Montana 2021 Non-Resident Deer Combo draw survey

I applied for a 2020 Montana non-resident DEER COMBO license and:

  • DID NOT draw a license with 2 preference points

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    85
Joined
Feb 25, 2012
Messages
2,328
Thank you for the correction. Maybe it's just me, but why would they include the permit numbers but not the combo license numbers in that email / press release? Maybe they broke their abacus? I have found the FWP staff to be very friendly every time I spoke to them but they are the most low-tech fish & game agency I've ever dealt with.
I don't know. But since I believe there are 17,000 big game combo's than every non res would of drawn if they were talking about the combos.
 

GrayGoose

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 19, 2020
Messages
164
Location
Minnesota
Applied as a group of two for the deer combo, bought the point at time of application and was successful.
 

Mustang06

FNG
Joined
Mar 2, 2020
Messages
46
Location
Pennsylvania
Party of 5
all bought the point at the time of application
successful in drawing the general deer combo.
An additional guy applied as a single and was also successful buying one point at the time of application. I guess we got pretty lucky.
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
365
I dont understand how this is possible in a preference point draw with so many others drawing with 1 point.
Standby...let.me look up what I have. O don't speak this fluently however I purchased 2 points in the last year.

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Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
365
I dont understand how this is possible in a preference point draw with so many others drawing with 1 point.
Ok. Here is what I have. This was my first year applying for deer. I purchased a point in the summer of 2020 post draw. This year I purchased a point for this year's deer draw. I thought I went in with 2 points--i think I am wrong.
0e3b576a6a9e6c61efe37307644a5216.jpg
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Joined
Aug 28, 2017
Messages
579
Ok. Here is what I have. This was my first year applying for deer. I purchased a point in the summer of 2020 post draw. This year I purchased a point for this year's deer draw. I thought I went in with 2 points--i think I am wrong.
0e3b576a6a9e6c61efe37307644a5216.jpg
32e1315fec9205e8eadaa3755196bc6e.jpg
e7675cac46e16223f0ab89c4f7811045.jpg


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If you bought a point in 2020, then bought the point this year at the time of application, you went in with 2 points. If you have receipts from all this a call to FWP may be in order to see what is going on. Something doesn't seem right.
 
OP
Erict

Erict

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
672
Location
near Albany, NY
Ok. Here is what I have. This was my first year applying for deer. I purchased a point in the summer of 2020 post draw. This year I purchased a point for this year's deer draw. I thought I went in with 2 points--i think I am wrong.

It appears that you have 1 preference point and 1 bonus point, but not 2 preference points.

"Preference Points. Preference points are used for nonresident combination licenses and increase the likelihod of obtaining a Combination license. In a preference point system, licenses are awarded to applicants with the greatest number of preference points."

"Bonus points can increase your chances of drawing a special limited permit/license. Bonus points essentially offer you additional drawing chances and are used for first-choice drawings only. Every year that you are unsuccessful in the drawing, and you 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. You can only earn 1 bonus point per license year for a specific special permit or license. The options are: 1. At the time of application for that species permit or license, 2. Between July 1-September 30 if you did not apply for that species special permit or license."
 
Joined
Jun 18, 2019
Messages
365
I see what happened. I purchased the wrong point. I never intended to hunt a permit area. Oops. Thanks!

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Joined
Mar 21, 2017
Messages
12
Location
Clearwater, MN
25% of non resident Deer Combination Licenses are reserved for applicants with 0 points. Last year, the chance of drawing a Deer Combo tag with 1 preference point vs 0 preference points was essentially equal (~ 56% for the 1 pointers and ~55% for 0 pointers. Toprut posted an article on this). Likely, the odds shifted this year where 0 preference point applicants had a better chance of drawing this tag than 1 preference point applicants.
 
OP
Erict

Erict

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
672
Location
near Albany, NY
25% of non resident Deer Combination Licenses are reserved for applicants with 0 points. Last year, the chance of drawing a Deer Combo tag with 1 preference point vs 0 preference points was essentially equal (~ 56% for the 1 pointers and ~55% for 0 pointers. Toprut posted an article on this). Likely, the odds shifted this year where 0 preference point applicants had a better chance of drawing this tag than 1 preference point applicants.

I did not believe this. I thought that if you had preference points, and did not get drawn in the 75% part, you got thrown in with the 0 preference point holders and had another chance at the 25%. Well, it appears I misunderstood. I do, however, feel that (2) contradicts (6) below:

Montana Code Annotated 2019, TITLE 87. FISH AND WILDLIFE​

87-2-115. Nonresident elk and deer license preference point system.​


(1) The department shall establish a preference point system to distribute Class B-10 nonresident big game combination licenses and Class B-11 nonresident deer combination licenses.

(2) Nonresidents applying to purchase a Class B-10 or Class B-11 license may purchase a preference point, upon payment of a nonrefundable $50 fee, that gives an applicant who has more preference points priority to receive a Class B-10 or Class B-11 license over an applicant who has purchased fewer preference points.

(3) An applicant may:

(a) purchase only one preference point per license year; and

(b) purchase a preference point without applying for a Class B-10 or Class B-11 license. An applicant not applying for a Class B-10 or Class B-11 license may purchase a preference point only between July 1 and September 30 of that license year. The department shall delete an applicant's accumulated preference points if the applicant does not apply for a Class B-10 or Class B-11 license for 3 consecutive years.

(4) Except as provided in subsection (3)(b), the department may not delete an applicant's accumulated preference points unless the applicant obtains the license applied for, in which case the department shall delete the applicant's accumulated preference points.

(5) The department shall issue 75% of the Class B-10 and Class B-11 licenses made available for purchase pursuant to 87-2-505 and 87-2-510 by drawings in which the licenses are awarded to applicants in the order of which applicants have purchased the greatest number of preference points. If the number of licenses to be issued under this subsection exceeds the number of applicants who have purchased preference points, the remaining licenses must be added to the licenses issued pursuant to subsection (6).

(6) The department shall issue 25% of the Class B-10 and Class B-11 licenses made available for purchase pursuant to 87-2-505 and 87-2-510 by drawings in which the licenses are awarded to applicants who have not purchased any preference points. If the number of licenses to be issued under this subsection exceeds the number of applicants who have not purchased preference points, the remaining licenses must be added to the licenses issued pursuant to subsection (5).
 
Last edited:

mproberts

WKR
Joined
Jun 18, 2015
Messages
394
I did not believe this. I thought that if you had preference points, and did not get drawn in the 75% part, you got thrown in with the 0 preference point holders and had another chance at the 25%. Well, it appears I misunderstood. I do, however, feel that (2) contradicts (6) below:
Don't quote me, but I believe gohunt looked into this and confirmed with the numbers given to them that everyone who didn't draw in the 75% part were in fact thrown into the 25% 0pt draw. I don't think MT FWP ever confirmed this fact directly to them, but the numbers don't lie.
 
OP
Erict

Erict

WKR
Joined
Jun 28, 2020
Messages
672
Location
near Albany, NY
Don't quote me, but I believe gohunt looked into this and confirmed with the numbers given to them that everyone who didn't draw in the 75% part were in fact thrown into the 25% 0pt draw. I don't think MT FWP ever confirmed this fact directly to them, but the numbers don't lie.
I called Montana FWP Licensing yesterday because I had a number of questions about the draw. I specifically and clearly asked about this and was told with certainty that if you have 1 or more preference points you are only in the "75%" draw and if you have 0 points, you are in the "25%" draw. This matches what the Montana code states.

Montana preference points are not "sold" with full disclosure if you ask me. One would think that 1 preference point > 0 preference point, but that does not tell the complete story.
 
Joined
Sep 19, 2018
Messages
356
Location
Zeeland, MI
Wow. After reading through all of these posts, I am really feeling blessed that I was able to receive my Montana Deer Tag with the point I had bought at time of application. I had not correctly read through things over the last couple of years and only purchased Bonus Points. I didn't realize my mistake until it was time to apply for the General Tag. My buddy didn't draw, so might be doing this thing on my own this fall. Regardless, I have always wanted to hunt MT and this fall I finally have the chance to do so. Really looking forward to it.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2013
Messages
1,112
Location
IL
Sucks for the guy that drew. Ya'll are gonna do something else.

Why don't you guys apply as a group? All or nothing...
Don’t know OP’s situation, but I cannot put in as part of a group with my buddies who are residents. I’m a non-resident.
 

Rich M

WKR
Joined
Jun 14, 2017
Messages
5,576
Location
Orlando
Don’t know OP’s situation, but I cannot put in as part of a group with my buddies who are residents. I’m a non-resident.

That's a great point and a tough one too. Glad you've got a group to hunt with, just tough if you don't draw - do you go when you don't draw?
 

EastMT

WKR
Joined
Dec 19, 2016
Messages
2,872
Location
Eastern Montana
I had 2 points, paid for the preference, didn’t draw the combo. Moving back home to MT in 5 weeks, hopefully residents don’t end up with a draw cause I’m unlucky haha.
 
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