Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area vehicle registration for antler hunters opens April 1

Registration is unlimited and open online April 1-19

MISSOULA — If you’re planning to drive into the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area on opening day for shed antlers, you’ve got a short window to get registered — and you’ll want to pay attention, because the rules have changed for nonresidents this year.

The WMA sits southeast of Seeley Lake and pulls serious crowds on opening day. We’re talking hundreds of vehicles. Before FWP stepped in with a registration system back in 2024, people were staging rigs along Hwy 83 for weeks ahead of the May opener — campers, horse trailers, the whole circus. That’s a bad scene on a busy highway, and honestly, it was only a matter of time before someone got hurt. The registration fix has made things a lot more orderly.

This year, the WMA opens at noon on May 15. Residents who want vehicle access during that first two-hour window need to register online between April 1 and April 19.

A change for nonresidents
The 2025 Montana Legislature passed a law that prohibits nonresidents from picking up shed antlers on Montana WMAs during the first seven days they’re open each season. A new $50 Nonresident Shed Hunting License now applies to WMA shed hunting as well. The bottom line: nonresidents can’t register for the May 15 opening entry and can’t shed hunt the Blackfoot-Clearwater WMA until May 22, 2026. The law doesn’t affect resident shed hunters, and it doesn’t touch nonresident shed hunting outside of WMAs.

How registration works
For residents, the registration link and full details will go live on the main page at fwp.mt.gov starting April 1. Entry isn’t capped — there’s no limit on how many vehicles can register. The list gets randomized to assign entry numbers, so don’t stress about being first in line to sign up. There’s no advantage to registering on April 1 versus April 15. Entry numbers go out by email the week of April 27.

Opening day entry details
All vehicle entry from noon to 2 p.m. on May 15 runs through the east entrance off Woodworth Road — not off Hwy 83. That’s the whole point. If you missed the April 19 deadline and show up without a registration number, you’ll queue at the east entrance behind every registered vehicle. In my experience, that’s not where you want to be on a competitive opener.

At 2 p.m., the west entrance off Hwy 83 opens to vehicles with no registration required. Walk-in and horse access is available from designated parking areas on the west side starting at noon — also no registration needed.

To register beginning April 1 and to get the full rundown on rules and access, head to: fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas/blackfoot-clearwater-antler-hunting.