Hunting District 290, Helmville-Ovando Archery District: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 290 (Helmville-Ovando Archery District) is 18% public land, most of it national wildlife refuge (4,104 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 80 elk and 88 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters by district, 264 elk hunters spent 1,731 days here and took 52 elk.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: FWP estimates for 2020 to 2025. Seasons: FWP's 2026 regulations. Land: Montana State Library, 2026-10.
BLMState trust landFWP landNational wildlife refugeOther publicHD 290Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 2, West-central Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 33,726 acres (53 square miles) |
| Public land | 18% (6,071 acres) |
| Block Management | None mapped for 2026 |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 80 (22 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 88 (17 mule deer, 71 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Brow-tined bulls or antlerless elk (archery equipment only) and antlerless elk |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to October 18 |
| General season, 2026 | October 24 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | Drummond |
HD 290 is a 53-square-mile district between Ovando and Helmville, inside MT 200, MT 141 and the Helmville-Ovando road. Deer and elk hunting is mostly archery only: firearms are allowed only for the antlerless licenses FWP names, and only outside the East Ovando Archery Area and Aunt Molly WMA. National wildlife refuge land is 12.2% of it.
How much public land is in HD 290?
18% of HD 290 is public land: 6,071 of its 33,726 acres. The largest share is national wildlife refuge, 4,104 acres or 12.2% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 290 |
|---|---|---|
| National wildlife refuge | 4,104 | 12.2% |
| FWP land | 1,242 | 3.7% |
| State trust land | 637 | 1.9% |
| BLM | 88 | 0.3% |
| Other public | 5 | under 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.
Wildlife management area in HD 290: Aunt Molly WMA (1,183 acres here).
How many elk are harvested in HD 290?
FWP estimates 80 elk were harvested in HD 290 in 2025: 22 bulls, 59 cows and 0 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters by district in 2024: 264 hunters took 52 elk, about 20 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 | 80 | 22 | 59 | 0 | 11 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 | 52 | 31 | 21 | 0 | 13 | 264 | 1,731 | 20 |
| 2023 | 46 | 20 | 27 | 0 | 2 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 26 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 177 | 935 | 15 |
| 2021 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 0 | 0 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 49 | 20 | 29 | 0 | 10 | 362 | 2,362 | 14 |
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 290?
FWP estimates 88 deer were harvested in HD 290 in 2025: 17 mule deer and 71 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 317 deer hunters spent 2,325 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 88 | 17 | 71 | 54 | 34 | 34 | 317 | 2,325 |
| 2024 | 70 | 9 | 61 | 38 | 32 | 24 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 74 | 20 | 54 | 56 | 18 | 43 | 190 | 1,373 |
| 2022 | 94 | 26 | 67 | 62 | 32 | 46 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 70 | 19 | 52 | 50 | 21 | 22 | 230 | 1,882 |
| 2020 | 117 | 17 | 100 | 83 | 34 | 66 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 290 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 290:
| License or permit | What may be taken | Apply by | Quota | Archery only | General | Other seasons | FWP's restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Elk License | Brow-tined Bull or Antlerless Elk | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Jan 1 | ArchEquip Only. | ||
| General Elk License | Antlerless Elk | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Firearms allowed outside of East Ovando Archery Area/Aunt Molly WMA. | |||
| Elk B License: 290-01 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 200 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Early: Aug 15-Sep 4 Late: Nov 30-Jan 8 | Valid on private land only. Firearms allowed outside of East Ovando Archery Area. Also valid in HD 298 with restrictions. See HD 298 for more info. |
When is deer season in HD 290 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 290 allows white-tailed deer of either sex (Sep 5-Nov 29, archery equipment only) and mule deer bucks (Sep 5-Nov 29, archery equipment only).
| 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-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Dec 15 | ArchEquip only. | |||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | Sep 5-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Dec 15 | ArchEquip only. | |||
| Deer B License: 290-00 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | OTC: Jun 15 | Unlimited | Sep 5-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Dec 15 | ArchEquip only. Up to three OTC B Licenses per hunter. | |
| Deer B License: 290-01 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | Jun 1 | 25 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Only valid on private land. | ||
| Deer B License: 290-01 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | Jun 1 | 25 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Valid on private land only. Firearms allowed outside of East Ovando Archery Area. | |
| Deer B License: 290-02 | Either-sex White-tailed Deer | Jun 1 | 50 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 19-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Jan 1 | ArchEquip only. |
FWP's notes for HD 290: Check the restricted area legal descriptions (regulations pages 28 to 30): Aunt Molly WMA restricted to ArchEquip Only for all big game hunting; East Ovando Archery Area restricted to ArchEquip only for all big game hunting.
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, page 69, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 290 before you go.
How do you get to HD 290?
Highways through the district: MT 200 (about 7 miles inside it) and MT 141 (about 2 miles inside it). Nearby: Drummond (15 miles).
Which districts border HD 290?
HD 290 touches 3 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 281 | Upper Blackfoot | 74.9% | 77 | 373 |
| HD 285 | Monture | 73.3% | 113 | 1,107 |
| HD 298 | Ovando-Helmville | 6.8% | 56 | 108 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 290 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows brow-tined bulls or antlerless elk (archery equipment only) and antlerless elk in HD 290 during the general season, October 24 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 69). FWP also lists 1 elk B license or permit opportunity here.
What is the closest town to HD 290?
No town is inside it. The nearest is Drummond (15 miles).
Does HD 290 have Block Management?
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows no Block Management area in HD 290.
Where is FWP's map of HD 290?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 290 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
FWP's legal description of HD 290
Those portions of Powell County lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at the junction of State Route 200 and the Helmville-Ovando County Road, then south along said road to its junction with Route 271 at Helmville, then east along said route to its junction with State Route 141, then north along said route to its junction with State Route 200, then west along said route to 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 69.
- 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.