MISSOULA — Shed antler hunters planning to enter the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area (WMA) by vehicle when it first opens for the season at noon on May 15 should register online beginning April 1. Registration is unlimited and vehicles will use the WMA's east entrance.
The WMA, located southeast of the town of Seeley Lake, is a popular destination that draws hundreds of antler hunters annually on opening day. Instead of staging vehicles along Hwy 83, which historically created congestion and safety concerns along the busy highway, FWP first instituted a registration system in 2024. Those planning to access the WMA by vehicle when it opens at noon on May 15 should register online April 1 through April 19.
A change for nonresidents
The 2025 Montana Legislature passed a new law that prohibits nonresidents from picking up antlers on Montana WMAs that have a seasonal closure for the first seven days they are open to the public each year. The law also established a $50 Nonresident Shed Hunting License for WMAs. This means that nonresidents cannot register for this entry and cannot enter the Blackfoot-Clearwater WMA for the purpose of shed hunting until May 22, 2026. The new law doesn't impact resident shed antler hunters or nonresident shed antler hunters who are not on a WMA.
Registration
For residents, to register and for more information, visit fwp.mt.gov and look for a link on the main page April 1-19. Entry is not limited, and the registration list will be randomized to assign numbers, so there is not a rush to register. Entry numbers will be emailed to registrants the week of April 27.
Opening day entry details
All vehicle entry between noon and 2 p.m. on May 15 will be through the east entrance of the WMA, located off Woodworth Rd. and away from the busier Hwy 83. Those that miss the April 19 deadline and arrive on opening day without registering will line up at the east entrance behind all registered vehicles.
Beginning at 2 p.m., the west entrance of the WMA will also open to vehicles with no registration required. Walk-in and horse access is available from designated parking areas on the west side of the WMA, off Hwy 83, beginning at noon, also with no registration required.
For the past two years those entering the WMA on opening day followed a similar process. Prior to 2024, several hundred vehicles, as well as some campers and horse trailers, staged along Hwy 83, some for several weeks in advance, to access the WMA on opening day. This was a human safety issue for those parked along the highway and for adjacent traffic, and one that FWP, the Montana Highway Patrol, and Montana Department of Transportation sought to address with this approach.
For more information and to register beginning April 1, please visit: fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management-areas/blackfoot-clearwater-antler-hunting.