Choteau, Mont., August 29, 2025 – The Rocky Mountain Ranger District of the Helena – Lewis and Clark National Forest will again be accepting applications for 25 hunting camp extensions in the Beaver=Willow road closure area.
Applicants will be selected for the extensions using an anonymous lottery-style process until all 25 camps are authorized. The Rocky Mountain Ranger District will accept applications between September 1 and 15, 2025. Applications must be received (not postmarked) in the Rocky Mountain Ranger District office by close of business (4:30 pm) September 15 to be considered. Late submissions will not be considered.
The drawing for successful applicants will take place on or after September 16, 2025. Interested parties must complete an application form and mail or deliver it along with the required application/permit fees to the Rocky Mountain Ranger District. All applicants will be required to pay a non-refundable cost recovery processing fee of $118, and permit/monitoring fee of $169, and a standard land use fee of $92. Unsuccessful applicants will have the permit/monitoring fee ($169) and the land use fee ($92) returned to them. All funds collected will be used to cover the costs of administering the program.
The gates on the Beaver-Willow Road will be closed on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 10 a.m. Gates will be re-opened, weather conditions permitting, on December 1, 2025. Camps can be taken in on or after October 3, 2025. Camps must be taken out by December 10, 2025 and will not be extended to include the muzzle loader season. If hunters have a camp in place and are without an approved permit, following 16 days they will be required to remove the camp without the use of motorized vehicles.
If you would like additional information about the Beaver-Willow extended hunting camp process or would like to request an application packet, please contact the Rocky Mountain Ranger District office in Choteau at (406) 466-5341.
About the Forest Service: The USDA Forest Service has for more than 100 years brought people and communities together to answer the call of conservation. Grounded in world-class science and technology– and rooted in communities–the Forest Service connects people to nature and to each other. The Forest Service cares for shared natural resources in ways that promote lasting economic, ecological, and social vitality. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, maintains the largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations in the world. The Forest Service also has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 900 million forested acres within the U.S., of which over 130 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
Source: US Forest Service
