Deer · Elk · Lion hunting district · Region 7 (Miles City)

District 701

Montana hunting district 701 (Deer · Elk · Lion), FWP Region 7 (Miles City): 7,218 sq mi in Rosebud, Garfield, Custer, Prairie counties; 18% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land; median elevation 2,867 ft; FWP estimated 47 elk harvested in 2012.

Open in the atlas FWP elk regulations & quotas FWP deer regulations & quotas FWP district map (PDF)

FWP district boundary, 2026 regulations. A boundary on a map does not grant access to any land inside it.

Area7,218 sq mi

USFS · BLM · state trust · FWP18%

Median elevation2,867 ft

Elevation range1,860–3,645 ft

What stands out

Among the quietest for elk hunters of 138 deer, elk and lion districts: 0.2 elk hunter-days per square mile in 2012. FWP harvest estimates (calculated per sq mi)
Among the most Block Management of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 61 BMAs, about 699,931 acres. FWP Block Management (calculated)
Among the largest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: 7,218 square miles. FWP district boundary
Among the lowest of 139 deer, elk and lion districts: median elevation 2,867 ft. AWS Terrain Tiles (calculated)

Publicly administered land

Bureau of Land Management	11.7%
Montana state trust land	6.4%
Other federal	0.3%
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
2012	300	1,450	47	26	21	0
2011	264	1,543	59	29	31	0
2010	215	1,280	70	32	32	6
2009	180	1,143	49	28	14	8
2008	204	1,028	24	13	12	0
2007	112	634	29	13	16	0
2006	128	841	21	12	10	0
2005	91	563	14	7	7	0
2004	88	414	13	8	5	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 (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	3,286	18,840	1,711	1,279	432	0
2024	n/e	n/e	2,121	1,678	443	0
2023	3,415	18,809	2,241	1,634	594	13
2022	n/e	n/e	2,401	1,615	769	17
2021	3,629	18,129	2,603	1,757	837	8
2020	n/e	n/e	3,629	2,275	1,344	10
2019	3,874	18,742	3,197	2,105	1,068	24
2018	n/e	n/e	2,790	1,667	1,097	27
2017	3,715	17,446	3,319	2,033	1,280	6
2016	n/e	n/e	3,361	2,158	1,177	27
2015	n/e	n/e	2,072	1,563	494	14
2014	n/e	n/e	2,031	1,625	401	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	3,286	18,840	920	838	82	0
2024	n/e	n/e	1,181	1,071	110	0
2023	3,415	18,809	1,038	962	73	3
2022	n/e	n/e	1,376	1,081	292	3
2021	3,629	18,129	1,561	1,232	324	4
2020	n/e	n/e	2,247	1,604	636	7
2019	3,874	18,742	2,183	1,491	674	18
2018	n/e	n/e	1,822	1,196	613	13
2017	3,715	17,446	2,279	1,485	795	0
2016	n/e	n/e	2,309	1,632	660	18
2015	n/e	n/e	1,126	1,105	21	0
2014	n/e	n/e	1,086	1,080	6	0

Whitetail harvest estimates

Year	Hunters	Days	Total Harvest	Bucks	Does	Fawns
2025	3,286	18,840	790	441	350	0
2024	n/e	n/e	940	606	333	0
2023	3,415	18,809	1,203	673	521	10
2022	n/e	n/e	1,026	535	477	14
2021	3,629	18,129	1,042	525	513	4
2020	n/e	n/e	1,382	671	708	4
2019	3,874	18,742	1,015	614	394	7
2018	n/e	n/e	968	470	484	14
2017	3,715	17,446	1,039	548	485	6
2016	n/e	n/e	1,052	526	517	9
2015	n/e	n/e	946	458	473	14
2014	n/e	n/e	946	545	395	6

Landscape

Counties: Rosebud, Garfield, Custer, Prairie counties
National forests: —
Wilderness: None
Wildlife management areas: Isaac Homestead, Amelia Island
Mountain ranges (GNIS): Black Buttes
Highest named summits: Eagle Rock (≈3,655 ft), Big Sheep Mountain (≈3,583 ft), Twin Tops (≈3,537 ft), Mail Box Hill (≈3,524 ft)
Passes and gaps: Muggins Gap, Wild Horse Pass
Towns and places: Ahles, Albright (historical), Alice (historical), Allen (historical), Angela, Bascom, Benz, Bighorn, Blatchford, Bonfield, Brunelda (historical), Calypso, Cartersville, Chimney Crossing

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.

Neighboring districts

HD 702 10% public · 3,100 ft median
HD 700 25% public · 2,720 ft median
HD 535 17% public · 3,743 ft median
HD 703 16% public · 2,620 ft median
HD 590 10% public · 3,369 ft median
HD 704 30% public · 3,215 ft median
HD 650 14% public · 2,356 ft median
HD 652 31% public · 2,408 ft median

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.