How to Apply for Montana Bison, Goat, Moose, and Sheep Hunts in 2023

The application deadline for Montana moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat and bison is May 1, 2023 at 11:45 p.m MDT. The application process is done completely online here or in any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) office.

Before applying, hopeful nonresident applicants are encouraged to look over the trophy species application worksheet. The list of available hunt codes for each species that nonresidents can apply for changes every year. A detailed breakdown of 2023 hunt choices can be found in each of the species sections.

Insider features

HUNT PLANNER

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we created a brand new tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

Learn more about Hunt Planner here

POINT TRACKER

Point Tracker allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering 2.0 and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted. Learn more about Point Tracker here.

Access Point Tracker here

State Information

View important information and an overview of the Montana rules/regulations, the draw system and bonus points, SuperTags, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map on our State Profile. You can also view the Species Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy areas.

Important Dates and Information

The Montana Draw System

Understanding the Draw

It is important to understand the draw system before you begin. You can find a complete explanation of the drawing process along with important dates and fees in our Montana State Profile. As a prerequisite, residents and nonresidents must at least possess a base hunting license before applying. The cost for the base hunting license is $10 for residents and $15 for nonresidents.

Nonresident Tag Allocation

Montana grants nonresidents up to 10% of a district’s tag quota; however, the 10% is not guaranteed. Some years, the nonresident applicant pool will fill the entire 10% cap and other years it can be significantly less.

Points Only Option

If applicants are simply looking to build points for the current year — both preference and bonus — they can skip the expensive application prerequisites. Bonus points can be purchased between July 1 and Sept. 30 for $75 per species.

Bison Hunts

Unlike moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat, the bison permits in Montana do not use a point system and are distributed entirely through a random draw.

How Do My Bonus Points Work?

Montana runs solely on a bonus point system via a random lottery drawing. A few years ago, Montana began squaring each applicant's points in an effort to weight the draws in the odds of those individuals possessing the most points. Two points become four, five points become 25 and so on. Points are earned after an applicant is unsuccessful in drawing his or her preferred tag. Points cost $2 for residents and $20 for nonresidents when purchased with your application. Each year a hunter is unsuccessful, another point will be added to their tally to be used during the following year. Once a tag is successfully drawn, the applicant forfeits their points. Points may only be used on first choice tags and cannot be transferred. Bison is the only animal on the list that does not use bonus points.

Rotating Season Schedule and Nonresident Draw Odds

The list of hunts available for nonresidents to apply for changes every year for Montana moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat. Some units will be available year after year — primarily those with high tag numbers — however, it is entirely possible for an applicant to apply for a hunt this year and have it not be an option the next. This small caveat can turn into a big deal if you apply for an unavailable unit and hunters will need to be acutely aware of these changes. A detailed breakdown of available hunts for 2023 is provided in the respective species breakdowns below.

Because of this rotation, there will be years where gaps of draw odds data will be present for nonresident applicants. When researching for the upcoming application, you may notice errors on some hunts that state, “This hunt does not have odds available for your selected residency.” This is simply indicating that this particular hunt was not available to nonresidents during the previous draw cycle.

Montana's 2023 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

When it comes to trophy species in Montana, none is more highly regarded or dreamed about than the Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. As with all other bighorn sheep states, the odds on the hunts are dismally steep, but with Montana’s draw system, there is always a chance of drawing a permit — even with zero points. Additionally, for those with an impatient attitude and an appetite for adventure, Montana offers five hunting districts with guaranteed bighorn sheep permits; you simply need to apply to get the tag. These unlimited districts are considered among the hardest tags in the lower 48 to fill and hunters will be met with impossibly rugged country, brutal hunting conditions and low bighorn sheep numbers. The payoff? The adventure of a lifetime.

Current Herd Condition

Herd health continues to do great in Montana thanks to excellent management. With a fairly average winter in Montana, bighorn sheep herds should be in for another great year.

Montana’s Unlimited Units

A common thread of discussion around social media and hunting forums is the unlimited districts (300, 303, 500, 501, 502) in Montana. These five districts give out an unlimited number of tags every year and the hunts are conducted on a quota system. Once a harvest quota for a certain unit is met, the unit will close to all bighorn sheep hunting 48 hours later. During the 48-hour period, hunters are still allowed to hunt and harvest bighorn sheep and some units do occasionally see a higher actual harvest than what the quota called for.

While these hunts sound like a dream come true it is important to remember that these tags are often considered some of the hardest to fill in North America. The country is enormous, extremely remote and bighorn sheep densities are low. Generally, trophy potentials are also low (130” to 160”), but rams nearing the 180” mark can and have been killed.

When applying for unlimited districts, it is important to note that the hunt must be listed as your first choice. If you choose to participate in the bonus point program during your application, you will lose all of your accumulated points once the permit is drawn. Instead, choose to not participate in points so you can draw the tag without it affecting your point count. By doing so, you will also be ineligible to build a point for that year.

2022 vs. 2021 Unlimited Hunt Breakdown

2023 Nonresident Bighorn Sheep Districts

Every year, the available districts for nonresidents to apply for bighorn sheep will change, which means that the district you apply for this year may or may not be available to apply for the following year.

Selecting Your Unit of Choice

When it comes to building your application strategy for Montana bighorn sheep, there is really only one secret: there isn’t one. Montana is such a high profile state for bighorn sheep and odds for every hunt at every point level are drastically stacked against you. Still, with Montana’s straightforward draw system, there is always a sliver of hope in pulling a permit — even if just starting out.

The biggest rams in the state have most consistently been found in the units in and around the Missouri River Breaks (482, 620, 622 and 680). These units generally see the most applicants and the lowest odds; however, they do offer the most permits for both residents and nonresidents.

Managing Points and Expectations

Really, when it comes to applying for bighorn sheep, the unfortunate truth is that even with maximum points, the odds are still incredibly steep with less than 2% to 3% separating all of the units. When beginning your application strategy for Montana, your best bet is to simply pick a unit to your liking and just keep rolling the dice every year. With Montana running a modified lottery system, there is always an opportunity to draw.

Nonresidents will need to pay special attention from year to year as the list of available units is rotated. The unit you applied for previously may not be available in 2023.

See your draw odds here

Montana's 2023 Moose Breakdown

Montana has long stood as one of the better Shiras states of the West although populations have been on a slight decline in recent years. As with other western moose tags, draw odds are incredibly steep; however, anyone lucky enough to draw a tag will be in for the hunt of a lifetime.

Current Herd Condition

Moose populations — particularly those on the extreme west side of the state — have seen some declines in the past few years. The declines have largely been blamed on wolves and ticks; however, biologists continue to investigate this. In general, Montana moose should see more of the “norm” for 2023 and anyone with a tag will be in for a good hunt.

2023 Nonresident Moose Districts

Every year, the available districts for nonresidents to apply for bighorn sheep will change, which means that the district you apply for this year may or may not be available to apply for the following year.

Managing Points and Expectations

When it comes to applying for moose in Montana, applicants won’t see a lot of hope at low point levels. However, once an applicant reaches the 10+ point level, a few hunts will begin to jump out with better odds. When beginning your application strategy for Montana, your best bet is to simply pick a unit to your liking and just keep rolling the dice every year. With Montana running a modified lottery system, there is always an opportunity to draw.

Nonresidents will need to pay special attention from year to year as the list of available units is rotated. The unit you applied for in 2021 may not be available in 2022.

See your draw odds here

Montana's 2023 Rocky Mountain Goat Breakdown

This is, perhaps, one of the most adventure-inducing hunts in the West. Rocky Mountain goats live in some of the roughest country in Montana. Some hunts can provide easier access into goat habitat while others will provide a far more in-depth backcountry experience. Draw odds for mountain goats tend to be slightly higher than for moose and bighorn sheep; however, hunters will still definitely be in for a potentially long wait.

*FWP did not collect specific billy and nanny harvest data in 2013.

Current Herd Condition

As can be observed in the table below, permit quotas for Rocky Mountain goats in Montana have been on a steady decline in recent years. While nothing has been officially stated as a direct cause of this decrease, it is generally accepted that a decline of nutrient-rich foods coupled with the slow reproduction nature of mountain goats are major factors. Even with lower tag numbers — and lower draw odds — anyone holding a tag in 2023 will be in for a great hunt.

2023 Nonresident Mountain Goat Districts

Every year, the available districts for nonresidents to apply for mountain goats will change, which means that the district you apply for this year may or may not be available to apply for the following year.

Managing Points and Expectations

Draw odds for residents are great once they get around the 10-point level and up. Nonresidents will still struggle even at maximum points, but odds here are still competitive with any other western state. Generally speaking, the best odds will be found in the districts handing out the most tags (313, 314, 316, 323 and 329) and these can be great routes for lower point holders to consider. When beginning your application strategy for Montana, your best bet is to simply pick a unit to your liking and just keep rolling the dice every year. With Montana running a modified lottery system, there is always an opportunity to draw.

Nonresidents will need to pay special attention from year to year as the list of available units is rotated. The unit you applied for in 2021 may not be available in 2023.

See your draw odds here

Montana's 2023 Bison Breakdown

Bison is one of the more unique opportunities in Montana. The bison hunt is centered around herds from Yellowstone National Park that migrate outside of the park boundaries during the winter months. Because hunters are so heavily reliant on the bison leaving park boundaries, the weather is the biggest controlling factor for harvest success. During periods of light snow, very few bison will leave the park and, consequently, very few hunters will be given any opportunity.

Bison tags can be obtained in one of two ways: a permit tag or a roster hunt. With the permit, hunt tags will be distributed through a drawing like all of the other species in Montana. One caveat to bison is that there are no bonus points available for the species and all of the drawings are conducted through an entirely random lottery. Roster hunts are used primarily for population control during years where a heavy migration is occurring. After selecting a permit to apply for, hunters will be given the opportunity to also apply for a roster hunt. Hunters applying for a roster position will be assigned a random number and then placed into numerical order. When an excess number of bison have left Yellowstone National Park, FWP will begin calling hunters from the roster, starting with the number one position and so forth for each hunter’s opportunity.

During periods of the bison hunt, there may also be state tribal members taking part in a treaty hunt. These tribal members can, at times, hunt in areas otherwise closed to permit holders and there is no quota cap for tribal members. The quotas set forth by FWP do not include any animals taken by state tribal members though bison taken during treaty hunts can dictate closures and possible sanctions imposed on permit holder hunts.

Current Herd Condition

Bison herds continue to do very well in this area with officials within Yellowstone conducting roundups yearly to reduce animal numbers. Brucellosis continues to be a growing concern and has further created a rift between local ranchers and conservation efforts outside of the park. Brucellosis among bison is thought to infect over 50% of the population in the park although there has never been a recorded case where the disease was spread to domestic cattle from bison.

Montana Bison Hunt District Breakdown

With three hunt options for residents and two for nonresidents, hunters will not find any overlooked or hidden gem areas. Instead, hunters need to simply hope the random lottery system works in their favor and that their name is pulled out of the hat first.

Managing Expectations

With Montana utilizing a strict lottery system for bison, your odds of drawing a tag will never get better; however, they will also never get worse. The best strategy here is to simply pick a district and begin applying. The odds are long for both residents and nonresidents alike, but with the current drawing system, you could draw a tag at any time.

See your draw odds here