MT hunting season dates · 2026-27
Montana hunting seasons
Season dates for 2026-27, straight from the Montana FWP regulations — starting with what you actually want to know.
Open right now in
Montana
Deer Opens Sep 5 11 days away Turkey Opens Sep 1 7 days away Duck Opens Sep 26 32 days away Dove Opens Sep 1 7 days away Elk Opens Sep 5 11 days away
Dates checked against the Montana FWP regulations Aug 25, 2026.
Deer season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| General Five weeks, opening the Saturday before Halloween and closing the Sunday after Thanksgiving. | Statewide | Oct 24 – Nov 29 |
| General The three backcountry hunting districts open five weeks earlier than the rest of the state and close on the same day. | Backcountry HDs 150, 280 and 316 | Sep 15 – Nov 29 |
| Archery Montana runs deer and elk on the same calendar — the archery season opens both on the same day. | Statewide | Sep 5 – Oct 18 |
| Muzzleloader Nine days after the general season, for deer and elk both. | Statewide | Dec 12 – Dec 20 |
| Youth (deer only) Two days, deer only — there is no youth elk season on these dates. | Statewide | Oct 15 – Oct 16 |
Turkey season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Season Four months, the longest turkey season Montana runs. | Statewide | Sep 1, 2026 – Jan 1, 2027 |
| Spring Season FWP's current season card carries the spring 2026 dates, which have run; the 2027 spring season is not published yet. | Statewide | Not set yet |
Duck season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Regular Season Ducks including mergansers. Coots run the same dates; geese run a week longer, to Jan. 15. | Central Flyway, Zone 1 | Oct 3, 2026 – Jan 7, 2027 |
| Regular Season Ducks including mergansers, in two segments with a fortnight shut between them. | Central Flyway, Zone 2 | Oct 3 – Oct 11; Oct 24, 2026 – Jan 19, 2027 |
| Regular Season Ducks including mergansers. Coots and geese run the same dates. | Pacific Flyway | Oct 3, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027 |
| Youth Waterfowl Statewide, a week before the regular season opens anywhere. | Statewide | Sep 26 – Sep 27 |
Dove season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Mourning Dove Statewide, two months. | Statewide | Sep 1 – Oct 30 |
Elk season
| Season | Zone | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| General FWP also runs elk shoulder seasons somewhere between Aug. 15 and Feb. 15, on dates that vary by hunting district — check your HD in the current regulations, because none of them is open that whole span. | Statewide | Oct 24 – Nov 29 |
| General The three backcountry hunting districts run one long general season instead of the statewide five weeks. | Backcountry HDs 150, 280 and 316 | Sep 15 – Nov 29 |
| Archery Six weeks of archery elk, the same window as deer. | Statewide | Sep 5 – Oct 18 |
| Muzzleloader Nine days after the general season, for elk and deer both. | Statewide | Dec 12 – Dec 20 |