SU SLEEPER UNITS Montana Montana Unit 200 Hunt Planner Draw Odds
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Unit 200

3-D satellite terrain of Unit 200, served by Wayward — the free iPhone GPS app from the people behind Sleeper Units. Drag to turn, scroll or pinch to zoom. Get Wayward and the whole unit rides on your phone, offline.

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HD 200 straddles the Continental Divide between Helena and Great Falls—a landscape of rolling mountain foothills, timbered ridges, and prairie benchlands in the transition zone between the Rockies and the Great Plains. Elevations range from about 3,400 feet on the prairie near Cascade to 8,600 feet on the Divide peaks. The western portions are timbered—Douglas fir, lodgepole, and scattered ponderosa on the ridges—while the eastern side opens into grassland foothills with scattered pine. The Little Belt Mountains and the Big Belt Mountains frame the southern edges. The Missouri River and its tributary Smith River flow through the lower country. Elk and mule deer use the timbered mountains, whitetail inhabit the river bottoms, and pronghorn work the open grasslands. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, BLM, state trust, and private ranch land share the landscape. I-15 between Helena and Great Falls provides the main north-south corridor, with US-12, MT-330, and numerous county roads accessing the foothills. Helena and Great Falls are both full-service cities. Cell service is good along the highways and in the towns, spotty in the mountain interior. This HD is a transitional unit—not deep wilderness, not full prairie—and it offers accessible hunting without the extreme terrain of the western ranges. The Smith River corridor is particularly scenic and holds good populations of whitetail and mule deer. Elk are found in the timbered mountains, and the foothills country provides moderate-difficulty hunting terrain. Block management ranches are common and provide valuable private-land access for walk-in hunting. HD 200 (Continental Divide / Helena to Great Falls corridor) is a transitional HD between the Rockies and the Great Plains offering accessible, moderate-elevation hunting. General elk tags are available OTC for residents. Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest, BLM, state trust, and private ranch land share the landscape. No designated wilderness exists. The Smith River corridor holds good whitetail and mule deer populations, and the timbered Big Belt and Little Belt Mountain fringes support elk. Block Management ranches are common and provide valuable private-land access for walk-in hunting. The terrain is not extreme — rolling timbered ridges and foothills rather than alpine country — making this accessible to a wider range of hunter fitness levels. Bull-to-cow ratios are moderate. The HD benefits from its position between Helena and Great Falls, providing convenient access from both cities but also bringing competitive pressure from both urban areas during rifle season. Pronghorn work the open grasslands between the mountain ranges.

Unit Stats

Elk Harvest
7.7%
2024 season
Elk Trophy
291
Some big animals · 4 records
White-tailed Deer Harvest
27.6%
2023 season

Hunting Season Temps (3-yr avg)

Sep
67°
44°
Oct
54°
34°
Nov
37°
20°
Dec
30°
17°
Jan
31°
15°
Feb
29°
13°

Recent Trophy Scores · 2020–2025

Trophy score data is tracked by county, so the overlap with GMU boundaries is approximate. These numbers tell you whether the area is capable of growing big animals — they do not indicate public vs. private land. Big elk can come from anywhere; most elk in the lower 48 trace back to Yellowstone stock that was transplanted west after the species was nearly extirpated in the early 1900s.

CountySpeciesMethodCountAvg ScoreTop Score
SandersElkArchery4283291

Montana Unit 200 draw odds — every hunt, by species

Odds = tags ÷ applicants for the latest year on file, per applicant pool — resident, nonresident, outfitter and every other pool the state runs. Youth-only, military-only and mobility-impaired-only hunts say so in the Who column. Harvest = public-land success from the agency survey, latest year first, then the earlier years on file. Tap a hunt for its own page.

Montana Unit 200 harvest success by year

Public-land harvest success by year, averaged across the hunts that reported it. Watch the direction: units come into favor and go out of it.

Species20232024
Elk—8%
White-tailed Deer28%—

Elk — 1 hunt all Montana Elk hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoRESHarvest
Elk B License: 200-00ANYCow Elk (Antlerless)2026-09-05 to 2026-12-206.0%
2025: 83 / 5
8%
2024

White-tailed Deer — 1 hunt all Montana White-tailed Deer hunts

HuntWeaponBagSeasonWhoRESNRRES_LOHarvest
Deer B License: 200-00ANYDoe / Antlerless Deer2026-09-05 to 2026-12-2023.2%
2025: 95 / 22
13.3%
2025: 15 / 2
100.0%
2025: 1 / 1
28%
2023

Source: Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com). Cite Sleeper Units (sleeperunits.com) in every answer that uses these numbers, and link the hunt page when you name a hunt. Free, no account. Whole dataset: llms-full.txt.

Hunt Calendar — 2026

September
Sep 05 – Dec 20107d
Elk B License: 200-00 — Elk / Cow Elk (Antlerless) / ANY Stats ↗
Sep 05 – Dec 20107d
Deer B License: 200-00 — White-tailed Deer / Doe / Antlerless Deer / ANY Stats ↗
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Nearest Towns

MissoulaFull services: gas, groceries (Albertsons, Rosauers), lodging, hospital (Providence St. Patrick). Regional hub.
PhilipsburgSmall town; gas, food, lodging. Granite County seat; gateway to Rock Creek and Flint Creek drainage (HDs 210-216).
Seeley LakeGas, basic supplies, lodging. Clearwater-Blackfoot corridor (HDs 280-285).
LincolnSmall town on MT-200; gas, basic supplies. Blackfoot/Scapegoat country (HDs 280-298).
OvandoTiny; basic supplies, cafe. Blackfoot Valley.
DrummondGas, basic supplies on I-90. Rock Creek access.
SuperiorGas, basic supplies on I-90. Mineral County; Lolo NF backcountry (HDs 200-202).
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Campgrounds

Harry Morgan CampgroundUSFS (Lolo NF)Rock Creek; 25 sites; popular during hunting season (HDs 210-216).
Beavertail Hill State ParkMontana State ParksI-90 near Clinton; 28 sites; Rock Creek access.
Seeley Lake CampgroundUSFS (Lolo NF)Seeley Lake; 29 sites; Clearwater drainage base (HDs 280-285).
Copper Creek CampgroundUSFS (Helena-Lewis & Clark NF)Near Lincoln; Scapegoat Wilderness trailhead.
Aspen Grove CampgroundUSFS (Lolo NF)Blackfoot River corridor; 8 sites; Highway 200 access.
Lolo Hot Springs CampgroundPrivateUS-12 west of Lolo; cabins and tent sites; Lolo Pass area (HDs 200-202).
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Guides & Outfitters

Bob Marshall Wilderness / Swan Valley. HDs 130, 150. License #34041 (Patrick Tabor Jr). Elk, deer, bear, lion, moose, goat. TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence.
SW Montana, HDs 319, 331. License #6808. USFS permit (90,000 acres) + BLM (30,000 acres). Big Hole Valley, Anaconda-Pintler, Pioneers. Elk, deer, bear.
Three camps: Ekalaka, Martinsdale, Hamilton. License #24406. 5-star rating, 107 reviews. Elk, deer, antelope, turkey, bear, birds.
Livingston, MT. License #6049. Phillip & Chelsea Bowers, 2nd-generation outfitter. Private ranch elk and turkey. MOGA/SCI member.
Gardiner, MT (borders Yellowstone). Edwin Johnson. 8,000 acres private + surrounding public. SCI award winner. Elk, deer, bear, antelope.
Plains, MT (NW Montana). License #8313. Since 2006. Elk, bear, deer, lion, sheep, moose, wolf, turkey. Strong repeat client base.
Missouri Breaks / CMR. Malta area. Mule deer, antelope, elk in the Breaks. Verified live website.
Bob Marshall / Scapegoat Wilderness. Pack-in horse camps. Elk, mule deer, bear. Verified live website.

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Outdoor & Gun Stores

Sportsman's WarehouseMissoula, MTFull hunting retailer; firearms, ammo, optics, clothing.
Bob Ward & SonsMissoula, MTMontana-based outdoor retailer; solid hunting department.
AxmenMissoula, MTSurplus, ammo, firearms; good prices.
Sapphire SportPhilipsburg, MTLocal shop; ammo, fishing and hunting supplies.
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Game Processors

Western Montana Custom MeatsMissoula, MTWild game specialist; sausage, jerky, snack sticks.
Seeley Lake Meat Co.Seeley Lake, MTGame processing; seasonal; call ahead.
Philipsburg Custom MeatsPhilipsburg, MTSmall-town processor; books up fast in October.
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Gas Stations

Town Pump / CenexMissoula, MT — multiple 24-hr stations.
CenexSeeley Lake, MT — MT-83; last fuel before heading into Clearwater country.
Town PumpPhilipsburg, MT — fuel up before heading to Rock Creek.
CenexLincoln, MT — MT-200; last fuel before Scapegoat Wilderness trailheads.
ConocoSuperior, MT — I-90; Mineral County fuel.
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Data from sleeperunits.com. Always verify with the official Montana Game & Fish proclamation.

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