Hunting District 101, Eureka: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 101 (Eureka) is 78.9% public land, most of it national forest (391,564 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 195 elk and 1,158 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters by district, 1,819 elk hunters spent 14,444 days here and took 260 elk.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: FWP estimates for 2020 to 2025. Seasons: FWP's 2026 regulations. Land: Montana State Library, 2026-10.
National forestState trust landFWP landOther publicHD 101Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 1, Northwest Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 515,732 acres (806 square miles) |
| Public land | 78.9% (406,782 acres) |
| Block Management | 2 areas, 1,306 acres (2026) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 195 (131 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 1,158 (92 mule deer, 1,066 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Brow-tined bulls (not in the North Tobacco Portion) |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to October 18 |
| General season, 2026 | October 24 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | Eureka, Rexford, Trego and Libby |
HD 101 is the Tobacco Valley around Eureka, from the east shore of Lake Koocanusa to the Canadian border and east toward the Whitefish Range. US 93 and MT 37 meet at Eureka. The General Elk License is not valid in the North Tobacco Portion; FWP's brow-tined bull permit 101-50 is.
How much public land is in HD 101?
78.9% of HD 101 is public land: 406,782 of its 515,732 acres. The largest share is national forest, 391,564 acres or 75.9% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 101 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 391,564 | 75.9% |
| State trust land | 13,700 | 2.7% |
| FWP land | 1,518 | 0.3% |
| Other public | 745 | 0.1% |
Measured by FilledTag inside FWP's district boundary from Montana Cadastral Public Lands, Montana State Library, published 2026. State trust land is open to hunting with a Conservation License where it can be reached legally; many sections touch no public road.
Block Management in HD 101
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 2 areas in HD 101, 1,306 acres of private land open to hunters under the program. The largest: Dancing Prairie (673 acres, Type 2) and Peters Family Trust (633 acres, Type 2). Each area has its own rules and map from FWP. FWP Block Management.
Wildlife management area in HD 101: Kootenai Woods Ranch WMA (1,484 acres here).
How many elk are harvested in HD 101?
FWP estimates 195 elk were harvested in HD 101 in 2025: 131 bulls, 64 cows and 0 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters by district in 2024: 1,819 hunters took 260 elk, about 14 elk for every 100 hunters.
| Year | Elk harvested | Bulls | Cows | Calves | Bulls 6 points or more | Elk hunters | Hunter days | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 195 | 131 | 64 | 0 | 25 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 | 260 | 201 | 60 | 0 | 33 | 1,819 | 14,444 | 14 |
| 2023 | 74 | 59 | 15 | 0 | 0 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 103 | 70 | 33 | 0 | 6 | 1,474 | 11,914 | 7 |
| 2021 | 53 | 36 | 17 | 0 | 8 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 64 | 40 | 24 | 0 | 7 | 1,308 | 12,014 | 5 |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (elk, 2020 to 2025). FWP counts hunters and days by district every other year; "not counted" means FWP did not publish that year's count. Elk per 100 hunters is worked out from FWP's own two figures.
How many deer are harvested in HD 101?
FWP estimates 1,158 deer were harvested in HD 101 in 2025: 92 mule deer and 1,066 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 2,913 deer hunters spent 22,019 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,158 | 92 | 1,066 | 862 | 293 | 533 | 2,913 | 22,019 |
| 2024 | 1,566 | 125 | 1,441 | 1,102 | 460 | 776 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 1,281 | 106 | 1,176 | 984 | 297 | 567 | 2,955 | 21,834 |
| 2022 | 1,236 | 110 | 1,126 | 957 | 272 | 544 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 970 | 74 | 896 | 784 | 186 | 528 | 2,328 | 15,644 |
| 2020 | 1,042 | 66 | 976 | 798 | 244 | 438 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 101 in 2026?
Archery only: September 5 to October 18. General season: October 24 to November 29, 2026. Every elk license and permit FWP lists for HD 101:
| License or permit | What may be taken | Apply by | Quota | Archery only | General | Other seasons | FWP's restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Elk License | Brow-tined Bull Elk | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Not valid in North Tobacco Portion | ||
| Elk B License: 101-00 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 50 | Late: Nov 30-Feb 15 | Only valid on private land. Secure access before applying. | ||
| Elk B License: 101-01 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 25 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Early: Aug 15-Oct 23 | Only valid on private land. Secure access before applying. | |
| Elk Permit: 101-50 | Brow-tined Bull Elk | April 1 | Unlimited | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Valid in HD 101, including the North Tobacco Portion. Permit must be used with valid General Elk License. Holders may not hunt antlered elk in any other HD. |
When is deer season in HD 101 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 101 allows white-tailed deer of either sex (Oct 24-Oct 30), mule deer bucks (Oct 24-Nov 15) and white-tailed deer bucks (Oct 31-Nov 29).
| License or permit | What may be taken | Apply by | Quota | Archery only | General | Other seasons | FWP's restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Deer License | Either-sex White-tailed Deer | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Oct 30 | ||||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 15 | ||||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck White-tailed Deer | Oct 31-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | ||||
| General Deer License | Either-sex White-tailed Deer | Oct 31-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only youth ages 10-15 and hunters with a PTHFV. | |||
| Deer B License: 101-00 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | Jun 1 | 200 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |
| Deer Permit: 101-50 | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | April 1 | 15 | Nov 16-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Permit must be used with a valid General Deer License. Holders may not hunt antlered buck mule deer in any other HD. |
FWP's notes for HD 101: Woods Ranch WMA closed Dec 02-May 15.
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, pages 48 to 49, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 101 before you go.
How do you get to HD 101?
Highways through the district: MT 37 (about 43 miles inside it) and US 93 (about 29 miles inside it). Towns inside: Eureka, Rexford, Trego, Fortine and Indian Springs. Nearby: Libby (15 miles).
Which districts border HD 101?
HD 101 touches 3 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 100 | North Kootenai | 88.9% | 103 | 1,140 |
| HD 103 | South Salish | 51% | 154 | 1,715 |
| HD 110 | North Fork | 85.7% | 40 | 465 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 101 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows brow-tined bulls (not in the North Tobacco Portion) in HD 101 during the general season, October 24 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 48). FWP also lists 3 elk B license or permit opportunities here.
What is the closest town to HD 101?
Eureka, Rexford and Trego are inside the district. Just outside: Libby (15 miles).
Does HD 101 have Block Management?
Yes. FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 2 areas covering 1,306 acres in HD 101: both are Type 2, where the landowner or FWP gives permission. The largest is Dancing Prairie at 673 acres.
Where is FWP's map of HD 101?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 101 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
FWP's legal description of HD 101
Those portions of Lincoln and Flathead Counties lying within the following described boundary: Beginning near Koocanusa Marina the mouth of Cripple Horse Creek, where USFS Road 835 (Cripple Horse Creek Road) meets the east shore of Lake Koocanusa, then northerly along said shore to the Canadian border, then easterly along said border to the Lincoln-Flathead County Line, then southerly along said line to USFS Road 379 (Russky Creek Road), then southerly along said road to USFS Road 900 (Stillwater River Road), then southwesterly along said road to US Highway 93, then northerly to USFS Road 315 (Sunday Creek Road), then southwesterly along said road to USFS 3520 (Basin Creek Road), then southwesterly along said road to USFS Road 36 (Wolf Creek Road), then south on said road to USFS Road 835 (Cripple Horse Creek Road), and westerly along said road to where it meets the east shore of Lake Koocanusa, the point of beginning.
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Where these numbers come from
- Harvest, hunters and days: FWP Harvest Estimates (elk and deer, 2020 to 2025).
- Seasons, licenses, quotas and restrictions: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, pages 48 to 49.
- Public land: Montana Cadastral Public Lands, Montana State Library, published 2026. Block Management: FWP Block Management area boundaries (2026). District boundary: FWP deer, elk and lion hunting districts.
- Highways and towns: U.S. Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 primary and secondary roads; U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer, places.
FilledTag is not part of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Numbers are copied from FWP and the State of Montana, or measured from their maps; nothing on this page is estimated by FilledTag.