Montana Point????

[dvolmer]

How many of you all that were successful in the Montana Big Game Combo license purchased a point in the system for the drawing??  How many of you that did or didn't draw purchase a point.  I didn't draw this year and its the first time in 10 years that I didn't draw.  I didn't purchase a preference point with my license application.  After reading the regs, it looks like if you did buy the pref point it applied to the year you bought it.  Not like Wyoming where your pref point only is used in the following years application.

I guess what I am asking is, If I would have purchased a point for $50 when i applied, would it have insured or given me a much higher chance of drawing the Big game combo license this year???

[jjhunter]

I believe that 75% of the General tags go to those with the most preference points and 25% are random draw.

[High Climber]

I guess what I am asking is, If I would have purchased a point for $50 when i applied, would it have insured or given me a much higher chance of drawing the Big game combo license this year???
[/quote]

My understanding is no, your odds this year would not have changed. If you opt out of the point, you will still have “1 point” on your application for that year. If you opted in, you would still have 1 point on the current app, it would just carry over to next year if you didn’t draw.  Starting July 1 you can buy your point again if you choose to.   

[The scout]

The thing is they have been having more big game combos than applications so there hasn’t been an issue with not drawing until this year.

[dvolmer]

Quote from the Montana FWP web sight:  "Applicants may purchase only one preference point per license year. Preference points purchased at the time of application are awarded prior to the drawing."  So it does seem to help you draw the year you buy.  I didn't draw this year, but if I would have spent the $50 for a preference point my odds this year would have been better.  That is how I read it.  This is much different than the way Wyoming and other western states are.  the preference point you buy this year in these states does not help you draw this year but will give you a better odds the next year if you don't draw this year.  i wish I would have known that before I put in.  Live and learn I guess!

[steeleywhopper]

My buddy and I went in partners on the big game combo and we were drawn. We did not buy a preference point.

[SemperFidelis97]

I bought the point, and drew this year.  I assumed it was a given, but it looks like allot of guys struck out.

Sent from my E6782 using Tapatalk

[Duckhunter14]

For several years consecutively there were more big game combos then there were applicants so there was no reason to pay the 50$ preference point fee. But for some reason there was an influx in applicants last year and there was more applicants than big game combos. They anticipated it would be even more competitive this year, I went ahead and paid the 50$ when I applied and it showed that I had one preference point in my FWP folder, then I drew the big game combo and my preference point went to zero.

[High Climber]

Quote from the Montana FWP web sight:  "Applicants may purchase only one preference point per license year. Preference points purchased at the time of application are awarded prior to the drawing."  So it does seem to help you draw the year you buy.  I didn't draw this year, but if I would have spent the $50 for a preference point my odds this year would have been better.  That is how I read it.  This is much different than the way Wyoming and other western states are.  the preference point you buy this year in these states does not help you draw this year but will give you a better odds the next year if you don't draw this year.  i wish I would have known that before I put in.  Live and learn I guess!

I stand corrected, that is an odd system!

[bobcat]

Sort of similar to Washington in that the point is used in that year's drawing, except of course here you don't have a choice in "buying" the point or not. It's just automatically added to your points when your application is submitted. And of course also our points are not preference points.

[Bob33]

FWP uses a unique approach to provide all applicants at least one opportunity at drawing a license/permit, while still giving those individuals who have been unsuccessful in the past a chance to increase their odds of drawing a license/permit in the future.

Applicants applying for a license/permit who participate in the Bonus Point system, and are unsuccessful in the drawing, will earn one point. Individuals who missed the deadline to apply or did not apply for bonus points at time of application, may purchase one between July 1st and September 30th of the license year.  The bonus points can be used in future years to place the applicants name in the drawing additional times. The number of additional chances is calculated by squaring the base bonus points. Unlike a preference system, a Bonus Points system does not guarantee a license/permit to the applicants with the most bonus points and first-time applicants still have a chance to draw a license/permit.   Any bonus points accumulated will not be lost unless the individual draws the species they applied their bonus points to.
•Bonus points essentially offer you additional drawing chances and are used for first hunting district choice only.
•Existing bonus points will be mathematically “squared” prior to the drawing. That means if you already have 3 “base” bonus points those will be “squared” and you’ll then have 9 bonus points going into the drawing.
•If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll be awarded an additional base bonus point for next year’s drawing.  Bonus Points do not expire.
•If you wish to participate in the Bonus Point program for licenses/ permits, at the time of your application, you must check “YES” on the Bonus Point questions and include the $20 (nonresident) or $2 (resident) Bonus Point fee per permit type.
•If you did not apply for a bonus point you can purchase a bonus point from July 1st through September 30th.  The fee to purchase a bonus point without applying is $15 per species for residents and the nonresident fees are $25 per species with the exception of  Moose, Sheep, and Goat which are $75 per species. Note: You cannot apply and purchase bonus points in the same year.


http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/drawings/bonusPoints.html

[bobcat]

Okay, what do I know, they are bonus points, not preference. Thanks for the education. Only time I ever applied in Montana was 18 years ago and that was for antelope.

[Bob33]

I don't believe you can increase draw odds by purchasing a point prior to the same year's draw or everyone would do it.

[Duckhunter14]

FWP uses a unique approach to provide all applicants at least one opportunity at drawing a license/permit, while still giving those individuals who have been unsuccessful in the past a chance to increase their odds of drawing a license/permit in the future.

Applicants applying for a license/permit who participate in the Bonus Point system, and are unsuccessful in the drawing, will earn one point. Individuals who missed the deadline to apply or did not apply for bonus points at time of application, may purchase one between July 1st and September 30th of the license year.  The bonus points can be used in future years to place the applicants name in the drawing additional times. The number of additional chances is calculated by squaring the base bonus points. Unlike a preference system, a Bonus Points system does not guarantee a license/permit to the applicants with the most bonus points and first-time applicants still have a chance to draw a license/permit.   Any bonus points accumulated will not be lost unless the individual draws the species they applied their bonus points to.
•Bonus points essentially offer you additional drawing chances and are used for first hunting district choice only.
•Existing bonus points will be mathematically “squared” prior to the drawing. That means if you already have 3 “base” bonus points those will be “squared” and you’ll then have 9 bonus points going into the drawing.
•If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll be awarded an additional base bonus point for next year’s drawing.  Bonus Points do not expire.
•If you wish to participate in the Bonus Point program for licenses/ permits, at the time of your application, you must check “YES” on the Bonus Point questions and include the $20 (nonresident) or $2 (resident) Bonus Point fee per permit type.
•If you did not apply for a bonus point you can purchase a bonus point from July 1st through September 30th.  The fee to purchase a bonus point without applying is $15 per species for residents and the nonresident fees are $25 per species with the exception of  Moose, Sheep, and Goat which are $75 per species. Note: You cannot apply and purchase bonus points in the same year.


http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/drawings/bonusPoints.html

I believe the OP was referring to the preference point one can choose to purchase when applying for a combo. Not the individual bonus point per species. The information you provided is correct for building bonus on a species to species basis. But not applicable to the preference point in question.

[jjhunter]

FWP uses a unique approach to provide all applicants at least one opportunity at drawing a license/permit, while still giving those individuals who have been unsuccessful in the past a chance to increase their odds of drawing a license/permit in the future.

Applicants applying for a license/permit who participate in the Bonus Point system, and are unsuccessful in the drawing, will earn one point. Individuals who missed the deadline to apply or did not apply for bonus points at time of application, may purchase one between July 1st and September 30th of the license year.  The bonus points can be used in future years to place the applicants name in the drawing additional times. The number of additional chances is calculated by squaring the base bonus points. Unlike a preference system, a Bonus Points system does not guarantee a license/permit to the applicants with the most bonus points and first-time applicants still have a chance to draw a license/permit.   Any bonus points accumulated will not be lost unless the individual draws the species they applied their bonus points to.
•Bonus points essentially offer you additional drawing chances and are used for first hunting district choice only.
•Existing bonus points will be mathematically “squared” prior to the drawing. That means if you already have 3 “base” bonus points those will be “squared” and you’ll then have 9 bonus points going into the drawing.
•If you’re unsuccessful, you’ll be awarded an additional base bonus point for next year’s drawing.  Bonus Points do not expire.
•If you wish to participate in the Bonus Point program for licenses/ permits, at the time of your application, you must check “YES” on the Bonus Point questions and include the $20 (nonresident) or $2 (resident) Bonus Point fee per permit type.
•If you did not apply for a bonus point you can purchase a bonus point from July 1st through September 30th.  The fee to purchase a bonus point without applying is $15 per species for residents and the nonresident fees are $25 per species with the exception of  Moose, Sheep, and Goat which are $75 per species. Note: You cannot apply and purchase bonus points in the same year.


http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/drawings/bonusPoints.html

I believe the OP was referring to the preference point one can choose to purchase when applying for a combo. Not the individual bonus point per species. The information you provided is correct for building bonus on a species to species basis. But not applicable to the preference point in question.

    Preference for general draw and bonus for special draw.