Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 2 (Missoula)
District 260
Montana hunting district 260 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 2 (Missoula): 154 sq mi in Missoula, Ravalli counties; 5% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land; median elevation 3,202 ft; FWP estimated 33 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Among the most private of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 5% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land. MSL Public Lands (calculated)
- Among the flattest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 820 ft from low point to high point. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
- Among the smallest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 154 square miles. FWP district boundary
- Among the lowest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: median elevation 3,202 ft. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| City & county | 4.9% | |
| US Fish & Wildlife Service | 2.9% | |
| Montana FWP | 2.0% | |
| Montana state trust land | 1.6% | |
| US Forest Service | 1.2% | |
| Other State of Montana | 0.6% | |
| Other federal | 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 | 33 | 15 | 19 | 0 |
| 2024 | 447 | 3,199 | 50 | 24 | 24 | 3 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 32 | 12 | 17 | 3 |
| 2022 | 283 | 2,079 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 43 | 27 | 16 | 0 |
| 2020 | 413 | 3,164 | 64 | 38 | 26 | 0 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 50 | 9 | 38 | 3 |
| 2018 | 348 | 3,539 | 66 | 9 | 57 | 0 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 42 | 26 | 17 | 0 |
| 2016 | 335 | 2,984 | 38 | 22 | 15 | 2 |
| 2015 | 188 | 1,489 | 25 | 8 | 13 | 3 |
| 2014 | 192 | 1,184 | 26 | 17 | 7 | 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 | 1,130 | 9,167 | 669 | 239 | 425 | 4 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 743 | 240 | 502 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,092 | 10,053 | 586 | 245 | 341 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 792 | 276 | 516 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,014 | 8,062 | 543 | 232 | 312 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 746 | 231 | 511 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1,064 | 8,349 | 504 | 212 | 293 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 672 | 196 | 473 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1,186 | 9,563 | 786 | 272 | 507 | 7 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 678 | 213 | 451 | 14 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 709 | 201 | 502 | 6 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 622 | 231 | 386 | 4 |
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 | 1,130 | 9,167 | 35 | 24 | 11 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,092 | 10,053 | 45 | 37 | 8 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 42 | 27 | 15 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,014 | 8,062 | 33 | 24 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,064 | 8,349 | 24 | 16 | 8 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 20 | 13 | 7 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1,186 | 9,563 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 24 | 6 | 18 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 17 | 14 | 3 | 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 | 1,130 | 9,167 | 633 | 215 | 413 | 4 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 736 | 234 | 502 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,092 | 10,053 | 542 | 208 | 334 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 751 | 249 | 502 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,014 | 8,062 | 511 | 208 | 303 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 730 | 224 | 502 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1,064 | 8,349 | 481 | 196 | 285 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 652 | 183 | 466 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1,186 | 9,563 | 765 | 261 | 497 | 7 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 654 | 207 | 433 | 14 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 698 | 193 | 499 | 6 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 605 | 217 | 384 | 4 |
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, Ravalli counties
- National forests
- Lolo National Forest
- Wilderness
- None
- Wildlife management areas
- —
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- —
- Highest named summits
- McCauley Butte (≈3,333 ft), Council Hill (≈3,235 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- None named in GNIS
- Towns and places
- Bell Crossing, Charlos Heights, Cozy Court, De Smet, Frenchtown, Grass Valley, Hamilton, Hell Gate (historical), Huson, Kenspur, Lolo, Orchard Homes, Primrose, Riverside
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.
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.