Non resident montana elk tag

fatlander

WKR
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Feb 11, 2016
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There is actually around 60,000 nonresident hunting licenses/tags sold in Montana each year. Just like 406huntermt said. Most residents can only hunt weekends because they are paying for an expensive house, and high cost of living.

Is there something in the Montana state constitution that says you can only hunt on weekends as a resident? And is there something in the other 48 state constitutions that says you can hunt as much as you want in the state of Montana as a non resident. I say 48 because it damn sure isn’t in my state constitution.

You’re not in competition with everyone else to hunt on the weekends. You’re in competition with yourself to figure out how to hunt more than just the weekends. Read that second sentence slowly.
 

Tman24

Lil-Rokslider
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Messages
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Yes, but...... You get 100% of the Big Game Combo fee, but...

You don't get a refund for the base hunting license, conservation license, aquatic invasive species or preference point fee (if you chose to buy one) in addition to the 5$ application fee. You're out about $140 just to apply for the general tags with preference point option.

Jeremy


Tman 24

That wasn't me so much being wrong as much as me being lazy and not trying to be spot on about the cost.

My main point was that you get the majority of your money back if you want it back when you don't draw. Jeremy got it right though I think but I am still lazy so I didn't actually go over the numbers but I'm not concerned over the exact cost anyway. If I don't draw I probably won't drive the 4500 miles to catch a fish and shoot a bird but will be content enough as I wouldn't expect to draw with only one point. Now if I didn't draw with 2 points I might be a bit pissed as I would have paid for 4 (2 bird and 2 fishing tags) I really can't use and I don't expect their resale value is very good :unsure:
Here’s the fees to apply,
Base hunting $15
Conservation license $10
Aquatic invasive species $7.50
Application $5

If you don’t draw you don’t have a fishing license or an upland bird license. Those come with the big game combo.
 

bowkill

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I get a kick out of how some of the resident hunters are so angry with the nr hunters. Seems to me that you should be grateful because I'm guessing that's why you are able to get a $20 elk license. If there weren't a bunch of us idiots willing to pay the prices, your licenses costs would certainly be going up.
 
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I get a kick out of how some of the resident hunters are so angry with the nr hunters. Seems to me that you should be grateful because I'm guessing that's why you are able to get a $20 elk license. If there weren't a bunch of us idiots willing to pay the prices, your licenses costs would certainly be going up.
Definitely true, however if I were a resident of a Western state I'd happily pay more to keep those damn Texans out. :D
 

Preston

Lil-Rokslider
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Is there something in the Montana state constitution that says you can only hunt on weekends as a resident? And is there something in the other 48 state constitutions that says you can hunt as much as you want in the state of Montana as a non resident. I say 48 because it damn sure isn’t in my state constitution.

You’re not in competition with everyone else to hunt on the weekends. You’re in competition with yourself to figure out how to hunt more than just the weekends. Read that second sentence slowly.
I hunt whenever we get a good snowstorm or the opening weekend. I’m definitely not in competition with nonresident hunters. I was just saying most resident hunters only hunt weekends due to work. You have to remember 80% of the elk are killed every year by 10-20% of the hunters, read that again so you understand.
 

UpNorth89

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
179
There is actually around 60,000 nonresident hunting licenses/tags sold in Montana each year. Just like 406huntermt said. Most residents can only hunt weekends because they are paying for an expensive house, and high cost of living.

Related to the post on page one, I believe you can buy NR preference points from July-October. I know bonus points are available later on.
Non residents can take time off of work to hunt just like non-residents do. It's also cheaper for them to do so since their tag is darn near free. Even if they only hunt weekends that's still a lot of time with their long general seasons.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk
 

UpNorth89

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 12, 2019
Messages
179
that 17000 is just the combo tag don’t forget the 5000 deer only tags sold, college kids can buy a tag, they have those dumb come home to hunt tags, landowner sponsor tags, the plethora of doe tags this state gives out is absurd! What was it the year before last there was a total of 60 some thousand non res tags given…. You can shove that 17000 number where the sun don’t shine. Montana should up the non res prices they get to have a general tag free for all for the entire state hopefully that will be coming to rest soon and they have to put in for a hd to hunt. In the mean time Why not make money on them when they will pay it! You out of staters only shoot yourselves in the foot because you continue to pay every time a state raises the price! Good luck though in your future endeavors
How about you get angry with your state and all of the new residents instead of the non-residents your state decides to sell licenses to.

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Fowl Play

WKR
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Oct 1, 2016
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Since OP's question was answered and there's normally 100x of similar threads every year. Going to add in an additional question on this thread to limit unique threads...

How does a party hunt application work if one of the party is going into the draw with 3 points already. (they had two last year and did not draw). I actually have two buddies who are in this situation. I drew last year so would go in with 0, or 1 if I am allowed to buy a preference point in a party.

As far as I know, the party establisher has to select the preference point enrollment for the entire party. But... since they cannot have more than 3 points, they can't purchase a preference point. So if I party with them, I would not be allowed to purchase a preference point, correct?

Kinda sucks, cause if I could we'd go into the draw with 2.3PP which should be 100%.

If I can't buy a preference point, we'd go in at 2PP, which would be ~84% (if it's similar to last year). And I would not want to jeopardize their 100% opportunity, so likely would not party.
 

Erict

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near Albany, NY
Since OP's question was answered and there's normally 100x of similar threads every year. Going to add in an additional question on this thread to limit unique threads...

How does a party hunt application work if one of the party is going into the draw with 3 points already. (they had two last year and did not draw). I actually have two buddies who are in this situation. I drew last year so would go in with 0, or 1 if I am allowed to buy a preference point in a party.

As far as I know, the party establisher has to select the preference point enrollment for the entire party. But... since they cannot have more than 3 points, they can't purchase a preference point. So if I party with them, I would not be allowed to purchase a preference point, correct?

Kinda sucks, cause if I could we'd go into the draw with 2.3PP which should be 100%.

If I can't buy a preference point, we'd go in at 2PP, which would be ~84% (if it's similar to last year). And I would not want to jeopardize their 100% opportunity, so likely would not party.
Party applications are nothing more than a group of individual apps, so each person in the group can apply for preference points or not. Only one person is the party "leader" and they make the first application and are assigned a "group" number. Each other member of the party uses this number when they submit their applications. So there should be no problem with you purchasing 1 PP at time of app.

(Update 2/13/24 - I was wrong - see post #57)
 
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Fowl Play

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Party applications are nothing more than a group of individual apps, so each person in the group can apply for preference points or not. Only one person is the party "leader" and they make the first application and are assigned a "group" number. Each other member of the party uses this number when they submit their applications. So there should be no problem with you purchasing 1 PP at time of app.
I have never done a MT party application before, but I thought bullet #5 applied? So thought it was all or nothing on preference point purchasing for the entire party.

1707275567611.png
 

Riplip

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The language above is correct, all of the individual applications within the group application have to match (which includes preference point election), or any app that is different than the party organizers will be removed from the party application and entered as a single unique application.
 

Tman24

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
Messages
254
Since OP's question was answered and there's normally 100x of similar threads every year. Going to add in an additional question on this thread to limit unique threads...

How does a party hunt application work if one of the party is going into the draw with 3 points already. (they had two last year and did not draw). I actually have two buddies who are in this situation. I drew last year so would go in with 0, or 1 if I am allowed to buy a preference point in a party.

As far as I know, the party establisher has to select the preference point enrollment for the entire party. But... since they cannot have more than 3 points, they can't purchase a preference point. So if I party with them, I would not be allowed to purchase a preference point, correct?

Kinda sucks, cause if I could we'd go into the draw with 2.3PP which should be 100%.

If I can't buy a preference point, we'd go in at 2PP, which would be ~84% (if it's similar to last year). And I would not want to jeopardize their 100% opportunity, so likely would not party.
If your 2 buddies didn’t draw last year with 2 points. They only have 2 points right now. They can buy another one during the application, to go into the draw with 3 points this year.
 

Erict

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As @Fowl Play stated above, the rules is the rules.

I called FWP today and asked outright. Say I have 3 PP and my two hunting partners have 0. Is there any way for us to submit a group application where they are able to add 1 PP apiece? The guy, Ryan, said no. It seems like an unintended oversight when they wrote the regulation/rule if you ask me. Hard to believe they are passing up easy $$.
 
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CEG017

FNG
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Dec 8, 2023
Messages
28
As #Fowl Play stated above, the rules is the rules.

I called FWP today and asked outright. Say I have 3 PP and my two hunting partners have 0. Is there any way for us to submit a group application where they are able to add 1 PP apiece? The guy, Ryan, said no. It seems like an unintended oversight when they wrote the regulation/rule if you ask me. Hard to believe they are passing up easy $$.
Ok this is getting a little confusing. I am doing the same thing this year. Everything I have read says that you can buy another preference point at the time of applying. Then when you apply as a party your points are averaged among the group for the draw.

Am I missing something here?
 

Riplip

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Ok this is getting a little confusing. I am doing the same thing this year. Everything I have read says that you can buy another preference point at the time of applying. Then when you apply as a party your points are averaged among the group for the draw.

Am I missing something here?

The issue is that if you are applying as a party, everyone's application must be the same including electing to purchase a point. Either you all apply for the point or none at all.

The other issue in the example above is that if two of the party members already have 3 points, they are at maximum and cannot buy a point so if you were to apply with them then you would not be able to buy a point even though you have less than maximum. Hopefully that helps.
 

CEG017

FNG
Joined
Dec 8, 2023
Messages
28
The issue is that if you are applying as a party, everyone's application must be the same including electing to purchase a point. Either you all apply for the point or none at all.

The other issue in the example above is that if two of the party members already have 3 points, they are at maximum and cannot buy a point so if you were to apply with them then you would not be able to buy a point even though you have less than maximum. Hopefully that helps.
Ah that makes sense. Very helpful. Thank you!!
 
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