Helpful Game Birds links

• Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program
• Upland Game Birds Access
  • 2009 Access Guides will be available in late August.
• Hunting Outlook
  • Upland Game Birds Hunting Outlook & Chart ( 34 KB)

Upland Game Birds Hunt Planner

Click on the links below for species-specific game bird information, including current hunting regulations, historical harvest, and biology.

• Sage Grouse
• Sharp-tailed Grouse
• Mountain Grouse
• Partridge
• Ring-necked Pheasant
• Wild Turkey—Fall Season
• Upland Game Birds & Falconry Closed Areas

Sage Grouse—(Closed West of the Continental Divide)

Map Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide

Season:

• September 1, 2009–November 1, 2009

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 2 daily. Possession limit is two times the daily bag limit.
• Means of Taking: Sage Grouse may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow. All other means of taking are prohibited.

Sharp-tailed Grouse - (Closed West of the Continental Divide)

Map Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide

Season:

• September 1, 2009–January 1, 2010

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 4 daily. Possession limit is four times the daily bag limit.
• Means of Taking: Sharp-tailed Grouse may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow. All other means of taking are prohibited.

Mountain Grouse

Spruce (Franklin's) Grouse Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide
Blue Grouse Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide
Ruffed Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide

Season:

• September 1, 2009–December 15, 2009

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 3 in aggregate daily. Possession limit is four times the daily bag limit.
• Means of Taking: Blue, Ruffed and Franklin's Grouse may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow; a rifl e; or a handgun. All other means of taking are prohibited.

Partridge

Map Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Field Guide

Statewide Season:

• September 1, 2009–January 1, 2010

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 8 in aggregate daily. Possession limit is four times the daily bag limit.
• Means of Taking: Hungarian and Chukar Partridge may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow. All other means of taking are prohibited.

Exception: (see legal description below)

• Portion of Carbon County: September 1, 2008 - January 10, 2009
• Portion of Carbon County within the following described boundary: Beginning at the junction of Route 72 and the Wyoming-Montana state line, then northerly along said route to Bridger, then northerly along Hwy. 310 to Edgar, then east on the Edgar-Pryor Road to the Crow Indian Reservation boundary, then southerly and easterly along said boundary to the west shore of Big Horn Lake, then southerly along said shore to the Wyoming-Montana state line, then west along said state line to its junction with Route 72, the point of beginning.

Note: Chukar partridge occur primarily in Carbon County.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Map Distribution | Harvest Stats by County | Pheasant Release Sites | Field Guide

Statewide Season:

• October 10, 2009–January 1, 2010

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 3 cock pheasants daily. Possession limit is three times the daily bag limit.
• Means of Taking: Pheasants may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow. All other means of taking are prohibited.
• Transporting Pheasants: It is unlawful to possess or transport within the state any pheasant unless one leg and foot are left naturally attached for evidence of sex. They shall remain attached until they arrive at the permanent residence of the possessor.

Wild Turkey (Fall Season)

Map Distribution | Field Guide

Statewide Season:

• September 1, 2009–January 1, 2010

Regulations:

• Bag Limit: 2 wild turkey, either-sex. However, the total combined limit of the spring and fall seasons cannot exceed two turkeys per hunter. A hunter may harvest two male turkeys in the spring (as long as at least one of them is harvested in Admin Reg 7); OR one male turkey in the spring and one either-sex turkey in the fall; OR two either-sex turkeys in the fall (as long as at least one of them is harvested in Admin Reg 7).
• Means of Taking: Wild turkey may be taken with a shotgun not larger than a ten gauge; a long recurve or compound bow and arrow; a rifl e; or a handgun. All other means of taking are prohibited.
• Exception: In Flathead, Lake, Sanders and Lincoln Counties rifles and handguns may not be used.
• Tagging: Immediately after harvesting your wild turkey, cut out the proper month and day from the license (if more than one date is cut, the license is invalid) and affi x to the leg of the wild turkey.

General Fall Turkey Hunting Areas:

• The following counties are open to all hunters who hold a valid current year fall turkey license:
  • Choteau
  • Fergus
  • Wheatland
  • Sweet Grass
  • Stillwater and Carbon Counties and all counties lying east of these
  • and Lincoln County, Portion of Sanders County, and the Flathead Valley Area

• Administrative Region 7 open to hunting includes: Garfield, Rosebud, Treasure, Prairie, Custer, Powder River, Richland, Dawson, Wibaux, Fallon and Carter counties.



• Portion of Chouteau County open to hunting includes: That portion of FWP Region 6 in Chouteau County north of the Missouri and east of the Marias Rivers.



• Portion of Sanders County (Western Portion) open to hunting includes: that portion of Sanders County lying within the following described boundary: Beginning where the Sanders-Mineral County line meets the Idaho border, then easterly along said line to Greenwood Hill, then northerly along the divide to Penrose Peak, Cherry Peak and Eddy Mountain, then northwesterly down ridge to the Clark Fork River and the mouth of Thompson River, then northeasterly up said river to USFS Trail 433, then northerly up said trail to Marmot Peak, then westerly along said trail to Mt. Headley and USFS Trail 528, then northerly up said trail to the Vermilion-Thompson River Divide, then northerly along said divide to the Sanders-Lincoln County line, then westerly along said line to the Idaho border, then south and southeasterly along said border to the Sanders-Mineral County line, the point of beginning.



• Flathead Valley Area open to hunting includes: all of Flathead County and that portion of Lake County lying within the following described boundary: Beginning on the shoreline of Flathead Lake at the junction of the Flathead County Line, then easterly along the county line to the Swan Divide, then southerly along said divide to USFS Trail 10 in Section 36, T26N, R18W, then southwesterly along said trail to USFS Road 9508 Six Mile Road), then southerly along said road to Route 83, then southerly along said route to USFS Road 10229 (Porcupine Creek Road), then westerly and southerly along said road to the south boundary of T26N, the 6th Standard Parallel North, then west along said township line to the Flathead Indian Reservation boundary, then north and west along said boundary to the east shore of Flathead Lake, then north along the shore of said lake to the Flathead County line, the point of beginning. Note: Turkey are found primarily on private land and access is limited and diffi cult to obtain.

Special Permit Fall Turkey Hunting Areas:

• Region 2
  • Mineral County
    • 282-50: 25 permits. Mineral County
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only. See Mineral County closure.
  • Missoula County
    • 283-50: 50 permits. Missoula County
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
  • Portion of Ravalli County–Bitterroot Valley Area
    • 285-50: 300 permits. Valid only in that portion of Ravalli County lying west of the Bitterroot River and north of Tin Cup Creek.
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
  
  
• Region 3
  • Park County
    
    • 385-50: 30 permits. Park County.
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 385-51: 2 permits. Park County.Only youth ages 12-15.
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Only youth ages 12-15. Shotgun/Archery only.
  • Region 3 Counties
    • 365-50: 25 permits. Valid only in Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties (Lower Missouri Unit).
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 365-51: 2 permits. Valid only in Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties (Lower Missouri Unit).
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Only youth ages 12-15. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 375-50: 10 permits. Valid only in Gallatin County and portion of Madison County east of Madison River (Gallatin County Unit)
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 375-51: 2 permits. Valid only in Gallatin County and portion of Madison County east of Madison River (Gallatin County Unit). Only youth ages 12-15.
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Only youth ages 12-15. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 395-50: 20 permits. Valid only in Beaverhead, Silver Bow, and Jefferson counties, and Madison County west of Madison River (Upper Missouri Unit).
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Shotgun/Archery only.
    • 395-51: 2 permits. Valid only in Beaverhead, Silver Bow, and Jefferson counties, and Madison County west of Madison River (Upper Missouri Unit). Only youth ages 12-15.
    • Sep 01 - Jan 01 - Either-sex Turkey. Only youth ages 12-15. Shotgun/Archery only.

Upland Game Birds & Falconry Closed Areas

• Wildlife Management Areas with big game winter range are closed to public entry from the day following the end of the general deer/elk season or December 1, whichever is later, to May 15 each year, as posted. (Exception: Blackfoot-Clearwater WMA closes Nov. 10); Kootenai Falls WMA is open year long; Porcupine (Gallatin); Dome Mountain, Bear Creek and Wall Creek WMAs open May 1).
• State Game Preserves and National Parks shall remain closed to hunting of upland game birds. For hunting privileges on Indian Reservations and Federal Wildlife Refuges, inquire at the local Indian Agency or Refuge office.
• That part of Montana lying west of the Continental Divide is closed to the hunting of sage and sharp-tailed grouse.
• Helena Valley Regulating Reservoir (Lewis and Clark County): Open to upland game birds hunting until the opening of the waterfowl season, then it will be closed to all hunting.
• The Bureau of Reclamation Regulating Reservoir is located in Section 8, T10N, R2W in the Helena Valley, as posted.
• Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area (Teton County): Open to upland game birds hunting until the opening of the general waterfowl season, then it will be closed to all hunting in the following described portion of the Wildlife Management Area: SW 1/4 Section 19, Sections 29 and 30, T22N, R3W, W 1/2 Section 12, W 1/2 of E 1/2 Section 12, and that portion of Sections 13 and 24 within the posted boundary of the Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area, T22N, R4W. The area closed will reopen November 20.
• Portion of Mineral County Closed to Turkey Hunting: Beginning at the confl uence of Fish Creek and the Clark Fork River, then easterly along said River to the Petty Creek Road (#489), then southerly along said road to its junction with the West Fork Petty Creek Road (#22), then westerly along said road to its junction with the Deer Creek Road (#7704) near Deer Peak, then westerly along said road to its junction with the Fish Creek Road (#343), then northerly along said road to its junction with the North Fork Fish Creek Road (#7750), then westerly along said road to its junction with the Trail Creek Road (#341), then northerly along said road to the Rivulet Road (#344), then easterly along said road to Fish Creek, then northerly along said creek to its confl uence with the Clark Fork River, the point of beginning.