 | 96 | 87 | 9 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 68 | 63 | 5 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1,747 | 11,124 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 121 | 114 | 7 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 79 | 79 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 59 | 59 | 0 | 0 |
FWP estimates from the annual hunter harvest survey; they carry sampling error. "n/e": FWP did not estimate district-level hunter numbers that year (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.
Whitetail harvest estimates
| Year | Hunters | Days | Total Harvest | Bucks | Does | Fawns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,441 | 23,120 | 841 | 632 | 208 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 1,079 | 896 | 176 | 7 |
| 2023 | 3,619 | 25,408 | 964 | 794 | 166 | 3 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 863 | 714 | 149 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2,164 | 15,777 | 613 | 542 | 71 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 561 | 462 | 99 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,937 | 13,136 | 499 | 398 | 101 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 522 | 425 | 96 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1,747 | 11,124 | 525 | 457 | 64 | 4 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 522 | 446 | 70 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 433 | 352 | 80 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 479 | 427 | 52 | 0 |
FWP estimates from the annual hunter harvest survey; they carry sampling error. "n/e": FWP did not estimate district-level hunter numbers that year (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.
Landscape
- Counties
- Missoula, Mineral, Ravalli, Sanders counties
- National forests
- Lolo National Forest
- Wilderness
- Rattlesnake Wilderness (5%), Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness (2%)
- Wildlife management areas
- Fish Creek, Mount Jumbo
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- Bitterroot Mountains, Grave Creek Range, North Hills
- Highest named summits
- Lolo Peak (≈9,108 ft), McLeod Peak (≈8,547 ft), Murphy Peak (≈7,927 ft), Mosquito Peak (≈7,844 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- Siegel Pass, Burr Saddle
- Towns and places
- Alberton, Ardrum (historical), Bonner, Carlton, Carols Court, Cedar Mouth (historical), East Missoula, Evaro, Grant Creek (historical), Hopkins, Keystone, Lothrop, Lozeau, McClain
Elevations sampled on a regular grid inside the district from AWS Terrain Tiles (Terrarium, zoom 10, ~105 m pixels; compiled from USGS 3DEP and SRTM). Approximate: summits read lower than their surveyed height.
Neighboring districts
- HD 202 94% public · 4,957 ft median
- HD 260 5% public · 3,202 ft median
- HD 285 73% public · 4,908 ft median
- HD 240 80% public · 6,201 ft median
- HD 200 89% public · 4,304 ft median
- HD 122 54% public · 4,301 ft median
- HD 292 48% public · 5,026 ft median
- HD 204 63% public · 5,062 ft median
- HD 124 66% public · 4,085 ft median
Sources
- District boundary: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks hunting district layer.
- Public land: Montana State Library, Montana Public Lands (published 2026-10-06).
- Harvest: FWP Harvest Estimates, retrieved 2026-10-30.
- Places: USGS Geographic Names Information System. Wilderness and forests: USDA Forest Service.
- Elevation: AWS Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM).
Live weather, snow, fire and access conditions are in the atlas card for this district.