Montana Unit 704 Elk Hunting Guide

Montana Unit 704 sits within a broader elk management landscape that spans elevations from 2,169 to 4,783 feet across a massive 3,477,092-acre unit footprint. With 32% public land, Unit 704 offers a mixed-ownership hunting environment where roughly one-third of the ground is accessible without private arrangements — a factor every hunter researching this unit needs to weigh before investing in a nonresident application or planning a multi-year Montana elk strategy.

This unit draws attention from both resident and nonresident hunters looking at Montana's elk program, in part because of its size and in part because of the tag structure tied to it. Between B-Tag 00, Permit 20, and Permit 21, Unit 704 hunters have access to multiple hunt types with different tag allocations, and recent movement in quota numbers signals some opportunity shifts worth understanding before application season opens. HuntPilot's data on this unit shows a unit with real harvest activity, a growing permit allocation on at least one hunt type, and moderate trophy potential — a combination that makes it worth a closer look rather than a blanket recommendation.

Harvest Success Rates

Recent harvest data for Unit 704 shows meaningful year-over-year movement. In the 2024 season, 1,601 hunters pursued elk in the unit, with 534 harvested for a 33% overall success rate. That's a notable jump from 2022, when 1,322 hunters recorded 342 harvests for a 26% success rate. The increase in both hunter participation and success rate between those two years suggests either improving herd conditions, more favorable hunting weather, or a combination of both — though hunters should treat this as a two-year snapshot rather than a long-term trend given the limited data window provided.

A 33% success rate is solid for elk hunting in the West generally, especially across a unit this large and with this much of a mixed public-private ownership pattern. It indicates elk are both present and huntable, and that hunters who put in the effort — scouting, understanding access points, and working the public land pockets — are converting that effort into meat in the freezer at a healthy clip.

Trophy Quality

Trophy records tied to the counties overlapping Unit 704 show a moderate history of trophy-class elk production. This isn't a unit with a heavy, decades-deep trophy pedigree, but it also isn't a blank slate — moderate trophy history means hunters have taken quality bulls from this landscape over time, even if record-book-caliber animals aren't a routine occurrence. Given that record-book entries are attributed at the county level and shared across all units overlapping those counties, hunters should view this as a regional indicator rather than a guarantee specific to the 704 boundary alone.

For hunters whose primary goal is a genuine trophy hunt, Unit 704 should be approached with realistic expectations: it's a unit where a mature, quality bull is possible, but it's not positioned as an elite trophy destination based on the available record data. Hunters chasing meat, experience, and a solid bull have more to work with here than hunters chasing a wall-hanger exclusively.

Herd Health & Population Trends

While full population survey data (bull:cow ratios, herd composition counts) wasn't available in the structured data for this unit, the harvest trend itself offers some insight. The jump from 26% success in 2022 to 33% success in 2024, paired with a substantial increase in hunter numbers (1,322 to 1,601), suggests elk are accessible and huntable in growing numbers rather than a herd in decline. Hunters should still verify current herd health assessments directly through Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks before finalizing hunt plans, as unit-specific bull:cow ratios and calf recruitment data will offer a more complete picture than harvest numbers alone.

Access & Terrain

Unit 704 covers an enormous footprint — nearly 3.5 million acres — with elevations ranging from 2,169 feet up to 4,783 feet. That's a relatively modest elevation band by western elk-hunting standards, suggesting terrain here leans toward lower-elevation prairie, foothill, and breaks-type country rather than high alpine basins. Hunters accustomed to steep, timbered mountain hunts elsewhere in Montana or the broader Rockies should recalibrate expectations: this is likely rolling, mixed terrain country where elk use river breaks, coulees, and agricultural edges as much as forested cover.

With 32% of the unit classified as public land, the majority of Unit 704 — 68% — is privately owned. That's an important number for any DIY hunter to internalize. Public land access is real but limited, and hunters will need to identify specific public parcels (state or federal ground, or Block Management-type access if enrolled) rather than assuming broad open access across the unit. This is not a unit where hunters can expect to wander freely; success will depend heavily on identifying the public tracts that hold elk and understanding where private boundaries fall. The unit carries 0% wilderness designation, meaning there are no federally designated wilderness access restrictions to plan around, and nonresident hunters are not subject to any guide requirement tied to wilderness status here.

Given the low-to-moderate elevation profile, this unit is also likely to be more physically approachable than high-country alpine hunts — a relevant consideration for hunters planning trips with less-experienced or younger companions, or those looking for a unit that doesn't demand extreme physical conditioning to access huntable ground.

HuntPilot Analysis

Is Unit 704 worth applying for? Based on the data, this is a unit with legitimate opportunity for hunters focused on success and experience rather than chasing an elite trophy. The harvest numbers are the strongest selling point here — a 33% success rate in 2024 across more than 1,600 hunters is a meaningful data point, and the upward trend from 2022's 26% success rate suggests the unit is trending in the right direction, at least over this short window.

The tag situation adds another layer worth considering. Permit 20 saw a notable increase heading into 2026, growing from 280 tags in both 2024 and 2025 up to 325 tags — a 16% jump. That's a real signal of expanded opportunity for hunters targeting that specific permit type, while B-Tag 00 has held steady at 800 tags across 2024, 2025, and 2026, and Permit 21 has remained flat at 1,000 tags across the same span. Stable or growing tag numbers, combined with rising success rates, make Unit 704 more approachable than units where quotas are shrinking while pressure increases.

Where hunters should pump the brakes is on trophy expectations and access planning. With only moderate trophy history in the surrounding counties and just 32% public land, this isn't a unit for hunters expecting an easy, wide-open DIY trophy hunt. It's better suited to hunters willing to do the legwork identifying public access points, who are chasing a solid bull and a good success rate rather than record-book aspirations. For a resident hunter with an OTC-eligible general elk option elsewhere in the state, Unit 704's regular and antlerless tags — available through both resident and nonresident draws — represent a reasonable limited-entry alternative worth comparing against other draw units using HuntPilot's data before committing points or application dollars.

How to Apply

For the 2026 season, Montana's elk application system for Unit 704 runs through the following structure.

Note that the required license fee is separate from the application and tag fees, and must be held before a hunter can apply — this is an added cost nonresidents in particular need to budget for beyond the headline tag price. For current draw odds and year-specific tag quota numbers, visit HuntPilot's Montana state page at /states/mt.

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 704? Unit 704 spans a relatively low elevation range of 2,169 to 4,783 feet across a very large unit footprint of nearly 3.5 million acres, suggesting terrain leaning toward rolling prairie, foothill, and river-breaks country rather than high alpine mountains. There is no designated wilderness in the unit, and the terrain is generally more physically approachable than steep, high-country elk units elsewhere in the state.

What is harvest success like in Unit 704? Harvest success has trended upward in recent years, with hunters recording a 33% success rate in 2024 (534 harvested out of 1,601 hunters), up from 26% in 2022 (342 harvested out of 1,322 hunters). This is a solid and improving success rate for elk hunting in a large, mixed-ownership unit.

How big are the elk in Unit 704? Trophy records for the counties overlapping Unit 704 show moderate trophy history — meaning quality bulls have come from the area, but it isn't documented as an elite trophy destination. Hunters should expect a realistic mix of mature bulls rather than planning around record-book expectations.

Is Unit 704 worth applying for? For hunters prioritizing success rate and access to a large elk-hunting landscape, yes — the rising harvest success rate and stable-to-increasing tag quotas (particularly Permit 20's 16% increase heading into 2026) make this a reasonable unit to target. Hunters chasing trophy-caliber bulls exclusively, or those wanting wide-open public access, should note the 32% public land figure and moderate trophy history before committing.

How much public land is available for DIY hunters in Unit 704? Public land makes up 32% of Unit 704, meaning 68% of the unit is privately held. DIY hunters can find huntable public ground, but the majority of the landscape requires either private access arrangements or careful identification of the public parcels that hold elk. This is not a unit with expansive, unrestricted public access.