Montana Hunting Season Dates
Recorded hunting windows for Montana, including historical and unverified entries.
Recorded dates, not hunting permission
Status assessment: 2026-10-14 UTC (static build snapshot). Static activity badges and day counts use this build assessment, not a live check. Interactive finder results show their own UTC assessment day.
2 of 10 recorded windows have date-review evidence. Other rows remain unverified. Historical records are retained and are not a current-season promise.
Check your current agency regulations, GMU or zone, hunt code, license and access restrictions before hunting. An agency link or successful publication fetch does not verify a row. Reviewed base dates do not cover every license-specific exception.
Date evidence: Official date source. Review dates apply only to the stated row scope, not an entire state or current license eligibility.
Montana Hunting Season Calendar
Find all hunting season dates for Montana including deer, elk, turkey, and waterfowl. Filter by species and hunting method.
Coming Up in Montana
Seasons opening in the next 60 days
Oct 24-30, 2026
Opens in 10 days
Oct 31 - Nov 29, 2026
Opens in 17 days
Recorded Season Windows
All Montana hunting seasons organized by species
Deer 4 seasons
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 6 - Oct 19, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | General archery | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Oct 24-30, 2026 Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions Official date source | HD100 — private-land legal buck subset of either-sex white-tailed general season | Opens in 10d | Actual2026 guide printed48/PDF44: HD100 North Kootenai General Deer License white-tailed deer general season Oct24–30 either-sex, then Oct31–Nov29 antlered buck only for ordinary adult scope; no antlerless bridge. Later either-sex row restricted to youth10–15 or PTHFV. Only private-land legal buck subset reviewed here. Separate dates preserve eligibility transition, not individual permission. Deer B199-20 Libby CWD zone and B100-00 antlerless, mule deer, archery, heritage muzzleloader, public/controlled and other hunts excluded. Actual linked corrections only address HD202 archery/HD535 youth mule deer, not these rows. Check current license/permits/exemptions, boundaries, antler/sex/bag, firearm/ammunition, orange/hours, tagging/reporting, CWD, access and closures. History/license metadata remain unverified. | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Oct 31 - Nov 29, 2026 Date window reviewed 2026-10-09; verify license-specific exceptions Official date source | HD100 — private-land antlered white-tailed general season | Opens in 17d | Actual2026 guide printed48/PDF44: HD100 North Kootenai General Deer License white-tailed deer general season Oct24–30 either-sex, then Oct31–Nov29 antlered buck only for ordinary adult scope; no antlerless bridge. Later either-sex row restricted to youth10–15 or PTHFV. Only private-land legal buck subset reviewed here. Separate dates preserve eligibility transition, not individual permission. Deer B199-20 Libby CWD zone and B100-00 antlerless, mule deer, archery, heritage muzzleloader, public/controlled and other hunts excluded. Actual linked corrections only address HD202 archery/HD535 youth mule deer, not these rows. Check current license/permits/exemptions, boundaries, antler/sex/bag, firearm/ammunition, orange/hours, tagging/reporting, CWD, access and closures. History/license metadata remain unverified. | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Oct 25 - Nov 30, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | General rifle season | |
Elk 2 seasons
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery | Sep 6 - Oct 19, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | General archery | |
| Rifle/Firearm | Oct 25 - Nov 30, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | General rifle | |
Turkey 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Apr 11 - May 17, 2026 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Spring season | |
Pronghorn 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Oct 4 - Nov 9, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | General season | |
Moose 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Sep 15 - Nov 30, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Special draw | |
Bear 1 season
| Method | Dates | Zone | Status | Notes | Add to Calendar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Any Legal Method | Apr 15 - May 31, 2025 Unverified date record; agency review required | Zone not recorded; check your license | Historical record | Spring bear season | |
Got your license ready to show?
Store credentials offline in Hunter Passport
Montana Hunting Regulations
License year, species, and agency information
- License Year
- Mar 1, 2025 - Feb 28, 2026
- Available Species
-
- Bear
- Deer
- Elk
- Moose
- Pronghorn
- Turkey
- Hunting Methods
-
- Archery
- Rifle/Firearm
- Any Legal Method
- Wildlife Agency
- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
This information is for reference only. Always verify regulations with your state wildlife agency before hunting or fishing.
Important Note for Montana
Only HD100 private-land legal-buck white-tailed general dates reviewed: Oct24–30 either-sex subset and Oct31–Nov29 antlered adult scope; no antlerless bridge. Actual2026 guide printed48/PDF44 and linked corrections reviewed. Later youth/PTHFV either-sex, Deer B, Libby CWD and other hunts excluded. Current licenses/permits, boundaries, antler/sex/bag, firearm/ammunition, orange/hours, reporting, CWD, access/closures need checks. Eight history rows/license-year metadata unverified.
Hunting Method Legend
Montana Hunting FAQ
Common questions about hunting seasons in Montana
What are the hunting season dates for Montana?
Recorded Montana entries cover Bear, Deer, Elk, Moose, Pronghorn, Turkey. Dates include history and unverified records; the recorded license-year metadata is not current verification. Check row evidence and current agency regulations and your license.
When does deer season start in Montana?
Recorded windows, not one continuous season: 2025-09-06 to 2025-10-19; 2026-10-24 to 2026-10-30; 2026-10-31 to 2026-11-29; 2025-10-25 to 2025-11-30. Historical and unverified records may be included. Check each row's evidence and your current GMU/hunt code and license before hunting.
Does Montana require a draw for hunting?
Draw requirements depend on species, GMU or zone, hunt code and license type. Recorded date windows do not establish eligibility. Check the current Montana agency rules and your actual license.
Which recorded windows include the assessment date 2026-10-14 UTC in Montana?
The next recorded window is Deer starting Oct 24, 2026. Check its row evidence and current regulations; the record may be unverified.
What should I know about hunting in Montana?
Only HD100 private-land legal-buck white-tailed general dates reviewed: Oct24–30 either-sex subset and Oct31–Nov29 antlered adult scope; no antlerless bridge. Actual2026 guide printed48/PDF44 and linked corrections reviewed. Later youth/PTHFV either-sex, Deer B, Libby CWD and other hunts excluded. Current licenses/permits, boundaries, antler/sex/bag, firearm/ammunition, orange/hours, reporting, CWD, access/closures need checks. Eight history rows/license-year metadata unverified.
Other States
Compare hunting seasons across states
Need a Montana Hunting License?
Store your MT license in Hunter Passport for instant offline access.
Your license shouldn't be harder to access than these regulations.
Hunter Passport stores every state's hunting license on your phone. Works without signal — three seconds from tap to warden.