Montana Bison — Hunting District 385
Gardiner
Montana Hunting District 385 covers 283,955 acres and lies 38 miles south of Livingston and 49 miles south-east of Bozeman. 93% of it is public land, mostly national forest (93%). In 2023, hunters took 2 bison here. The 2026 draw put up 4 tags here for 975 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every bison license type on offer in Hunting District 385, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
<1% Long shot
-
— Not open to nonresidents
| Hunt | Your odds | Points needed | Tags / applicants | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 385-20 ↗ Bison License 385-20 — Either Sex [GARDINER] | <1% Long shot | — | 4 / 975 | Nov 15 – Feb 28, 2027 |
| 385-21 ↗ Bison License 385-21 — Either Sex [ABSAROKA BEARTOOTH ONLY] | Not open to nonresidents | — | 0 / 0 | Sep 15 – Nov 14, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per application | $110 | $110 | $110 |
Application window: opens Mar 1, closes May 1, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
Other licenses valid in Hunting District 385
Not in the table above because they had no result in the 2026 draw.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest 263,993 ac · 93%
- Private 18,883 ac · 7%
- National Park Service 425 ac · 0%
- State land 369 ac · 0%
- County or city land 28 ac · 0%
- State trust land 28 ac · 0%
- BLM 0 ac · 0%
- Bureau of Reclamation 0 ac · 0%
- Department of Defense 0 ac · 0%
- National Wildlife Refuge 0 ac · 0%
- Tribal 0 ac · 0%
- Other public 0 ac · 0%
Source: Bison 2026-2027 Hunting District Landcover and Land Ownership Calculations
Nearby areas
How the hunting has gone
What Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Montana's figures blend mandatory reporting with a phone and mail survey. FWP does not publish district-level hunter counts for elk or antelope, so success rates are missing for those.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2022 | 50 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2017 | 28 |
| 2015 | 26 |
| 2014 | 29 |
| 2013 | 25 |
| 2012 | 16 |
| 2011 | 2 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2009 | 1 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2006 | 19 |
| 2005 | 21 |
Boundary: Bison Hunting Districts (2026 and 2027 Seasons)
Harvest: Bison harvest by state-licensed hunters - Southwestern Montana