Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 3 (Bozeman)
District 309
Montana hunting district 309 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 3 (Bozeman): 173 sq mi in Gallatin County; 2% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land; median elevation 4,724 ft; FWP estimated 37 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Among the most private of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 2% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land. MSL Public Lands (calculated)
- Among the smallest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 173 square miles. FWP district boundary
Publicly administered land
| City & county | 4.2% | |
| Montana state trust land | 2.1% | |
| Other State of Montana | 1.6% | |
| Montana FWP | 0.3% |
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 | 37 | 23 | 14 | 0 |
| 2024 | 377 | 2,265 | 117 | 42 | 72 | 3 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 58 | 26 | 29 | 3 |
| 2022 | 283 | 1,647 | 91 | 51 | 40 | 0 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 74 | 47 | 27 | 0 |
| 2020 | 278 | 1,588 | 57 | 13 | 44 | 0 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 54 | 30 | 24 | 0 |
| 2018 | 229 | 1,375 | 48 | 23 | 19 | 6 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 132 | 66 | 61 | 6 |
| 2016 | 396 | 2,884 | 57 | 21 | 37 | 0 |
| 2015 | 231 | 1,427 | 47 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 2014 | 198 | 1,719 | 52 | 27 | 23 | 3 |
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 | 802 | 5,389 | 414 | 242 | 173 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 445 | 276 | 169 | 0 |
| 2023 | 627 | 4,167 | 421 | 219 | 202 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 521 | 250 | 272 | 0 |
| 2021 | 764 | 4,932 | 519 | 279 | 241 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 524 | 271 | 253 | 0 |
| 2019 | 873 | 5,638 | 448 | 252 | 196 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 484 | 265 | 219 | 0 |
| 2017 | 874 | 5,342 | 632 | 291 | 341 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 517 | 260 | 249 | 8 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 395 | 170 | 209 | 16 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 454 | 215 | 237 | 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 (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 | 802 | 5,389 | 68 | 68 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 40 | 40 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 627 | 4,167 | 23 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 33 | 27 | 7 | 0 |
| 2021 | 764 | 4,932 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 48 | 37 | 11 | 0 |
| 2019 | 873 | 5,638 | 36 | 20 | 16 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 86 | 67 | 19 | 0 |
| 2017 | 874 | 5,342 | 34 | 28 | 6 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 41 | 36 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 17 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 26 | 20 | 7 | 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 | 802 | 5,389 | 346 | 174 | 173 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 405 | 236 | 169 | 0 |
| 2023 | 627 | 4,167 | 398 | 196 | 202 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 488 | 223 | 265 | 0 |
| 2021 | 764 | 4,932 | 498 | 267 | 232 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 476 | 234 | 242 | 0 |
| 2019 | 873 | 5,638 | 412 | 232 | 180 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 398 | 199 | 200 | 0 |
| 2017 | 874 | 5,342 | 599 | 264 | 335 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 476 | 223 | 244 | 8 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 378 | 152 | 209 | 16 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 427 | 196 | 230 | 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 (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024). Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.
Landscape
- Counties
- Gallatin County
- National forests
- —
- Wilderness
- None
- Wildlife management areas
- —
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- —
- Highest named summits
- None named in GNIS
- Passes and gaps
- None named in GNIS
- Towns and places
- Atkins, Balmont, Belgrade, Bisel, Blackwood, Bozeman, Camona, Catron, Country Court, Cowan, Dogtown (historical), Four Corners, Gallatin Gateway, Gallatin Gateway Inn Park
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.