HD 448

Elk

11.4% 2024 · 1,072 hunters

Residents
Over the counter
Nonresidents
Draw

Mule deer

27.0% 2025 · 788 hunters

Residents
Over the counter
Nonresidents
Draw

Whitetail

11.5% 2025 · 788 hunters

Residents
Over the counter
Nonresidents
Draw

Elk

Resident licenses

General Elk License

Availability: Over the counter

Included Includes bull elk

Residents buy the General Elk License over the counter; the resident license availability chart (p. 12) lists no application deadline for it, and residents may instead buy a Sportsman's License that includes one.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Elk License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Brow-tined Bull or Antlerless Elk: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Elk B licenses 004-00 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Nonresident licenses

General Elk License

Availability: Draw

Included Includes bull elk

Most nonresidents cannot buy their General Elk License over the counter.

Per 'Elk Licenses & Permits - General Elk License' (p. 16), they must obtain one through the drawing for one of the 17,000 Big Game Combination Licenses, applying in the random lottery drawing by April 1.

The separate NONRESIDENT License and Permit Availability Chart (p. 13) states that the Elk Combination includes a General Elk License and lists 'Elk Combination - Drawing' at $1,112.00, apply by April 1.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Elk License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Brow-tined Bull or Antlerless Elk: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Elk B licenses 004-00 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Other permits and B-licenses may be available for this district — not yet itemized in this dataset.

6+ point bulls: 38 of 76 total bulls harvested (2025)

Success rate history

YearHuntersAllSpikeBull6+ pt
HarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRate
2025Not published124—4—72—38—
2024107212211.4%30.3%706.5%161.5%
2023Not published143—0—79—46—
202294119120.3%00.0%879.2%485.1%
2021Not published116—7—71—40—

Success by residency

YearResidentsNonresidents
HuntersHarvestRateHuntersHarvestRate
2025Not published73—Not published51—
2024799779.6%2744416.1%
2023Not published89—Not published54—
202271712717.7%2246529.0%
2021Not published71—Not published45—

Source: Montana FWP harvest reports, 2024.

Mule Deer

Resident licenses

General Deer License

Availability: Over the counter

Included Includes antlered buck mule deer

Residents buy the General Deer License over the counter; the resident license availability chart (p. 12) lists no application deadline for it, and residents may instead buy a Sportsman's License that includes one.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Deer License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Either-sex White-tailed Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Antlered Buck Mule Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Deer B licenses 004-00, 004-01 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Nonresident licenses

General Deer License

Availability: Draw

Included Includes antlered buck mule deer

Most nonresidents cannot buy their general deer license over the counter.

Per 'Deer Licenses & Permits - General Deer License' (p. 15), they must obtain a General Deer License through one of the following drawings: the Big Game (deer and elk) Combination License (17,000 issued), the Deer Combination License (4,600 issued), or a Landowner Sponsored License (2,000 issued); nonresidents can apply for only one of these combo licenses each year, and the random lottery drawing deadline is April 1.

The separate NONRESIDENT License and Permit Availability Chart (p. 13) states that the Deer Combination includes a General Deer License and lists 'Deer Combination - Drawing' at $760.00, apply by April 1.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Deer License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Either-sex White-tailed Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Antlered Buck Mule Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Deer B licenses 004-00, 004-01 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Other permits and B-licenses may be available for this district — not yet itemized in this dataset.

4+ point mule deer bucks: 123 of 178 mule deer bucks harvested (2025)

Deer rates divide each species' harvest by all deer hunters in the district — FWP doesn't count mule deer and whitetail hunters separately.

Success rate history

YearHuntersAllBuck4+ pt
HarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRate
202578821327.0%17822.6%12315.6%
2024Not published174—114—78—
202367717225.4%16324.1%10415.4%
2022Not published144—138—81—
202157412622.0%12221.3%7813.6%

Success by residency

YearResidentsNonresidents
HuntersHarvestRateHuntersHarvestRate
202555614025.2%2327331.5%
2024Not published128—Not published47—
202353212824.1%1454531.0%
2022Not published93—Not published52—
20214458218.4%1294434.1%

Source: Montana FWP harvest reports, 2025.

Whitetail

Resident licenses

General Deer License

Availability: Over the counter

Included Includes antlered buck whitetail

Residents buy the General Deer License over the counter; the resident license availability chart (p. 12) lists no application deadline for it, and residents may instead buy a Sportsman's License that includes one.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Deer License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Either-sex White-tailed Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Deer B licenses 004-00, 004-01 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Nonresident licenses

General Deer License

Availability: Draw

Included Includes antlered buck whitetail

Most nonresidents cannot buy their general deer license over the counter.

Per 'Deer Licenses & Permits - General Deer License' (p. 15), they must obtain a General Deer License through one of the following drawings: the Big Game (deer and elk) Combination License (17,000 issued), the Deer Combination License (4,600 issued), or a Landowner Sponsored License (2,000 issued); nonresidents can apply for only one of these combo licenses each year, and the random lottery drawing deadline is April 1.

The separate NONRESIDENT License and Permit Availability Chart (p. 13) states that the Deer Combination includes a General Deer License and lists 'Deer Combination - Drawing' at $760.00, apply by April 1.

HD 448 (North Judith Basin-Central Little Belts) General Deer License opportunities, 2026 regulations p. 105.

Either-sex White-tailed Deer: Archery Only Sep 05-Oct 18, General Oct 24-Nov 29, Heritage Muzzleloader Dec 12-Dec 20.

Deer B licenses 004-00, 004-01 and 448-00 are also listed for this HD; not itemized here (general license only).

Source: FWP regulations (2026)

Other permits and B-licenses may be available for this district — not yet itemized in this dataset.

4+ point whitetail bucks: 36 of 53 whitetail bucks harvested (2025)

Deer rates divide each species' harvest by all deer hunters in the district — FWP doesn't count mule deer and whitetail hunters separately.

Success rate history

YearHuntersAllBuck4+ pt
HarvestRateHarvestRateHarvestRate
20257889111.5%536.7%364.6%
2024Not published93—38—27—
20236778412.4%304.4%274.0%
2022Not published68—37—17—
20215746811.8%386.6%274.7%

Success by residency

YearResidentsNonresidents
HuntersHarvestRateHuntersHarvestRate
20255566611.9%2322611.2%
2024Not published74—Not published19—
20235326412.0%1452013.8%
2022Not published59—Not published9—
20214455512.4%1291310.1%

Source: Montana FWP harvest reports, 2025.