Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 3 (Bozeman)
District 317
Montana hunting district 317 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 3 (Bozeman): 424 sq mi in Park County; 66% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land (mostly Custer Gallatin National Forest); median elevation 7,144 ft; FWP estimated 379 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Elk harvest up sharply of 106 deer, elk and lion districts: +138% (2013–2015 vs 2023–2025 three-year averages). FWP harvest estimates (calculated)
- Among the most wilderness of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 37% designated wilderness. USFS wilderness boundaries (calculated)
- Among the highest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: median elevation 7,144 ft. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
- Among the most rugged of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 6,198 ft from low point to high point. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| US Forest Service | 62.8% | |
| Bureau of Land Management | 1.9% | |
| Montana state trust land | 1.6% | |
| City & county | 0.4% |
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 | 379 | 117 | 262 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1,303 | 7,781 | 437 | 94 | 335 | 9 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 362 | 141 | 218 | 3 |
| 2022 | 1,436 | 7,864 | 522 | 198 | 305 | 19 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 315 | 135 | 180 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1,236 | 7,707 | 299 | 130 | 165 | 4 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 343 | 162 | 173 | 8 |
| 2018 | 1,227 | 7,311 | 427 | 153 | 263 | 11 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 350 | 229 | 117 | 4 |
| 2016 | 820 | 5,458 | 166 | 101 | 63 | 2 |
| 2015 | 760 | 4,797 | 202 | 126 | 72 | 3 |
| 2014 | 729 | 4,659 | 167 | 98 | 66 | 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 | 1,116 | 7,569 | 537 | 351 | 186 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 636 | 401 | 232 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1,271 | 7,606 | 658 | 481 | 177 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 721 | 484 | 237 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,278 | 7,779 | 695 | 462 | 233 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 657 | 386 | 268 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1,281 | 7,107 | 673 | 399 | 272 | 2 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 875 | 493 | 373 | 9 |
| 2017 | 1,183 | 7,523 | 884 | 480 | 400 | 3 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 851 | 519 | 329 | 3 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 740 | 378 | 360 | 2 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 746 | 430 | 306 | 11 |
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 | 1,116 | 7,569 | 205 | 179 | 25 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 184 | 155 | 29 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1,271 | 7,606 | 241 | 218 | 22 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 298 | 255 | 42 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,278 | 7,779 | 217 | 185 | 32 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 195 | 163 | 32 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,281 | 7,107 | 207 | 192 | 14 | 2 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 306 | 269 | 38 | 0 |
| 2017 | 1,183 | 7,523 | 247 | 244 | 3 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 243 | 238 | 5 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 163 | 160 | 3 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 190 | 190 | 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 | 1,116 | 7,569 | 332 | 172 | 160 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 451 | 246 | 203 | 3 |
| 2023 | 1,271 | 7,606 | 417 | 262 | 155 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 424 | 229 | 195 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1,278 | 7,779 | 478 | 278 | 201 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 462 | 223 | 235 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1,281 | 7,107 | 466 | 207 | 259 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 569 | 224 | 335 | 9 |
| 2017 | 1,183 | 7,523 | 637 | 236 | 398 | 3 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 608 | 281 | 324 | 3 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 577 | 218 | 357 | 2 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 557 | 240 | 306 | 11 |
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
- Park County
- National forests
- Custer Gallatin National Forest
- Wilderness
- Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (37%)
- Wildlife management areas
- —
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- —
- Highest named summits
- Emigrant Peak (≈10,761 ft), Black Mountain (≈10,758 ft), Mount Cowen (≈10,581 ft), Crow Mountain (≈10,568 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- None named in GNIS
- Towns and places
- Chico, Chico Hot Springs, Dahl Place, Minnie Rahn Place, Montanapolis Springs (historical), Pine Creek, Pray, Shaw Place, Urback Place, White City
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.