Montana Unit 320 Moose Hunting Guide

Montana Unit 320 offers one of the state's rare moose hunting opportunities, and for hunters who've spent years applying for a shot at a Shiras moose tag, this unit deserves a serious look. Covering 537,131 acres with elevations ranging from 4,268 to 10,599 feet, Unit 320 presents a mix of terrain types that support a huntable moose population — but as with every moose unit in Montana, this is a long-term points game, not a unit you draw on a whim.

Moose hunting in Montana is fundamentally different from elk or deer hunting in the state. Tags are extremely limited, seasons are once-in-a-lifetime for many applicants, and the entire draw system is built around scarcity. Unit 320 is no exception. What makes it worth researching in detail is the harvest data available through HuntPilot, which shows a small but consistently successful hunt — a good sign for hunters lucky enough to draw a tag here.

Harvest Success Rates

The harvest numbers out of Unit 320 are about as strong as moose hunting data gets. In 2024, all 7 hunters who drew tags harvested a moose, a 100% success rate. That mirrors 2023, where all 7 hunters tagged out again at 100%. In 2021, all 4 hunters who hunted the unit were successful as well. The only outlier in the recent stretch was 2022, when 6 hunters harvested 3 animals for a 50% success rate — still respectable for moose hunting, but a reminder that even in strong units, success isn't guaranteed every year.

Three years out of the last four sitting at 100% success is a meaningful signal. Moose hunters typically only get one shot at this species in a lifetime given how the point system works, so a unit with a demonstrated track record of high success rates carries real weight. Hunters drawing a tag in Unit 320 should feel confident that if a legal bull is located, the terrain and access generally allow hunters to close the deal.

Trophy Quality

Trophy history for the counties overlapping Unit 320 shows a moderate history of record-book entries. This isn't a unit with a deep or headline-grabbing trophy pedigree, but it has produced trophy-class animals over time. Hunters should treat that as a realistic expectation-setter: this is a unit where a mature, respectable bull is achievable, but it's not necessarily a unit hunters should target purely chasing a top-end record-book entry.

Given that record-book data is logged at the county level rather than by hunt unit, the moderate trophy history associated with Unit 320 reflects animals taken anywhere within the overlapping counties, which may include neighboring units as well. For most moose hunters — especially those drawing what may be a once-in-a-lifetime tag — a mature bull taken in a unit with a documented, if moderate, trophy history and strong recent harvest success represents a very solid outcome.

Access & Terrain

Unit 320 spans a wide elevation gradient — from 4,268 feet up to 10,599 feet — which means hunters can expect everything from lower-elevation river bottoms and willow-choked drainages (prime moose habitat) up into high alpine basins near timberline. Moose in this kind of country are typically found in the lower-to-mid elevation riparian zones, especially in willow flats, beaver ponds, and dense timber pockets near water, though hunters should be prepared to work a variety of elevation bands depending on where animals are holding during the season.

Public land in Unit 320 sits at 47%, meaning hunters will encounter a substantial mix of public and private ground. With just under half the unit in public ownership, DIY hunters have real access opportunities, but a majority of the acreage is under private control. This makes landowner relationships, careful map work, and identifying legal access points to public parcels essential parts of pre-season scouting. Hunters should not assume open access across the unit and need to verify boundaries carefully before the season.

There is no designated wilderness acreage in Unit 320, which means access is generally road- and trail-based rather than requiring extended pack-in trips into wilderness country. This also means Montana's guide requirements tied to wilderness areas don't come into play here — hunters can pursue this unit unguided regardless of residency, though the rugged terrain at the upper end of the elevation range and the mixed public/private checkerboard still demand serious scouting.

Forum discussion around Montana's limited-tag moose units consistently flags rough country and the presence of predators, including wolves, as factors hunters should account for when planning a hunt. While specific predator data isn't available for Unit 320 itself, hunters should generally factor in that moose in this part of Montana share the landscape with an active predator base, which can influence moose distribution and behavior throughout the season.

HuntPilot Analysis: Is Unit 320 Worth Applying For?

For hunters building a Montana moose application strategy, Unit 320 checks several important boxes. The harvest data is the standout factor — a unit posting 100% success in three of the last four years is doing something right, whether that's favorable terrain for locating and approaching moose, a healthy population relative to tag numbers, or some combination of both. That kind of consistency is not common across all of Montana's moose units, and it should factor heavily into how hunters prioritize their unit choices when applying.

The trade-off is trophy quality. With a moderate trophy history rather than an exceptional one, hunters going into Unit 320 should calibrate their expectations: this is a unit likely to produce a solid, mature bull rather than a unit known for producing record-caliber animals on a regular basis. For the vast majority of moose hunters — who are drawing what may be their only moose tag ever in Montana — a mature bull with a strong chance of success is an outstanding outcome, and Unit 320's harvest data suggests that's a realistic expectation.

Access is the other consideration. At 47% public land, hunters have a real, but not overwhelming, base of public ground to work with. This isn't a unit where hunters can assume the whole landscape is open to them — successful hunters will need to do their homework identifying which parcels are public, where legal access points exist, and how the private land is arranged relative to good moose habitat. The absence of wilderness acreage simplifies logistics considerably, since hunters aren't dealing with stock-based pack-in requirements or Montana's guide mandates tied to wilderness units.

Bottom line: for hunters who draw a tag here, Unit 320 is absolutely worth hunting hard. The harvest success data supports that conclusion directly. For hunters deciding whether to apply, the calculus comes down to accepting that moose tags anywhere in Montana are exceptionally difficult to draw, and forum commentary from experienced Montana applicants bears this out — some hunters report applying for moose tags for two decades or more without success. Unit 320's strong harvest numbers make it a reasonable unit to include in an application strategy, provided hunters go in with realistic expectations on trophy quality and understand the access picture.

How to Apply

Note that the license fee is a prerequisite in both cases — hunters must hold a qualifying license before their moose application can be processed, in addition to paying the application fee itself.

Given that moose tags in Montana are allocated through a points-based draw, hunters serious about eventually drawing a tag in Unit 320 or any Montana moose unit should apply every year to build their position over time. For current draw odds specific to Unit 320, hunters should check HuntPilot's Montana state page at /states/mt, which tracks year-to-year draw data as it's published.

Application dates and fees change every draw cycle. For the current deadlines, fees, and draw odds, see HuntPilot's Montana page at /states/mt.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the terrain like in Montana Unit 320? Unit 320 covers a broad elevation range from 4,268 feet up to 10,599 feet across 537,131 total acres, encompassing everything from lower-elevation riparian and willow habitat favored by moose up to high alpine terrain near timberline. Public land makes up 47% of the unit, with the remainder in private ownership, so hunters need to carefully map public parcels and access points before the season. There is no wilderness acreage in this unit, meaning access is generally achievable without pack-in logistics or Montana's wilderness guide requirements.

What is harvest success like in Unit 320 for moose? Recent harvest data shows Unit 320 performing very well for hunters who draw tags. In 2024 and 2023, all 7 hunters each year harvested a moose for 100% success. In 2021, all 4 hunters were successful as well. The one down year in this stretch was 2022, when 6 hunters harvested 3 moose for a 50% success rate. Overall, this unit has posted strong, consistent success rates for the hunters who manage to draw.

How big are the moose in Unit 320? The counties overlapping Unit 320 have a moderate history of trophy-class moose entries. This suggests hunters can realistically expect to encounter mature bulls, though the unit isn't known as a top-tier producer of record-caliber animals. Given how rare moose tags are in Montana, most hunters should view a mature, legal bull as a highly successful outcome regardless of record-book status.

Is Unit 320 worth applying for? Based on available data, yes — particularly for hunters already committed to a long-term Montana moose points strategy. The unit's harvest success rates are strong across most recent years, and it carries a moderate trophy history, making it a solid, realistic option rather than a unit hunters need to chase for years hoping for a trophy outlier. The main caveat is that, like all Montana moose units, the draw itself is extremely competitive, and hunters should check current draw odds on HuntPilot's Montana unit pages before finalizing their application strategy.

Can nonresidents apply for a moose tag in Unit 320?

Fees and deadlines change every draw cycle, so the current figures live on HuntPilot's Montana page at /states/mt rather than here.