Hunting District 150, Upper South Fork: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 150 (Upper South Fork) is 100% public land, most of it national forest (747,790 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 47 elk and 44 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters by district, 382 elk hunters spent 2,989 days here and took 102 elk.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: FWP estimates for 2020 to 2025. Seasons: FWP's 2026 regulations. Land: Montana State Library, 2026-10.
National forestHD 150Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 1, Northwest Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 747,940 acres (1,169 square miles) |
| Public land | 100% (747,790 acres) |
| Block Management | None mapped for 2026 |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 47 (47 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 44 (10 mule deer, 34 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Brow-tined bulls |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to 14 |
| General season, 2026 | September 15 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | None within 20 miles |
HD 150 is the upper South Fork of the Flathead River: 1,169 square miles of national forest with no town and no numbered highway. It is one of three backcountry districts where the general season opens September 15, and FWP calls it remote, with difficult access.
How much public land is in HD 150?
100% of HD 150 is public land: 747,790 of its 747,940 acres. The largest share is national forest, 747,790 acres or 100% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 150 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 747,790 | 100% |
Measured by FilledTag inside FWP's district boundary from Montana Cadastral Public Lands, Montana State Library, published 2026.
How many elk are harvested in HD 150?
FWP estimates 47 elk were harvested in HD 150 in 2025: 47 bulls, 0 cows and 0 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters by district in 2024: 382 hunters took 102 elk, about 27 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 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 24 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 | 102 | 97 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 382 | 2,989 | 27 |
| 2023 | 49 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 23 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 67 | 67 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 371 | 2,673 | 18 |
| 2021 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 26 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 50 | 46 | 4 | 0 | 37 | 371 | 2,389 | 13 |
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 150?
FWP estimates 44 deer were harvested in HD 150 in 2025: 10 mule deer and 34 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 275 deer hunters spent 1,747 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 44 | 10 | 34 | 41 | 0 | 37 | 275 | 1,747 |
| 2024 | 21 | 12 | 9 | 21 | 0 | 18 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 32 | 9 | 23 | 32 | 0 | 25 | 205 | 1,388 |
| 2022 | 39 | 10 | 30 | 37 | 3 | 33 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 28 | 8 | 20 | 24 | 4 | 16 | 138 | 1,096 |
| 2020 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 0 | 17 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 150 in 2026?
Archery only: September 5 to 14. General season: September 15 to November 29, 2026. Every elk license and permit FWP lists for HD 150:
| 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-Sep 14 | Sep 15-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 |
When is deer season in HD 150 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 150 allows white-tailed deer of either sex (Sep 15-Nov 29) and mule deer bucks (Sep 15-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-Sep 14 | Sep 15-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | Sep 5-Sep 14 | Sep 15-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 |
FWP's notes for HD 150: Backcountry-Remote location, access difficult.
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, page 53, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 150 before you go.
How do you get to HD 150?
No numbered highway crosses the district.
Which districts border HD 150?
HD 150 touches 8 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 130 | Swan | 90% | 44 | 650 |
| HD 140 | Lower South Fork | 93% | 33 | 157 |
| HD 141 | Lower Middle Fork | 98% | 15 | 25 |
| HD 280 | North Blackfoot | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| HD 285 | Monture | 73.3% | 113 | 1,107 |
| HD 415 | Summit-North Fork Birch Creek | 97.7% | 18 | 34 |
| HD 441 | North Fork Birch Creek-Teton | 37.9% | 123 | 243 |
| HD 442 | Sun River | 98.9% | 44 | 94 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 150 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows brow-tined bulls in HD 150 during the general season, September 15 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 53).
What is the closest town to HD 150?
No town lies inside HD 150, and none is within 20 miles of its boundary in the Census Bureau's list of places.
Does HD 150 have Block Management?
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows no Block Management area in HD 150.
Where is FWP's map of HD 150?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 150 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
FWP's legal description of HD 150
Those portions of Flathead, Missoula and Powell Counties lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at Inspiration Point on the Swan Divide and the Middle Fork Creek/Inspiration Creek Divide, then northeasterly along said creek divide to USFS Trail 218, then easterly along said trail to USFS Trail 226 (Picture Peak Trail), then easterly along said trail to USFS Trail 107 near Picture Peak, then northerly along said trail to the south side of Sarah Peak, then easterly along the main creek to the South Fork Flathead River and the mouth of Mid Creek/USFS Trail 103, then northeasterly along said trail to USFS Trail 89 at Mid Mtn, then northeasterly along said trail to the Silvertip Creek/Mid Creek Divide, then northerly along said divide to USFS Trail 89, then easterly and northerly along said trail to USFS Trail 83, then northwesterly along said trail to USFS Trail 43, then northwesterly along said trail to USFS Trail 327 east of Whitcomb Peak, then westerly along said trail to USFS Trail 81, then northerly along said trail to USFS Trail 155, then easterly along said trail to USFS Trail 154, then northeasterly along said trail to USFS Trail 179, then easterly and northerly along said trail to the Continental Divide to the Lolo NF/Flathead NF Boundary at Triple Divide Peak, then westerly along said boundary to the Swan Divide at Wolverine Peak, then northerly along said divide to Inspiration Point, 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 53.
- 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 130 HD 140 HD 141 HD 280 HD 285 HD 415 HD 441 HD 442