We are disappointed to announce that American Prairie’s annual public bison harvest has been canceled for 2026.
This was not a decision we made lightly. We know how meaningful the opportunity to pursue and harvest this iconic species in its native habitat is to sportsmen and women across Montana and the country. For many years, this program has provided hunters with a unique opportunity to help steward our bison herd while connecting people to Montana’s prairie landscape.
Unfortunately, recent state and federal actions affecting bison grazing, and the uncertainty they have created, have made it impossible to move forward with this year’s harvest, and we recognize the disappointment this causes for the many hunters who have participated in and supported the program over the years.
We are committed to finding a path forward and offer the public bison harvest again in the years to come. In the meantime, we are pursuing legal actions–-including appealing the decision and seeking a stay to halt the September 30th removal of our herd from public grazing allotments.
The truth is that we are facing a growing and coordinated effort by state and federal officials to restrict bison from public lands in Montana, and perhaps eventually across the country.
The BLM is currently taking public comment on its proposal to overhaul federal grazing regulations on 155 million acres of public land.
The deadline to submit is July 13, 2026. We encourage you to submit a public comment and demonstrate that Americans value public lands for more than cattle production alone:
Public Access
Public access always has been, and will continue to be, a cornerstone of American Prairie’s mission. We are proud to provide recreationists and hunters with meaningful opportunities to experience this landscape:
- Cross our deeded acres to access your public lands.
- Hunt more than 80,000 deeded acres enrolled in Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks’ Block Management program.
- Stay at one of our huts, campgrounds, or cabins.
- Enjoy opportunities to camp, hike, horseback ride, birdwatch, bike, stargaze, and much more.
Learn More About The Bison Harvest
Bison harvests are an important management tool used to maintain the health and sustainability of our bison populations in a variety of ways. Conducting limited annual bison harvests has helped us fine-tune the bison population management strategies and practices needed in the near future as American Prairie’s land base continues to grow. Even as the land base grows, American Prairie will be limited in the number of bison the land can ecologically support. Harvesting by humans will be an important management tool to help augment the impact of natural death through predation, old age and injuries generally sustained during the rut.
Like bison harvests, scientifically managed hunting plays an important role in growing American Prairie for the benefit of all wildlife.
We are proud to contribute to bison conservation efforts across the country. In addition to providing public harvest opportunities, we have distributed hundreds of bison to tribal and conservation herds across the United States.