Montana Unit 106 Moose Hunting Guide
Montana moose hunting ranks among the most coveted permit opportunities in the western United States, and Unit 106 is no exception. Hunters who secure a tag here are stepping into one of the rarest and most challenging draws in Big Sky Country — a single-species pursuit that demands years of patience and strategic application. This guide pulls together everything serious applicants need to evaluate Unit 106 before committing to the Montana moose draw, with harvest data and application details sourced directly from HuntPilot's unit database.
Unit 106 sits within Montana's limited-entry moose permit framework, where the state issues a tightly controlled number of tags each year. The permit scarcity is by design: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks manages Shiras' moose populations conservatively, prioritizing herd sustainability over tag volume. For hunters who do draw, the reward is a genuine wilderness moose hunt in a state with a deep tradition of big-game management. Understanding the unit's harvest history, trophy context, and application logistics is the first step in deciding whether to commit application points here.
Harvest Success Rates
Unit 106 posts harvest numbers that any moose hunter should take seriously. With a small but consistent permit pool, the unit has delivered strong results across the four most recent seasons tracked by HuntPilot.
| Year | Hunters | Harvested | Success Rate | |------|---------|-----------|--------------| | 2024 | 12 | 9 | 75% | | 2023 | 12 | 8 | 67% | | 2022 | 12 | 10 | 83% | | 2021 | 13 | 7 | 54% |
The four-year average success rate across 2021–2024 works out to approximately 70%. That figure places Unit 106 well above the national benchmark for moose hunting, where harvest rates in many states hover in the 40–60% range depending on terrain and population density. The 2022 season was the standout at 83% — ten of twelve permitted hunters tagged a bull. Even the low-water mark of 2021, at 54%, represents solid performance for a limited-entry Shiras' moose permit.
What this data signals: the animals are findable, and hunters with a tag in hand have a legitimate shot at success. A permit pool capped at twelve to thirteen hunters per season also means minimal crowding pressure — a meaningful advantage on a species that can be notoriously difficult to locate across large drainages.
It is worth noting that small sample sizes are inherent in any moose hunt analysis. With only twelve or thirteen permitted hunters per year, a single year's results can swing significantly based on individual circumstances — weather, hunter physical condition, access conditions — rather than pure population trends. Looking at the four-year pattern together, rather than any single season in isolation, provides the most reliable picture of what hunters can expect from Unit 106.
Trophy Quality
Trophy data is available for the counties overlapping Unit 106, and the regional history supports a qualitative assessment of moderate-to-strong trophy potential for Shiras' moose. As with all Montana moose units, record-book attribution is tied to county geography rather than hunt unit boundaries — meaning entries from overlapping counties are shared across multiple neighboring units, and any given trophy-class bull may have been taken in an adjacent unit rather than Unit 106 specifically. That caveat applies whenever interpreting regional trophy history.
What can be said with confidence is that the broader region has produced trophy-class Shiras' moose over time. Montana's Shiras' moose occupy the same genetic population as animals across the northern Rockies, and mature bulls in productive habitat are capable of growing antlers that meet record-book minimums. Whether Unit 106 specifically holds the habitat density to consistently produce that caliber of animal is best assessed through current wildlife survey data and on-the-ground scouting — neither of which substitutes for the historical record, but both of which inform realistic expectations.
Hunters entering the Unit 106 draw with trophy aspirations should treat the outcome as genuinely uncertain. Even with moderate trophy potential at the regional level, most permitted hunters in any Montana moose unit will encounter bulls that fall well short of record-book minimums. The honest framing: a permit here is a legitimate opportunity at a mature Shiras' bull in a unit with a recent track record of delivering harvest success. That combination is rarer than it sounds.
HuntPilot Analysis — Is Unit 106 Worth Applying For?
Short answer: Yes — with clear eyes about the long-term commitment involved.
Unit 106's harvest data is genuinely compelling. A four-year average approaching 70% success, with a peak of 83% in 2022, puts this unit in the upper tier of Montana moose hunt performance based on available data. The permit pool is small enough to limit crowding, and the consecutive years of solid harvest suggest the local population supports the current permit structure sustainably.
The harder truth is what any Montana moose applicant already knows: this draw is extraordinarily competitive. Montana uses a bonus points system for moose (entries equal points squared plus one), which means applicants with more accumulated points have substantially better odds than first-year applicants. Many hunters apply for fifteen, twenty, or more years before drawing a Montana moose tag, and some never draw at all — this is well-documented anecdotal reality among serious applicants. The application investment is significant both in time and annual fees.
For residents, the math is more favorable than for nonresidents. The application fee differential ($10 versus $50 per year) and tag fee differential ($125 versus $1,250) are substantial over a multi-decade application window. Nonresidents facing a $1,250 tag fee on top of annual $50 application fees and required $65 licensing costs need to factor total investment honestly.
The bottom line from a data standpoint: the harvest numbers in Unit 106 are strong enough to justify application for hunters who are serious about the commitment. Those who draw a permit here have historically converted at a high rate — nearly three in four hunters across recent seasons. For hunters already accumulating Montana moose points and evaluating which units to target, Unit 106's consistent harvest performance makes it a legitimate contender worth researching further through HuntPilot's unit page.
How to Apply
Montana moose permits are issued through the state's limited-entry draw system, managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Applications for the 2026 season open March 1, 2026, and the deadline for all applicants — both resident and nonresident — is May 1, 2026. Draw results are announced May 15, 2026.
2026 Application Costs — Residents:
- Application fee: $10
- Tag fee (if drawn): $125
- License fee (required to apply): $8.00
- Point fee (if not drawn): $10
2026 Application Costs — Nonresidents:
- Application fee: $50
- Tag fee (if drawn): $1,250
- License fee (required to apply): $65.00
- Point fee (if not drawn): $50
Montana's license requirement is a detail that catches some applicants off guard: hunters must hold a valid Montana base license before they can submit a moose draw application. That license fee is due at the time of application regardless of whether the hunter draws a tag.
When a hunter does not draw, the point fee purchases a bonus point for the following year's draw. Hunters who draw a tag consume their accumulated points — they restart at or near zero in subsequent application years. This is standard across Montana's bonus point system and something multi-year applicants need to factor into long-term draw strategy.
Applications are submitted through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' online licensing portal. For current draw odds, applicant counts, and unit-specific analysis, visit HuntPilot's Montana page at huntpilot.ai/states/mt.
Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website before applying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the harvest success rate in Montana Unit 106 moose hunting?
Unit 106 has posted strong harvest numbers across the four seasons tracked in HuntPilot's database. In 2024, nine of twelve hunters harvested a moose (75%). In 2023, the rate was 67% (eight of twelve). The 2022 season saw the highest recent success at 83%, with ten of twelve hunters tagging animals. The 2021 season was the lowest at 54%, with seven of thirteen hunters successful. The four-year average across 2021–2024 is approximately 70%, which is competitive for any Shiras' moose unit in Montana.
How big are the moose in Montana Unit 106?
The counties overlapping Unit 106 have a history of producing trophy-class Shiras' moose, which supports a qualitative assessment of moderate-to-strong trophy potential for the region. However, county-level trophy records are shared across all neighboring units — a given record-book entry may have been taken in an adjacent unit rather than Unit 106 specifically. Even in units with regional trophy history, most permitted hunters will encounter bulls that do not meet record-book minimums. Hunters should prioritize the unit's strong harvest success rate as their primary benchmark, with trophy quality treated as a potential upside rather than a guarantee.
Is Montana Unit 106 worth applying for?
Based on available harvest data, yes — with realistic expectations about the draw timeline. Unit 106 has delivered nearly 70% average harvest success across recent seasons with a small, tightly managed permit pool. The unit does not have crowding issues that can undermine moose hunting quality. The challenge is the draw itself, not the hunt. Montana moose permits are among the most competitive in the state under the bonus points system, and many hunters apply for fifteen or more years before drawing. Hunters already accumulating points and evaluating unit selection should treat Unit 106 as a strong option based on its harvest track record.
What is the terrain like in Montana Unit 106?
Specific elevation and terrain data for Unit 106 are not available in HuntPilot's current dataset. Montana moose habitat generally consists of riparian corridors, willow flats, lake margins, and timbered drainages — classic Shiras' moose country that rewards hunters who are comfortable covering varied terrain on foot. Hunters planning a trip here should consult current topographic mapping and reach out to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks for unit-specific habitat information before making access plans.
How do I check current draw odds for Montana Unit 106 moose?
Draw odds for Montana moose permits shift annually based on applicant pool changes and any quota adjustments made by Montana FWP. Rather than relying on single-year figures that quickly become outdated, hunters should check HuntPilot's Montana page at huntpilot.ai/states/mt for current draw analysis, or consult the official Montana draw report published by Fish, Wildlife & Parks after each draw cycle concludes. Both sources will reflect the most current applicant and draw data available.