Montana Unit 313 Moose Hunting Guide

Montana Unit 313 moose hunting draws serious attention from hunters chasing a Shiras moose tag in one of the West's most storied moose states. This is a limited-quota unit through and through — there is no general season here, and every moose hunt available in Unit 313 is issued through Montana's draw system. For hunters who manage to secure a tag, the payoff is a hunt in big, rugged country with a track record of consistently successful outings.

Unit 313 spans 255,632 acres with elevations ranging from 4,693 feet up to 10,287 feet, giving hunters a wide vertical window to work depending on where moose are holding during the season. Public land makes up 73% of the unit, which is a strong number for DIY-minded hunters — the majority of this country is accessible without needing to negotiate private land permission. There is no designated wilderness acreage reported for this unit, which means access considerations are different than some of Montana's more remote wilderness-heavy moose units — expect a mix of accessible drainages and backcountry pockets rather than true wilderness-only terrain.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 313 worth applying for? Based on the harvest data alone, this unit performs exceptionally well once a hunter actually draws. In 2024, all 6 hunters who held tags harvested a moose, a 100% success rate. That mirrors 2023, when again all 6 hunters tagged out for a perfect success rate. In 2022, 6 hunters pursued moose in the unit and 5 connected, an 83% success rate. Across these three years, success rates have hovered between 83% and 100% — numbers that put Unit 313 among the more reliable moose units a hunter could hope to draw.

That consistency matters. Moose hunts are almost always once-in-a-lifetime or rare-draw opportunities for most hunters, and a unit that produces near-universal success once tags are in hand removes a lot of the uncertainty that comes with hunting an unfamiliar area. Combined with 73% public land access and a broad elevation range that lets hunters work from mid-elevation river bottoms and willow flats up into high alpine basins, Unit 313 gives a tag holder plenty of terrain to run down a bull.

The trade-off, as with virtually every quality moose unit in Montana, is the draw itself. This is a limited-quota unit with tags issued only through the draw, and demand for Shiras moose tags in productive units like this one is heavily contested across residents and nonresidents alike. Hunters should not expect to draw quickly or repeatedly — moose tags in good units are treated as trophy, rare-opportunity tags by the state and applicant pool alike. For hunters evaluating whether to spend points or apply here, the combination of strong historical success rates and solid public land access makes this a unit worth prioritizing on an application list, provided expectations around draw difficulty are realistic from the outset.

Trophy quality in the area is described as having a moderate history of trophy-caliber animals in the counties overlapping this unit. That doesn't mean bulls here are unremarkable — it means the record-book history is present but not deep, and hunters should approach the unit expecting a legitimate, mature Shiras bull opportunity rather than betting on landing an elite-class animal. Given how small annual harvest numbers are in any single moose unit, this level of trophy production is meaningful and shouldn't be dismissed — it simply calls for measured expectations rather than assuming the unit is a slam-dunk record producer.

Harvest Success Rates

The three most recent years of data paint a clear picture of what tag holders can expect once they draw Unit 313:

• 2024: 6 hunters, 6 harvested — 100% success
• 2023: 6 hunters, 6 harvested — 100% success
• 2022: 6 hunters, 5 harvested — 83% success

This is a small, low-volume hunt by design — moose tags in Montana are issued sparingly, and Unit 313 is no exception. But the tight harvest numbers actually work in a hunter's favor when it comes to reading the data: with such a small pool of tag holders each year, a success rate holding at or near 100% across three consecutive seasons is a strong signal that moose are both present and huntable in accessible numbers within the unit. Few Montana moose units can claim a three-year stretch this consistent, and it's a major point in this unit's favor for anyone weighing where to apply.

Trophy Quality

Trophy data for the counties overlapping Unit 313 shows a moderate history of record-book entries, meaning quality bulls have come out of this general area over time without it being one of the state's marquee trophy factories. Given that trophy records are logged at the county level rather than unit-exact, the same historical entries are shared with neighboring units that overlap the same counties — so this moderate trophy signal reflects the broader region rather than being unique to 313 alone.

For a hunter drawing this tag, the realistic expectation should be a mature, legitimate Shiras bull with a real shot at a quality set of antlers, rather than banking on a top-tier record-book animal. Shiras moose as a subspecies simply don't reach the score levels of Canada or Alaska-Yukon moose, and a moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties suggests solid, dependable bull quality rather than an area known for producing exceptional outliers. Hunters serious about maximizing bull size should plan on covering ground and glassing extensively rather than assuming any drainage will produce a giant.

Access & Terrain

With 73% of Unit 313 in public ownership, hunters have real freedom to move across the landscape without needing to secure private land access first — a meaningful advantage in a state where moose habitat often overlaps heavily with private ranchland along river corridors. The elevation range in this unit is substantial, running from 4,693 feet at the low end up to 10,287 feet at the highest points, which means moose habitat here spans lush lowland riparian zones and willow bottoms all the way up into high alpine cirques and timbered basins.

No wilderness acreage is reported for this unit, which distinguishes it from some other Montana moose units that require or heavily favor pack-in trips via horse or extended backpack access into designated wilderness. That doesn't mean 313 is easy country — forum accounts from hunters who've drawn this tag describe genuine difficulty finding outfitters willing to pack camps in on horses, suggesting this is still rugged, remote-feeling terrain even without formal wilderness designation. Hunters planning a DIY approach should expect a mix of accessible drainages reachable by vehicle or a modest hike, along with more remote pockets that reward those willing to get well off the beaten path.

Given the elevation spread, moose can be found across a wide range of habitat types depending on time of year and local conditions — from thick brush and timber at lower elevations to open alpine basins near timberline. Hunters should plan to scout multiple elevation bands rather than fixating on a single drainage, and take advantage of mapping tools like HuntPilot's public land and terrain overlays to identify likely pockets of willow, water, and cover before ever setting a boot on the ground.

How to Apply

Montana moose tags are issued exclusively through the state's limited-quota draw system — there is no over-the-counter or general season option for moose anywhere in Montana, and Unit 313 is a pure draw unit with no general season alternative. Every hunter pursuing moose here, resident or nonresident, must apply through the draw and be selected before they can hunt.

Montana's moose draw operates on a bonus-point system where the number of entries a hunter receives is based on the square of their accumulated points plus one, with separate applicant pools maintained for residents and nonresidents. Because moose tags are extremely limited statewide and Unit 313 has historically issued only a small handful of tags per year, no point total guarantees a draw — even hunters with a substantial point history should expect this to remain a competitive, weighted lottery rather than a sure thing. Residents and nonresidents apply through the same general points-based structure, though nonresident tag numbers are typically capped at a smaller share of the total quota.

Given how heavily contested moose tags are in productive units like this one, hunters serious about drawing should treat this as a long-term point-building strategy rather than a one-or-two-year plan. Application windows, license fees, and current point requirements change from year to year, so hunters should check HuntPilot's Montana state page for the most current deadlines, costs, and application procedures before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Montana Unit 313? Unit 313 covers 255,632 acres with elevations ranging from 4,693 feet to 10,287 feet, offering a wide range of habitat from lower-elevation river bottoms and brush country up into high alpine terrain. With 73% of the unit in public ownership, hunters have solid access across much of this elevation gradient, though the unit's lack of designated wilderness doesn't mean the terrain is easy — remote, difficult-to-reach pockets exist even without formal wilderness status.

What is harvest success like for moose hunters in Unit 313? Recent years show excellent success rates for tag holders. In 2024 and 2023, all 6 hunters in each year harvested a moose for 100% success, and in 2022, 5 of 6 hunters succeeded for an 83% success rate. This three-year run of high success is one of the strongest arguments in favor of applying for this unit.

How big are the moose in Unit 313? Trophy records for the counties overlapping this unit show a moderate history of quality bulls, suggesting hunters can expect legitimate, mature Shiras moose without this being a unit known for producing an unusual number of top-tier record-book animals. Bull quality appears solid and dependable rather than exceptional.

Is Unit 313 worth applying for? Based on the available data, yes — the combination of consistently high harvest success (83-100% over the last three years), strong public land access at 73%, and a moderate trophy history makes this a unit worth prioritizing for hunters building points toward a Montana moose tag. The primary hurdle is the draw itself, which is heavily contested like all quality Montana moose hunts, so hunters should check current draw odds on HuntPilot's unit page before committing to a long-term application strategy.

Do I need an outfitter to hunt moose in Unit 313? Montana does not impose a state-mandated outfitter requirement for moose hunters in this unit, unlike some Wyoming wilderness areas. However, forum accounts from hunters who've drawn this tag mention difficulty locating outfitters offering horse-packing services into the unit's more remote terrain. Hunters planning a self-guided hunt should factor in the physical demands of the elevation range and plan access accordingly, while those wanting assistance should begin researching guide options well in advance of drawing a tag.