Hunting License Information

Once you have booked your hunt with us, you will need to contact Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. All licensing is done through Montana FWP at 406-444-2950 or online at https://fwp.mt.gov/hunt/licensingbasics. The rate changes each year, so visit the Montana FWP website about seasons, deadlines, specific tags available, etc.

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

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

Preference Points: Nonresident hunters can increase their likelihood of drawing a Combination license by accumulating Preference Points. These points prioritize a nonresident combination license applicant with more preference points over an applicant who holds fewer preference points. See FWP website for more information.

Parties: Up to 5 applicants may apply as a party. FWP uses an average of the number of preference points accumulated by those applicants to determine the party’s preference points. FWP will consider any fraction that results from the calculation of an average when determining that priority.

Bonus points can increase your chances of drawing a special limited permit/license: Bonus points offer you additional drawing chances and are used for first-choice drawings only. Every year that you are unsuccessful in the drawing, and participate in the bonus points system, you will be awarded a point. When you apply in the draw your accrued points are squared to increase the odds for the applicants with more accrued points. All base bonus points accumulate over time until you draw a permit. See FWP website for more information.

To Apply as a Party please visit the FWP website as there are certain steps to be taken to do this correctly.

Hunters can keep an electronic version of their licenses on their smartphones. The only thing hunters legally need to have printed and in their possession is their carcass tag, which still needs to be validated and attached to the carcass. FWP recommends all carcass tags be kept in a small Ziplock-type plastic bags.

If you are unsuccessful in the draw, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks gets a number of unused nonresident Combination licenses returned each year. FWP resells these returned licenses through an Alternates List. Once the list is randomized and a license becomes available, the hunter at the top of the list will be contacted to finalize the purchase of the license. See FWP website for more information.