Hunting District 122, Thompson River: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 122 (Thompson River) is 53.8% public land, most of it national forest (209,408 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 135 elk and 794 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters by district, 1,684 elk hunters spent 14,383 days here and took 104 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 122Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 1, Northwest Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 458,508 acres (716 square miles) |
| Public land | 53.8% (246,689 acres) |
| Block Management | 3 areas, 144,701 acres (2026) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 135 (92 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 794 (160 mule deer, 634 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Brow-tined bulls |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to October 18 |
| General season, 2026 | October 24 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | Plains, Weeksville, Paradise, Hot Springs, Thompson Falls and Superior |
HD 122 follows the Thompson River and the Clark Fork around Plains and Paradise, from US 2 south to the Clark Fork-Ninemile divide. MT 200 runs about 31 miles inside it. FWP closes Roundhorn WMA December 2 to May 1.
How much public land is in HD 122?
53.8% of HD 122 is public land: 246,689 of its 458,508 acres. The largest share is national forest, 209,408 acres or 45.7% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 122 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 209,408 | 45.7% |
| State trust land | 36,315 | 7.9% |
| FWP land | 966 | 0.2% |
| Other public | 721 | 0.2% |
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 122
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 3 areas in HD 122, 144,701 acres of private land open to hunters under the program. The largest: Green Diamond (142,763 acres, Type 1), Spp Mt Mcginnis (1,397 acres, Type 1) and Davis Creek (541 acres, Type 1). Each area has its own rules and map from FWP. FWP Block Management.
Wildlife management areas in HD 122: Full Curl WMA (438 acres here) and Roundhorn WMA (27 acres here).
How many elk are harvested in HD 122?
FWP estimates 135 elk were harvested in HD 122 in 2025: 92 bulls, 41 cows and 2 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters by district in 2024: 1,684 hunters took 104 elk, about 6 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 | 135 | 92 | 41 | 2 | 13 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 | 104 | 75 | 29 | 0 | 27 | 1,684 | 14,383 | 6 |
| 2023 | 93 | 79 | 14 | 0 | 19 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 85 | 70 | 15 | 0 | 38 | 1,433 | 11,606 | 6 |
| 2021 | 65 | 57 | 6 | 3 | 4 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 102 | 72 | 30 | 0 | 30 | 1,418 | 13,245 | 7 |
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 122?
FWP estimates 794 deer were harvested in HD 122 in 2025: 160 mule deer and 634 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 2,412 deer hunters spent 18,636 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 794 | 160 | 634 | 660 | 127 | 383 | 2,412 | 18,636 |
| 2024 | 796 | 201 | 595 | 695 | 99 | 440 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 703 | 189 | 514 | 608 | 91 | 327 | 2,183 | 16,754 |
| 2022 | 661 | 158 | 504 | 529 | 129 | 309 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 601 | 123 | 478 | 541 | 60 | 346 | 1,896 | 15,178 |
| 2020 | 616 | 117 | 500 | 527 | 89 | 292 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 122 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 122:
| 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 | |||
| Elk B License: 122-00 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 25 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only valid on private land. |
When is deer season in HD 122 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 122 allows white-tailed deer of either sex (Oct 24-Oct 30), mule deer bucks (Oct 24-Nov 29) 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 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |||
| 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: 122-00 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | Jun 1 | 100 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 |
FWP's notes for HD 122: Roundhorn WMA closed Dec 02-May 01.
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, page 51, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 122 before you go.
How do you get to HD 122?
Highways through the district: MT 200 (about 31 miles inside it), MT 28 (about 8 miles inside it) and MT 135 (about 6 miles inside it). Towns inside: Plains, Weeksville and Paradise. Nearby: Hot Springs (4 miles), Thompson Falls (5 miles) and Superior (7 miles).
Which districts border HD 122?
HD 122 touches 7 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 103 | South Salish | 51% | 154 | 1,715 |
| HD 104 | Cabinets | 77.2% | 91 | 533 |
| HD 120 | Blacktail | 26.5% | 66 | 694 |
| HD 121 | West Clark Fork | 82.2% | 237 | 1,155 |
| HD 123 | Clark Mountain | 91.1% | 34 | 213 |
| HD 124 | Arvilla | 65.6% | 33 | 212 |
| HD 201 | Missoula - Ninemile - North Superior | 76.4% | 274 | 1,025 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 122 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows brow-tined bulls in HD 122 during the general season, October 24 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 51). FWP also lists 1 elk B license or permit opportunity here.
What is the closest town to HD 122?
Plains, Weeksville and Paradise are inside the district. Just outside: Hot Springs (4 miles), Thompson Falls (5 miles) and Superior (7 miles).
Does HD 122 have Block Management?
Yes. FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 3 areas covering 144,701 acres in HD 122: all 3 are Type 1, where hunters give themselves permission. The largest is Green Diamond at 142,763 acres.
Where is FWP's map of HD 122?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 122 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
FWP's legal description of HD 122
Those portions of Flathead, Sanders and Lincoln Counties lying within the following described boundary: Beginning where the Thompson River County Road meets US Highway 2, then southerly along said highway to the Shroder Creek Road and USFS Trail 137, then easterly along said road and trail to USFS Trail 132, then southeasterly to USFS Trail 290, then along said trail to the Flathead Indian Reservation Boundary, then southerly along said boundary to the Sanders County line, then westerly along said line to the Clark Fork-Ninemile Divide, then westerly along said divide to the USFS Trail 242, then northerly along said trail to the Clark Fork River, then easterly and northerly along the eastern shore of the Clark Fork River to the confluence of the Flathead River, then westerly along the southern shore of the Clark Fork River to the Thompson River, then northeasterly up said river to USFS Trail 433, then northerly up said trail to Marmot Peak, then westerly along said trail to Mt. Headley and USFS Trail 528, then northerly up said trail to the Vermilion River Divide, then northerly along said divide to the Lincoln-Sanders County Line in Section 19, T25N, R28W, then northeasterly along said county line (Hydrological Divide) through Davis Peak, then northerly along said Hydrologic Divide T26N, R27W, S30 to USFS Road 6769, T26N, R28W, S12, then northeasterly along said road to USFS Road 9991, then northerly along said road to US Highway 2, then easterly along said highway to the Thompson River County Road, 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, page 51.
- 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.
Montana hunting Region 1 HD 103 HD 104 HD 120 HD 121 HD 123 HD 124 HD 201