Hunting District 317, Upper Yellowstone East: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 317 (Upper Yellowstone East) is 66.3% public land, most of it national forest (170,251 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 379 elk and 537 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters by district, 1,303 elk hunters spent 7,781 days here and took 437 elk.
Data updated October 2026. Harvest: FWP estimates for 2020 to 2025. Seasons: FWP's 2026 regulations. Land: Montana State Library, 2026-10.
National forestBLMState trust landFWP landOther publicHD 317Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 3, Southwest Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 271,101 acres (424 square miles) |
| Public land | 66.3% (179,779 acres) |
| Block Management | None mapped for 2026 |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 379 (117 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 537 (205 mule deer, 332 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Brow-tined bulls or antlerless elk |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to October 18 |
| General season, 2026 | October 24 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | Pray, Pine Creek, Livingston and Clyde Park |
HD 317 is the east side of the Yellowstone's Paradise Valley, from Livingston south past Pine Creek and Pray into the Absaroka Range. MT 540, the East River Road, runs about 23 miles inside it. The General Elk License allows a brow-tined bull or an antlerless elk in the general season.
How much public land is in HD 317?
66.3% of HD 317 is public land: 179,779 of its 271,101 acres. The largest share is national forest, 170,251 acres or 62.8% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 317 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 170,251 | 62.8% |
| BLM | 5,173 | 1.9% |
| State trust land | 4,291 | 1.6% |
| Other public | 1,039 | 0.4% |
| FWP land | 64 | 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.
How many elk are harvested in HD 317?
FWP estimates 379 elk were harvested in HD 317 in 2025: 117 bulls, 262 cows and 0 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters by district in 2024: 1,303 hunters took 437 elk, about 34 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 | 379 | 117 | 262 | 0 | 68 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 | 437 | 94 | 335 | 9 | 58 | 1,303 | 7,781 | 34 |
| 2023 | 362 | 141 | 218 | 3 | 81 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 522 | 198 | 305 | 19 | 94 | 1,436 | 7,864 | 36 |
| 2021 | 315 | 135 | 180 | 0 | 56 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 299 | 130 | 165 | 4 | 57 | 1,236 | 7,707 | 24 |
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 317?
FWP estimates 537 deer were harvested in HD 317 in 2025: 205 mule deer and 332 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 1,116 deer hunters spent 7,569 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 537 | 205 | 332 | 351 | 186 | 211 | 1,116 | 7,569 |
| 2024 | 636 | 184 | 451 | 401 | 232 | 307 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 658 | 241 | 417 | 481 | 177 | 326 | 1,271 | 7,606 |
| 2022 | 721 | 298 | 424 | 484 | 237 | 318 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 695 | 217 | 478 | 462 | 233 | 327 | 1,278 | 7,779 |
| 2020 | 657 | 195 | 462 | 386 | 268 | 261 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 317 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 317:
| 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 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |||
| General Elk License | Either-sex Elk | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only youth ages 12-15 and hunters with a PTHFV. | ||
| Elk B License: 317-00 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 500 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Feb 15 | Only valid on private lands in HD 317 and private lands in the portion of HD 313 North of Dome Mountain WMA. |
When is deer season in HD 317 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 317 allows white-tailed deer of either sex (Oct 24-Nov 29) and mule deer bucks (Oct 24-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-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | |||
| General Deer License | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | Late: Nov 30-Jan 31 | |||||
| Deer B License: 003-00 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | OTC: Jun 15 | Unlimited | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 Late: Nov 30-Jan 31 | One per hunter. Valid in all Region 3 HDs. |
| Deer B License: 317-01 | Antlerless Mule Deer | Jun 1 | 85 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only valid on private land. |
| Deer B License: 397-00 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | OTC: Jun 15 | Unlimited | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 Late: Nov 30-Jan 31 | Up to two licenses per hunter. Valid in HDs 314 and 317 only. |
FWP's notes for HD 317: Check the restricted area legal descriptions (regulations pages 28 to 30): Yellowstone River Islands
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, page 78, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 317 before you go.
How do you get to HD 317?
Highways through the district: MT 540 (about 23 miles inside it), I-90 (about 19 miles inside it), US 191 (about 19 miles inside it) and US 89 (about 15 miles inside it). Towns inside: Pray and Pine Creek. Nearby: Livingston (on the line) and Clyde Park (13 miles).
Which districts border HD 317?
HD 317 touches 7 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 313 | Gardiner | 86.1% | 282 | 248 |
| HD 314 | Upper Yellowstone West | 41.8% | 460 | 589 |
| HD 315 | West Slope Crazy Mountains | 20.4% | 389 | 631 |
| HD 316 | Absaroka | 98.3% | 28 | 76 |
| HD 393 | East Bridger | 12.6% | 507 | 598 |
| HD 525 | Beartooth-Absaroka | 63.8% | 421 | 1,198 |
| HD 565 | Upper Boulder | 98.6% | 18 | 40 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 317 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows brow-tined bulls or antlerless elk in HD 317 during the general season, October 24 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 78). FWP also lists 1 elk B license or permit opportunity here.
What is the closest town to HD 317?
Pray and Pine Creek are inside the district. Just outside: Livingston (on the line) and Clyde Park (13 miles).
Does HD 317 have Block Management?
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows no Block Management area in HD 317.
Where is FWP's map of HD 317?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 317 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
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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 78.
- 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 3 HD 313 HD 314 HD 315 HD 316 HD 393 HD 525 HD 565