Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 2 (Missoula)
District 215
Montana hunting district 215 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 2 (Missoula): 579 sq mi in Powell, Silver Bow, Deer Lodge counties; 49% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land (mostly Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest); median elevation 5,883 ft; FWP estimated 346 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Among the busiest for elk hunters of 138 deer, elk and lion districts: 31.5 elk hunter-days per square mile in 2024. FWP harvest estimates (calculated per sq mi)
- Elk harvest down sharply of 106 deer, elk and lion districts: -33% (2013–2015 vs 2023–2025 three-year averages). FWP harvest estimates (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| US Forest Service | 36.2% | |
| Montana FWP | 7.5% | |
| Montana state trust land | 5.7% | |
| Other State of Montana | 1.0% | |
| City & county | 0.6% |
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 | 346 | 215 | 129 | 2 |
| 2024 | 2,076 | 18,232 | 284 | 151 | 134 | 0 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 331 | 208 | 117 | 5 |
| 2022 | 1,909 | 14,851 | 327 | 226 | 91 | 11 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 298 | 153 | 145 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2,288 | 17,770 | 363 | 226 | 129 | 9 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 522 | 235 | 268 | 18 |
| 2018 | 3,306 | 25,288 | 711 | 289 | 401 | 22 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 938 | 420 | 498 | 21 |
| 2016 | 2,836 | 24,198 | 659 | 210 | 429 | 20 |
| 2015 | 2,797 | 23,710 | 553 | 275 | 253 | 25 |
| 2014 | 2,568 | 20,646 | 487 | 261 | 204 | 23 |
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 | 1,406 | 10,882 | 286 | 233 | 50 | 4 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 334 | 261 | 73 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,324 | 10,409 | 291 | 194 | 97 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 277 | 200 | 77 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,080 | 8,083 | 265 | 135 | 130 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 300 | 168 | 125 | 6 |
| 2019 | 1,239 | 8,124 | 290 | 129 | 161 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 472 | 196 | 270 | 6 |
| 2017 | 1,097 | 7,864 | 371 | 293 | 72 | 6 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 375 | 270 | 101 | 4 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 393 | 301 | 83 | 9 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 278 | 208 | 64 | 6 |
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 | 1,406 | 10,882 | 161 | 144 | 17 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 188 | 165 | 23 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,324 | 10,409 | 140 | 124 | 17 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 150 | 120 | 30 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,080 | 8,083 | 86 | 55 | 31 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 100 | 59 | 41 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,239 | 8,124 | 86 | 46 | 40 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 136 | 100 | 32 | 4 |
| 2017 | 1,097 | 7,864 | 182 | 149 | 30 | 3 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 187 | 146 | 42 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 164 | 138 | 27 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 113 | 95 | 18 | 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 | 1,406 | 10,882 | 126 | 89 | 33 | 4 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 146 | 97 | 49 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,324 | 10,409 | 150 | 70 | 80 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 127 | 80 | 47 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,080 | 8,083 | 179 | 80 | 99 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 200 | 109 | 84 | 6 |
| 2019 | 1,239 | 8,124 | 203 | 83 | 120 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 336 | 96 | 238 | 2 |
| 2017 | 1,097 | 7,864 | 189 | 144 | 42 | 3 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 187 | 124 | 60 | 4 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 228 | 163 | 56 | 9 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 165 | 114 | 46 | 6 |
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
- Powell, Silver Bow, Deer Lodge counties
- National forests
- Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest
- Wilderness
- None
- Wildlife management areas
- Spotted Dog, Warm Springs
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- —
- Highest named summits
- Cliff Mountain (≈8,304 ft), Electric Peak (≈8,281 ft), Sugarloaf Mountain (≈8,169 ft), Black Mountain (≈7,979 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- None named in GNIS
- Towns and places
- Allendale (historical), Anselmo (historical), Burlington (historical), Butchertown (historical), Butte, Centerville, Champion (historical), Columbia Gardens, East Butte, Emery (historical), Floral Park, McQueen, Meaderville, Morel
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
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.