Hunting District 391, Dry Creek-Avalanche: elk and deer hunting
Hunting District 391 (Dry Creek-Avalanche) is 39.3% public land, most of it national forest (96,638 acres), by Montana's cadastral map of public land (2026). FWP estimates hunters took 313 elk and 677 deer here in 2025. In 2024, the last year FWP counted elk hunters here, it counted them by part: 1,078 elk hunters in HD 391N and 826 elk hunters in HD 391S.
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 landBureau of ReclamationOther publicHD 391Neighboring districtsLake or riverHighway
| Region | FWP Region 3, Southwest Montana |
|---|---|
| Size | 302,372 acres (472 square miles) |
| Public land | 39.3% (118,956 acres) |
| Block Management | 5 areas, 12,978 acres (2026) |
| Elk harvested, 2025 | 313 (189 bulls) |
| Deer harvested, 2025 | 677 (447 mule deer, 229 white-tailed) |
| General elk license, general season | Antlerless elk (not on national forest Lands) and brow-tined bulls |
| Archery only, 2026 | September 5 to October 18 |
| General season, 2026 | October 24 to November 29 |
| Towns in and near it | Townsend, East Helena, White Sulphur Springs and Helena |
HD 391 lies east of the Missouri River and Canyon Ferry Reservoir around Townsend, up to the Big Belt crest at Avalanche Creek. Canyon Ferry WMA has 2,469 acres here, with deer licenses of its own. For 2024 FWP reported the district's elk in two parts, 391N and 391S.
How much public land is in HD 391?
39.3% of HD 391 is public land: 118,956 of its 302,372 acres. The largest share is national forest, 96,638 acres or 32% of the district.
| Manager | Acres | Share of HD 391 |
|---|---|---|
| National forest | 96,638 | 32% |
| State trust land | 12,543 | 4.1% |
| Bureau of Reclamation | 5,563 | 1.8% |
| BLM | 4,203 | 1.4% |
| Other public | 561 | 0.2% |
| FWP land | 9 | 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.
Block Management in HD 391
FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 5 areas in HD 391, 12,978 acres of private land open to hunters under the program. The largest: Shindoll Ranch (4,562 acres, Type 2), Hensley Ranch (3,558 acres, Type 1), Plymale Ranch (1,918 acres, Type 1), Hidden Hollow (1,744 acres, Type 1) and Davis Bar Triangle T Ranch (1,197 acres, Type 1). Each area has its own rules and map from FWP. FWP Block Management.
Wildlife management area in HD 391: Canyon Ferry WMA (2,469 acres here).
How many elk are harvested in HD 391?
FWP estimates 313 elk were harvested in HD 391 in 2025: 189 bulls, 118 cows and 7 calves. FWP last counted elk hunters here in 2024, by part: HD 391N, 1,078 hunters and 182 elk and HD 391S, 826 hunters and 150 elk.
| Year | Elk harvested | Bulls | Cows | Calves | Bulls 6 points or more | Elk hunters | Hunter days | Elk per 100 hunters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 313 | 189 | 118 | 7 | 82 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2024 (391N + 391S) | 332 | 135 | 185 | 11 | 51 | by part | by part | |
| 2023 | 261 | 189 | 61 | 11 | 97 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2022 | 287 | 154 | 127 | 6 | 50 | 1,727 | 13,256 | 17 |
| 2021 | 405 | 234 | 147 | 24 | 103 | not counted | not counted | |
| 2020 | 323 | 184 | 123 | 16 | 85 | 1,943 | 14,367 | 17 |
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. For 2024, FWP reports HD 391's elk harvest in parts (391N and 391S) and prints no line for the whole district; the harvest shown for those years is the parts added together. Hunters are not added, because one hunter can hunt more than one part.
How many deer are harvested in HD 391?
FWP estimates 677 deer were harvested in HD 391 in 2025: 447 mule deer and 229 white-tailed deer. In 2025, 1,880 deer hunters spent 13,605 days here.
| Year | Deer harvested | Mule deer | White-tailed deer | Bucks | Does | Bucks 4 points or more | Deer hunters | Hunter days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 677 | 447 | 229 | 504 | 172 | 264 | 1,880 | 13,605 |
| 2024 | 670 | 432 | 238 | 532 | 136 | 229 | not counted | not counted |
| 2023 | 603 | 384 | 220 | 461 | 140 | 203 | 1,809 | 12,961 |
| 2022 | 578 | 365 | 214 | 426 | 147 | 188 | not counted | not counted |
| 2021 | 559 | 399 | 160 | 432 | 123 | 215 | 1,595 | 11,068 |
| 2020 | 723 | 515 | 208 | 537 | 184 | 251 | not counted | not counted |
Source: FWP Harvest Estimates (deer, 2020 to 2025).
When is elk season in HD 391 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 391:
| 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 | |||||
| General Elk License | Antlerless Elk | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Not valid on National Forest Lands. | |||
| General Elk License | Brow-tined Bull Elk | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | ||||
| General Elk License | Antlerless Elk | Late: Nov 30-Feb 15 | Only valid south of Duck Creek. Not valid on National Forest Lands. | ||||
| Elk B License: 391-00 | Antlerless Elk | Jun 1 | 175 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Not Valid on National Forest Lands. |
| Elk B License: 397-00 | Antlerless Elk | OTC: Jun 15 | Unlimited | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Late: Nov 30-Feb 15 | One per hunter. Multi-district license. In HD 391, only valid south of Duck Creek. Not valid on National Forest Lands. |
When is deer season in HD 391 in 2026?
On the General Deer License in the general season, HD 391 allows mule deer bucks (Oct 24-Nov 29) and white-tailed deer of either sex (Oct 24-Nov 29, not on Canyon Ferry WMA).
| License or permit | What may be taken | Apply by | Quota | Archery only | General | Other seasons | FWP's restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Deer License | Either-sex Mule Deer | Sep 5-Oct 18 | |||||
| General Deer License | Either-sex White-tailed Deer | Sep 5-Oct 18 | |||||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck Mule Deer | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | ||||
| General Deer License | Antlered Buck White-tailed Deer | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only valid on Canyon Ferry WMA. | |||
| General Deer License | Either-sex White-tailed Deer | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Not valid on Canyon Ferry WMA. | |||
| 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 | One per hunter. Valid in all Region 3 HDs, not valid on Canyon Ferry WMA. |
| Deer B License: 391-02 | Antlerless Mule Deer | Jun 1 | 175 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only valid on private land. |
| Deer B License: 395-01 | Antlerless White-tailed Deer | OTC: Jun 15 | 50 | Sep 5-Oct 18 | Oct 24-Nov 29 | Muzzleloader: Dec 12-Dec 20 | Only valid on Canyon Ferry WMA-including Canyon Ferry WMA in HDs 380 and 391. |
FWP's notes for HD 391: Check the restricted area legal descriptions (regulations pages 28 to 30): Townsend Weapons Restriction Area
Source: FWP 2026 Deer, Elk & Antelope Regulations, page 88, with FWP's corrections. FWP can change a season or quota during the year: check FWP's page for HD 391 before you go.
How do you get to HD 391?
Highways through the district: US 12 (about 25 miles inside it) and US 287 (about 5 miles inside it). Towns inside: Townsend. Nearby: East Helena (11 miles), White Sulphur Springs (12 miles) and Helena (16 miles).
Which districts border HD 391?
HD 391 touches 5 other deer and elk districts. Their public land and 2025 harvest, for comparison:
| District | Name | Public land | Elk harvested | Deer harvested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HD 380 | Radersburg | 42.1% | 419 | 723 |
| HD 390 | Sixteenmile Creek | 9.8% | 162 | 233 |
| HD 392 | Avalanche-Gates of the Mountains | 91.1% | 94 | 341 |
| HD 446 | Northeast Big Belt Mountains | 23.1% | 294 | 295 |
| HD 451 | Southeast Big Belt Mountains | 17.3% | 39 | 46 |
Questions hunters ask
Can you hunt elk in HD 391 on a general license?
Yes. In 2026 the General Elk License allows antlerless elk (not on national forest Lands) and brow-tined bulls in HD 391 during the general season, October 24 to November 29, with the restrictions FWP prints for the district (regulations page 88). FWP also lists 2 elk B license or permit opportunities here.
What is the closest town to HD 391?
Townsend is inside the district. Just outside: East Helena (11 miles), White Sulphur Springs (12 miles) and Helena (16 miles).
Does HD 391 have Block Management?
Yes. FWP's 2026 Block Management map shows 5 areas covering 12,978 acres in HD 391: 4 where hunters give themselves permission (Type 1) and 1 where the landowner or FWP gives it (Type 2). The largest is Shindoll Ranch at 4,562 acres.
Where is FWP's map of HD 391?
FWP publishes a printable map of the district: HD 391 map (PDF). The boundary in words is in FWP's legal descriptions.
FWP's legal description of HD 391
Those portions of Broadwater and Lewis and Clark counties lying within the following described boundary: Beginning at the intersection of the Missouri River and US Highway 12 and U.S. Highway 287 north of Townsend, then northerly along the east bank of said river and the east shoreline of Canyon Ferry Reservoir to the mouth of Magpie Creek, then northeastly along said creek to the USFS (Helena National Forest) boundary, then south and east along the USFS boundary to the Avalanche Creek Road (USFS Road #359), then northeasterly along said road to the Nary Time Gulch Trail (USFS Trail #234), then northeasterly along said trail to the Broadwater-Meagher County line, then south along said line to its junction with the Dry Creek Road, then westerly along said road to its junction with the Ridge Road, then northerly and westerly along said road to Greyson Creek, then westerly along said creek to the east bank of the Missouri River, then northwesterly and easterly along the east bank of said river to its junction with US Highway 12-287, 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 88.
- 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.