Moose hunting district · Region 2 (Missoula)

District 261

Montana hunting district 261 (Moose), FWP Region 2 (Missoula): 588 sq mi in Ravalli, Missoula counties; 39% USFS, BLM, state trust and FWP land (mostly Bitterroot National Forest); median elevation 4,605 ft; FWP estimated 2 moose harvested in 2025.

Open in the atlas FWP 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.

Area588 sq mi

USFS · BLM · state trust · FWP39%

Median elevation4,605 ft

Elevation range3,123–8,501 ft

What stands out

Among the busiest for moose hunters of 74 moose districts: 0.2 moose hunter-days per square mile in 2025. FWP harvest estimates (calculated per sq mi)

Publicly administered land

US Forest Service	31.5%
Montana state trust land	4.7%
Montana FWP	2.6%
City & county	0.8%
Other State of Montana	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.

Moose harvest estimates

Year	Hunters	Days	Total Harvest	Bulls
2025	2	103	2	2
2024	2	114	0	0
2023	2	41	0	0
2022	1	10	1	1
2021	2	29	2	2
2020	2	34	2	2
2019	0	0	0	0
2018	2	20	2	2
2017	2	22	2	2
2016	2	30	1	1
2015	2	77	2	2
2014	2	34	1	1

FWP estimates from the annual hunter harvest survey; they carry sampling error. "n/e": FWP did not estimate district-level hunter numbers that year. Boundaries of a numbered district can change between years.

Landscape

Counties: Ravalli, Missoula counties
National forests: Bitterroot National Forest, Lolo National Forest
Wilderness: None
Wildlife management areas: Threemile, Calf Creek
Mountain ranges (GNIS): South Hills
Highest named summits: Palisade Mountain (≈8,389 ft), Skalkaho Mountain (≈8,369 ft), Willow Mountain (≈8,107 ft), Dominic Buttes (≈7,812 ft)
Passes and gaps: Buck Horn Saddle, Holloman Saddle
Towns and places: Apple Blossom Court, Bing, Bitter Root (historical), Bitterroot Court, Bonner Junction, Burnt Fork (historical), Cinnabar Court, Cobb, Corvallis, Cozy Court, Curdys Cove, Eight Mile (historical), Etna (historical), Gird Point

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 210 67% public · 5,755 ft median
HD 270 85% public · 6,083 ft median
HD 230 81% public · 4,849 ft median
HD 292 33% public · 5,102 ft median
HD 285 73% public · 4,944 ft median
HD 240 80% public · 6,201 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.