Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 3 (Bozeman)
District 331
Montana hunting district 331 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 3 (Bozeman): 1,361 sq mi in Beaverhead, Silver Bow counties; 81% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land (mostly Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest); median elevation 7,234 ft; FWP estimated 689 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Among the highest elk harvests of 138 deer, elk and lion districts: 689 elk harvested in 2025 (FWP estimate). FWP harvest estimates
- Elk harvest up sharply of 106 deer, elk and lion districts: +130% (2013–2015 vs 2023–2025 three-year averages). FWP harvest estimates (calculated)
- Among the highest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: median elevation 7,234 ft. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
- Among the most rugged of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 5,827 ft from low point to high point. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| US Forest Service | 65.9% | |
| Bureau of Land Management | 10.2% | |
| Montana state trust land | 4.8% | |
| City & county | 0.1% | |
| Montana FWP | 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 | 689 | 384 | 285 | 20 |
| 2024 | 3,111 | 25,077 | 597 | 349 | 239 | 9 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 353 | 202 | 135 | 16 |
| 2022 | 2,782 | 19,867 | 583 | 327 | 241 | 15 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 207 | 114 | 85 | 7 |
| 2020 | 1,836 | 13,141 | 277 | 124 | 143 | 10 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 327 | 126 | 189 | 12 |
| 2018 | 1,921 | 13,085 | 333 | 112 | 206 | 15 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 307 | 198 | 103 | 6 |
| 2016 | 1,561 | 11,337 | 136 | 70 | 60 | 6 |
| 2015 | 1,657 | 11,996 | 288 | 173 | 109 | 6 |
| 2014 | 1,753 | 12,754 | 207 | 144 | 60 | 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 | 2,606 | 20,916 | 576 | 369 | 198 | 10 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 677 | 451 | 214 | 12 |
| 2023 | 2,009 | 14,147 | 463 | 321 | 138 | 3 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 515 | 323 | 186 | 6 |
| 2021 | 1,485 | 10,368 | 433 | 281 | 152 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 589 | 398 | 191 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,548 | 10,165 | 548 | 355 | 187 | 7 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 545 | 329 | 210 | 6 |
| 2017 | 1,511 | 8,307 | 539 | 324 | 206 | 9 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 656 | 394 | 257 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 536 | 379 | 156 | 2 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 449 | 357 | 91 | 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 | 2,606 | 20,916 | 415 | 290 | 115 | 10 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 481 | 359 | 109 | 12 |
| 2023 | 2,009 | 14,147 | 310 | 243 | 66 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 345 | 224 | 118 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1,485 | 10,368 | 297 | 210 | 87 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 380 | 286 | 94 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,548 | 10,165 | 382 | 258 | 120 | 3 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 348 | 232 | 113 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1,511 | 8,307 | 351 | 224 | 118 | 9 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 424 | 277 | 142 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 334 | 275 | 58 | 2 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 248 | 245 | 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 | 2,606 | 20,916 | 161 | 79 | 83 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 196 | 92 | 105 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2,009 | 14,147 | 153 | 78 | 72 | 3 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 170 | 98 | 68 | 3 |
| 2021 | 1,485 | 10,368 | 135 | 71 | 65 | 0 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 209 | 112 | 98 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1,548 | 10,165 | 166 | 97 | 66 | 3 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 197 | 98 | 96 | 3 |
| 2017 | 1,511 | 8,307 | 189 | 100 | 88 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 232 | 117 | 114 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 202 | 104 | 98 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 200 | 112 | 89 | 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
- Beaverhead, Silver Bow counties
- National forests
- Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
- Wilderness
- None
- Wildlife management areas
- —
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- Pioneer Mountains
- Highest named summits
- Torrey Mountain (≈11,020 ft), Tweedy Mountain (≈10,928 ft), Granite Mountain (≈10,476 ft), Baldy Mountain (≈10,466 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- Alder Pass, Big Hole Pass
- Towns and places
- Argenta, Birch Creek (historical), Coolidge (historical), Dewey, Elkhorn, Elkhorn Hot Springs, Ermont Mill, Glendale, Gloss Place, Jackson, Lion City (historical), Maiden Rock, Maverick Mountain, Melrose
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.