Montana 2023

[CarbonHunter]

If I bought a point in January and buy another point now am I going in with 2?

If you bought a point in January you got scammed. They only sell points for those who didn’t apply from July to December 31st.

[Karl Blanchard]

If I bought a point in January and buy another point now am I going in with 2?

If you bought a point in January you got scammed. They only sell points for those who didn’t apply from July to December 31st.

  If it was prior to Dec 31 then yes you would go in with two.

[Sakko300wsm]

So when applying this yr you don’t actually get a point correct?

[vandeman17]

So when applying this yr you don’t actually get a point correct?

You elect when applying if you want to buy a point or not

[Duckslayer89]

If I bought a point in January and buy another point now am I going in with 2?

If you bought a point in January you got scammed. They only sell points for those who didn’t apply from July to December 31st.

Maybe it was December

[Karl Blanchard]

So when applying this yr you don’t actually get a point correct?

you buy your preference point at time of application it counts towards the draw.

[actionshooter]

 I went ahead and bought the point so I'll be in for 3 for the combo... I'll be hooking up with a buddy that we haven't hunted together in 5-6 years... horseback camp in November above the Madison, should be good.

[jstone]

Can I just buy points now?

[Karl Blanchard]

Can I just buy points now?

no

[Karl Blanchard]

Montana offers three general hunting packages to nonresidents through a random computer drawing:

General Deer Combination

General Elk Combination

General Big Game (Deer & Elk) Combination

Other individualized combination opportunities include:

Landowner Sponsored Deer License

Come Home to Hunt License

Nonresident Native License

Youth Combination License

Nonresident Student Hunters

All combination licenses include a season fishing license and upland bird license. Conservation license, base hunting license fee, and Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Pass (AISPP) must be purchased separately.

An applicant may apply for only one Combination license. Nonresident hunters can increase their likelihood of drawing a Combination license by accumulating Preference Points (see below).

For more information, call 406-444-2950.

 

General Combination Licenses

General Combination licenses are issued through a random computer drawing. The deer and elk licenses issued as part of a Combination license are valid throughout the state under the general hunting regulations.

Refer to the regulations for specific hunting district details.

Fees & Quotas:

General Big Game Combo (Deer & Elk): $1,208
Quota: 17,000

General Elk Combo: $1018
Quota: 17,000

General Deer Combo: $704
Quota: 4,600

 Landowner Sponsored Licenses

A Montana resident landowner may sponsor nonresidents for a Deer Combination license. The applicant must conduct all deer hunting on the deeded property of the landowner. It is the applicant’s responsibility to find an enrolled landowner.

Fees & Quotas:

Landowner Sponsored Deer Combo: $704

Quota: 2,000

 Come Home to Hunt License

This law encourages nonresidents who once lived in Montana to "come home to hunt" with parents, siblings, and other close family members. The program is aimed at continuing Montana family traditions by making an effort to bring sons, daughters and family back home during hunting season at a substantially reduced price. The sponsoring adult family member must claim Montana as his or her legal residence and must have a valid Montana hunting license. The sponsor can be a parent, step-parent, grandparent, sibling, step-sibling, child, step-child, spouse, or in-law. The applicant must have completed a Montana hunter education course and have previously purchased a Montana resident hunting license.

Qualifying nonresidents 18 years of age or older need to apply for either a Deer, Elk or Big Game Combination license starting March 1 and the deadline is April 1. Come Home to Hunt licenses are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.

Nonresidents who are awarded a Come Home to Hunt license must hunt with a properly licensed adult family member.

Proceeds from the sale of Come Home to Hunt licenses are used by FWP to acquire public hunting access to inaccessible public land.

2023 Come Home to Hunt Required Additional Information (PDF)

Fees & Quotas:

Big Game Combo (Deer & Elk): $604
Quota: 500

Elk Combo: $509
Quota: 500

Deer Combo: $352
Quota: 500

 Nonresident Native License

If you were born in Montana but now live out-of-state, had purchased hunting or fishing licenses as a resident, and have an immediate family member who is currently a resident, you may qualify for these Nonresident Native Hunting licenses at reduced prices. These combination licenses include a Base Hunting License, Conservation License, Aquatic Invasive Species, Fishing license, General Deer and/or Elk license, hunting of upland game bird, excluding turkey.

2023 Nonresident Native Required Additional Information (PDF)
Required additional information that must be submitted to complete your license.

Fees & Quotas:

Big Game Combo (Deer & Elk): $604
Quota: Unlimited

Elk Combo: $509
Quota: Unlimited

Deer Combo: $352
Quota: Unlimited

 Nonresident Student Hunting License

If you are a nonresident college student currently carrying 12 credits or more at a Montana college or university, you can fish and hunt upland game birds, deer, and or elk (required prerequisites are Conservation license, AIS Prevention Pass, and Base Hunting License).

Licenses go on sale after the second Monday in September at all FWP regional offices and the Helena FWP headquarters.

Students must provide at the time of purchase:

Current enrollment verification form

Valid student identification

Proof of completing hunter education in Montana or elsewhere

Fees:

Big Game Combo (Deer & Elk): $604

Elk Combo: $509

Deer Combo: $352

 

Additional Opportunities

Successfully obtaining a Combination license is just the first step to a memorable Montana hunt. Hunters have a wide variety of options available to specialize their hunts: early archery hunts; late season migration hunts; remote backcountry areas; limited access areas with some true trophy animals; or even some additional licenses to add more meat to your freezer.

Archery

The Deer and Elk licenses issued as part of a nonresident Combination license are valid for both an early archery-only season and the general rifle season. To hunt during the archery season, hunters must purchase a $10 bow and arrow license after obtaining a hunting license. A certificate showing the completion of a Bowhunter Education course or a prior year’s archery license from any state is required to purchase the bow and arrow license.

Archery regulations in many districts may have changed and now require a special permit. Refer to the regulations for specific details.

 Antelope, Deer B & Elk B

Antelope, antlerless Deer B licenses, and Elk B licenses are available through a secondary drawing and in some areas over-the-counter. A Conservation & base hunting license fee are required. Refer to the regulations for specific details. The application deadline is June 1.

 

Preference Points 

Preference points prioritize a nonresident combination license applicant with more preference points over an applicant who holds fewer preference points.

 

Per state law, 25% of General Combination licenses are issued, via a random draw, to applicants who have not purchased preference points. The remaining 75% of General Combination licenses are issued to individuals who have purchased a preference point in order of points held. For example: a person with 3 points will receive a license before a person with 2 points receives a license.

Depending on how many applicants purchase preference points, the draw odds for applicants with zero preference points may be higher or lower than the draw odds for applicants who have purchased preference points. It is your responsibility as an applicant to review drawing statistics from prior years and make the best decision for your particular situation.

If you elect to purchase a Preference Point select “YES” on the preference point question. The additional $100 fee will be added to your total.

Accumulated preference points will be used during the current drawing whether you purchase an additional preference point or not. Any accumulated preference points are lost if the applicant does not apply for a nonresident combination license in consecutive years, or if you are successful at obtaining a combination license.

If you apply for a combination license and an elk permit, you will have the opportunity to select the 80% refund option. If you select that option and are successful in the combination license drawing but unsuccessful in the elk permit drawing, you will receive an 80% refund of your license fee. Additionally, the number of preference points you hold will be reset to 0.

Outfitter clients are eligible to purchase second preference point for an additional $100 at the time of application. Licenses issued using this point are only valid for hunting with an outfitter.

No one may hold more than 3 preference points.

Those who do not apply for a combination license may purchase one preference point for $100 over the counter from July 1 through December 31.


Parties

Up to 5 applicants may apply as a party. FWP shall use an average of the number of preference points accumulated by those applicants to determine the party's preference points. FWP shall consider any fraction that result from the calculation of an average when determining that priority.

[Gentrys]

Bonus points can continue to be purchased without applying for a combo license, correct?

[pickardjw]

Bonus points can continue to be purchased without applying for a combo license, correct?

Correct, July 1 - Sept 30

[knighttime25]

Parties

Up to 5 applicants may apply as a party. FWP shall use an average of the number of preference points accumulated by those applicants to determine the party's preference points. FWP shall consider any fraction that result from the calculation of an average when determining that priority.

Here's a question for the group, we are applying this year as a group of 5 applicants, we applied last year as well as a group of 4 and did not buy a preference point and did not draw. My uncle (5th in Party) bought a preference point last year on his own but wants to apply with our group this year. With 5 applicants and 1 total preference point, our group would be put in with an average of .2 preference points. Would this put us into the 75% pool based on the verbage above? 

[Sakko300wsm]

I believe you will be in the 75% pool

[Karl Blanchard]

If your group has any points at all you go into the weighted 75% pool.