Elk Island Wildlife Management Area: hunting and access
Elk Island Wildlife Management Area is 1,701 acres of land managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks in Region 7, inside Hunting District 703. FWP lists white-tailed deer among the animals that may be hunted here.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: FWP's page for Elk Island WMA, read 2026-10-17. Boundary: FWP GIS.
BLMState trust landFWP landBureau of ReclamationOther publicElk Island WMAHunting district lineLake or riverHighway
| Size | 1,701 acres (FWP) |
|---|---|
| FWP region | Region 7, Southeast Montana |
| Hunting districts | HD 703 |
| Rules | Walk-in hunting from the county road and the trail to the fishing access site. |
| Camping | Not listed in FWP's area data |
| Hunter access | Please contact the regional office for more information. |
| Nearest towns | Savage (next to it), Crane (5 mi) and Sidney (15 mi) |
What is Elk Island WMA for?
Elk Island WMA is Yellowstone River bottomland and cropland, managed mainly for white-tailed deer and pheasant hunting. Parts of it can be reached only by boat from the river.
From FWP's Elk Island WMA page.
What are the rules on Elk Island WMA?
Walk-in hunting from the county road and the trail to the fishing access site. Trapping only with the WMA manager's written permission.
Hunter access, as FWP puts it: Please contact the regional office for more information.
FWP prints a map of the area with its roads and rules: Elk Island WMA map (PDF). Hunting follows the regulations of the district the ground is in.
What can you hunt on Elk Island WMA?
FWP lists these big game animals for Elk Island WMA: white-tailed deer. Also listed: ducks, geese, mourning dove, ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and wild turkey.
Which hunting districts is Elk Island WMA in?
All of Elk Island WMA lies in Hunting District 703. Each district's FWP harvest estimate, for the whole district, not the WMA alone:
| District | WMA acres in it | Elk harvested (district) | Deer harvested (district) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD 703 Grassland-Agriculture | 1,701 | 111 (2025) | 1,725 (2025) |
Harvest: FWP Harvest Estimates (elk and deer, 2020 to 2025). WMA acres in each district measured by FilledTag from FWP's boundaries.
How do you get to Elk Island WMA?
Turn east on CR 344, which is about 1/2 mile north of Savage, MT off of Montana Highway 16. Follow CR 344 for roughly 1/2 mi, then it will turn north and you will enter the WMA in about another 1/2 mi. Follow the Fishing Access Site signs to the river. Portions of Elk Island WMA are only accessible by boat from the Yellowstone River.
Highways within 8 miles: MT 16. Nearest towns: Savage (next to it), Crane (5 miles), Sidney (15 miles) and Fox Lake (20 miles).
Questions hunters ask
What can you hunt on Elk Island WMA?
FWP lists white-tailed deer, ducks, geese, mourning dove, ring-necked pheasant, sharp-tailed grouse and wild turkey for hunting or trapping on Elk Island WMA. Each species follows the regulations of the hunting district the ground is in (HD 703).
Can you camp on Elk Island WMA?
FWP does not list camping on Elk Island WMA.
Which hunting district is Elk Island WMA in?
All of it is in Hunting District 703 (Grassland-Agriculture).
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Where these facts come from
- Area description, rules, species, facilities and directions: FWP, Elk Island WMA.
- Boundary and acres: FWP wildlife management area boundaries. Surrounding public land: Montana Cadastral Public Lands, Montana State Library, published 2026.
- District harvest: FWP Harvest Estimates (elk and deer, 2020 to 2025).
FilledTag is not part of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.