Montana Unit 293 Moose Hunting Guide

Montana Unit 293 is one of the state's limited-entry moose units, spanning 552,287 acres of mixed terrain ranging from 4,103 to 9,316 feet in elevation. For hunters chasing one of the most coveted permits in North American big game hunting, Unit 293 offers a legitimate shot at a Montana moose tag — provided they understand just how competitive and rare that opportunity really is.

Moose hunting in Montana operates under a strict quota system, and Unit 293 is no exception. With 69% public land and only 2% wilderness designation, this unit gives hunters reasonable access to huntable terrain without the added complexity of wilderness-area travel restrictions. But access isn't the limiting factor here — the permit is. This article breaks down what HuntPilot's data shows about Unit 293's recent harvest performance, application requirements, and whether it's worth adding to a Montana moose application strategy.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 293 Worth Applying For?

The honest answer: yes, but with realistic expectations about both the draw and what a successful season looks like.

Moose permits in Montana are managed through an extremely limited quota system statewide, and Unit 293 follows that same pattern. HuntPilot's draw application data confirms this is a true limited-entry hunt for both residents and nonresidents, with permits allocated through Montana's competitive lottery process. Hunters should not expect to draw this tag quickly, and building points over multiple seasons is the standard path for most applicants — this is a long-term investment tag, not a hunt to plan around drawing in any given year.

What makes Unit 293 worth the application investment is the harvest performance once a hunter actually draws. Recent HuntPilot harvest data shows only 2 hunters afield in each of the last four seasons (2021-2024), which is typical for a unit operating under a tightly controlled quota. Success rates in that window have been strong: 100% success in both 2021 and 2022, dropping to 50% in 2023 and 2024. Across four seasons, that's six moose harvested from eight total hunters — a cumulative success rate of 75%. For a species where drawing the tag is the hardest part, that kind of on-the-ground performance is exactly what hunters want to see before investing years of points into an application.

The tradeoff is volume. With only two hunters afield per year, this is about as small a sample size as it gets, and hunters should treat these numbers as directional rather than statistically bulletproof. A single unsuccessful season swings the success rate by 50 percentage points. Still, four consecutive years of at least 50% success — and two years at 100% — suggests a healthy, huntable moose population and a unit where tag holders who put in the effort are connecting.

Trophy data is not available for this unit, so no qualitative assessment of trophy quality or bull size can be made here. Hunters specifically chasing record-book bulls should treat Unit 293 as an opportunity-and-experience hunt based on the available harvest data, not a documented trophy destination, until more information becomes available.

Harvest Success Rates

HuntPilot's unit-level harvest data for Unit 293 covers the last four recorded seasons:

• 2024: 2 hunters, 1 harvested — 50% success
• 2023: 2 hunters, 1 harvested — 50% success
• 2022: 2 hunters, 2 harvested — 100% success
• 2021: 2 hunters, 2 harvested — 100% success

This consistency across four years — never dropping below 50% — is a meaningful signal for a species where many limited-entry units nationally see far more volatility. The small hunter counts mean the unit isn't processing large volumes of tags, which is standard for Montana moose management, but it also means every data point carries real weight. Hunters who draw a Unit 293 moose tag in a comparable future season have historical odds squarely in their favor, based on this four-year track record.

It's worth noting that with only two permits issued in most of these years, the "success rate" reflects individual hunter outcomes as much as herd health. A hunter drawing this tag should still expect to put in the scouting and legwork typical of any moose hunt — these aren't easy, guaranteed harvests, but the recent data shows tag holders are finding and killing moose at an above-average clip compared to many Western moose units.

Access & Terrain

Unit 293 covers a substantial 552,287 acres with an elevation range from 4,103 feet up to 9,316 feet, meaning hunters could encounter anything from lower-elevation river bottoms and foothill terrain to high alpine basins depending on where in the unit they're hunting and at what point in the season.

Public land makes up 69% of the unit, which gives DIY hunters solid access to huntable ground without needing to negotiate private land permissions for the majority of their hunt. Wilderness designation is minimal at just 2%, meaning most of the public land here is accessible without the logistical challenges — stock use, pack-in camps, extended trip planning — that come with hunting deep wilderness country. This is a meaningful advantage for hunters who want to scout extensively before the season and access hunting areas efficiently once they draw.

The elevation spread suggests moose in this unit likely use a range of habitat types across the season, from riparian willow bottoms favored by moose for browse to higher timbered slopes and basins. Hunters drawing this tag should plan on scouting both lower and higher elevation zones to locate moose concentrations, since the terrain diversity across more than 5,000 feet of elevation change means moose distribution can vary significantly by month and by weather.

How to Apply

Montana's moose permit is one of the most sought-after big game tags in the state, and the application process requires careful attention to both dates and fees.

For 2026, the application deadline for both resident and nonresident hunters is May 1, 2026, with results released May 15, 2026. Applications open March 1, 2026. Hunters need to submit well before the deadline — Montana's system does not offer flexibility on late submissions.

2026 Nonresident fees:

• Application fee: $50
• Tag fee: $1,250
• License fee (required to apply): $65.00
• Point fee: $50

2026 Resident fees:

• Application fee: $10
• Tag fee: $125
• License fee (required to apply): $8.00
• Point fee: $10

A critical detail hunters often overlook: the license fee is required before an applicant can even enter the draw. Nonresidents need to budget for a $65.00 license purchase in addition to the $50 application fee and $50 point fee if applying with points — none of this includes the $1,250 tag fee, which is only paid upon actually drawing the permit. Residents face a much lower barrier to entry, with an $8.00 license fee, $10 application fee, and $10 point fee.

Given the multi-year point-building strategy that moose applications typically require, hunters should plan on applying annually regardless of whether they expect to draw in any given cycle — as the saying goes among long-time Montana applicants, you'll never draw if you don't apply. For current draw odds specific to Unit 293 and how they compare to other Montana moose units, visit HuntPilot's Montana state page at /states/mt for up-to-date figures.

Dates and fees are subject to change. Always verify current application details at the state wildlife agency website before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Montana Unit 293 worth applying for as a moose hunter?

Based on HuntPilot's harvest data, yes. The unit has produced a 75% cumulative success rate across the last four recorded seasons (2021-2024), including two years of 100% success. Combined with 69% public land access and minimal wilderness restrictions, Unit 293 offers a strong on-the-ground hunting experience for anyone who draws the tag. The catch is the draw itself — moose permits statewide in Montana are extremely limited, and hunters should expect to apply for multiple years, building points, before drawing.

What is harvest success like in Unit 293 for moose?

Recent data shows success rates of 50% in 2023 and 2024, and 100% in 2021 and 2022, with only two hunters afield in the unit each year. Cumulatively, six of eight hunters over that four-year span successfully harvested a moose. These are small sample sizes, so year-to-year variation should be expected, but the multi-year trend is positive.

What is the terrain like in Unit 293?

The unit spans a wide elevation range from 4,103 to 9,316 feet across 552,287 acres, suggesting a mix of lower-elevation riparian and foothill habitat along with higher alpine terrain. With 69% public land and just 2% wilderness, hunters have good access to most of the unit without the logistical demands of deep wilderness travel.

How big are the moose in Unit 293?

Trophy data is not available for this unit. Hunters interested specifically in trophy-class bulls should not assume Unit 293 has a documented trophy history one way or the other — the available data speaks to harvest success and access, not antler size or record-book history.

How competitive is the draw for a Unit 293 moose permit?

Montana moose permits are among the most difficult tags to draw in the state for both residents and nonresidents, and Unit 293 follows that same limited-entry pattern. Rather than guessing at odds, hunters should check HuntPilot's Montana unit page for current draw statistics, since permit numbers and applicant pools shift from year to year. The consistent theme among longtime Montana applicants is that this is a points-building, long-term application strategy rather than a hunt to expect to draw quickly.