Hunting districts / Deer · Elk · Lion
Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 4 (Great Falls)
District 444
Montana hunting district 444 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 4 (Great Falls): 485 sq mi in Teton, Lewis And Clark, Cascade counties; 12% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land; median elevation 3,990 ft; FWP estimated 22 elk harvested in 2025.
What stands out
- Among the lowest elk harvests of 138 deer, elk and lion districts: 22 elk harvested in 2025 (FWP estimate). FWP harvest estimates
- Elk harvest down sharply of 106 deer, elk and lion districts: -40% (2013–2015 vs 2023–2025 three-year averages). FWP harvest estimates (calculated)
- Among the most private of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 12% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land. MSL Public Lands (calculated)
- Among the flattest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 1,457 ft from low point to high point. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)
Publicly administered land
| Montana state trust land | 10.6% | |
| Other federal | 4.4% | |
| Montana FWP | 0.8% | |
| Bureau of Land Management | 0.2% |
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 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 0 |
| 2024 | 175 | 1,159 | 18 | 11 | 7 | 0 |
| 2023 | n/e | n/e | 18 | 8 | 9 | 0 |
| 2022 | 143 | 675 | 16 | 10 | 6 | 0 |
| 2021 | n/e | n/e | 15 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
| 2020 | 190 | 1,033 | 22 | 13 | 9 | 0 |
| 2019 | n/e | n/e | 30 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| 2018 | 270 | 1,567 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| 2017 | n/e | n/e | 48 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| 2016 | 207 | 1,216 | 35 | 10 | 22 | 3 |
| 2015 | 277 | 1,608 | 32 | 15 | 17 | 0 |
| 2014 | 223 | 1,190 | 37 | 11 | 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 | 840 | 5,719 | 592 | 343 | 242 | 7 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 736 | 456 | 281 | 0 |
| 2023 | 750 | 4,082 | 565 | 349 | 209 | 7 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 526 | 293 | 232 | 0 |
| 2021 | 845 | 4,457 | 684 | 341 | 332 | 12 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 682 | 376 | 300 | 7 |
| 2019 | 645 | 2,813 | 464 | 226 | 234 | 3 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 648 | 348 | 294 | 6 |
| 2017 | 800 | 3,350 | 510 | 349 | 155 | 6 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 562 | 374 | 183 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 532 | 301 | 219 | 13 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 467 | 326 | 136 | 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 | 840 | 5,719 | 101 | 78 | 23 | 0 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 159 | 111 | 48 | 0 |
| 2023 | 750 | 4,082 | 139 | 97 | 41 | 0 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 147 | 97 | 50 | 0 |
| 2021 | 845 | 4,457 | 121 | 89 | 28 | 4 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 171 | 161 | 10 | 0 |
| 2019 | 645 | 2,813 | 110 | 87 | 20 | 3 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 162 | 133 | 29 | 0 |
| 2017 | 800 | 3,350 | 159 | 141 | 18 | 0 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 181 | 160 | 21 | 0 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 89 | 89 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 99 | 99 | 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 | 840 | 5,719 | 491 | 265 | 219 | 7 |
| 2024 | n/e | n/e | 577 | 344 | 233 | 0 |
| 2023 | 750 | 4,082 | 426 | 252 | 167 | 7 |
| 2022 | n/e | n/e | 379 | 196 | 183 | 0 |
| 2021 | 845 | 4,457 | 563 | 252 | 304 | 8 |
| 2020 | n/e | n/e | 511 | 215 | 290 | 7 |
| 2019 | 645 | 2,813 | 354 | 139 | 214 | 0 |
| 2018 | n/e | n/e | 486 | 215 | 265 | 6 |
| 2017 | 800 | 3,350 | 351 | 207 | 137 | 6 |
| 2016 | n/e | n/e | 381 | 213 | 162 | 6 |
| 2015 | n/e | n/e | 443 | 212 | 219 | 13 |
| 2014 | n/e | n/e | 368 | 227 | 136 | 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
- Teton, Lewis And Clark, Cascade counties
- National forests
- —
- Wilderness
- None
- Wildlife management areas
- Freezout Lake
- Mountain ranges (GNIS)
- —
- Highest named summits
- Rattlesnake Butte (≈4,367 ft), Priest Butte (≈4,124 ft), Meyer Hill (≈4,104 ft), Floweree Butte (≈4,039 ft)
- Passes and gaps
- None named in GNIS
- Towns and places
- Ashuelot, Choteau, Choteau Junction, Gilman, Golden Ridge, Lowry, Milford Colony, Olson Place, Riebeling, Sun River
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.