Northwest Montana elk hunters have a couple of rule changes to keep on the radar before grabbing the bow and heading for the hills. FWP reported this week that antlerless elk are off the menu during archery season across Region 1, a change aimed at dialing back the overall cow elk harvest. Elk B Licenses also come with a new boundary of their own: they’re now private-land-only in Region 1, with public land no longer eligible. The idea is to ease hunting pressure on public ground while steering more of the antlerless harvest toward private property. The changes were approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission back in December 2025 and kick in for the 2026 hunting season. Click here for the 2026 regulations.
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