Methods and network devices are disclosed for multicast traffic steering in a communications network. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a node in a network, a multicast message comprising an incoming message bit array and a tree identifier value. The embodiment further includes selecting a bit indexed forwarding table stored at the node and corresponding to the tree identifier value, accessing within the selected forwarding table an entry corresponding to an intended destination node for the message, and forwarding, to a neighboring node identified in the accessed entry, a copy of the message comprising a forwarded message bit array in place of the incoming message bit array. An embodiment of a network device includes one or more network interfaces and a processor adapted to perform steps of the method.