Official 2026 Montana Draw Thread

[NJ-Hunting]

No, if you skip the draw and wait to buy a point, you lose any points you previously accumulated. I know because this happened to me last year haha

yikes haha I don't know why I expected Montana to make sense lol

 

[HouseCL]

yikes haha I don't know why I expected Montana to make sense lol

its literally insane. and when you apply for the big game combo, it just gets even more confusing for the options regarding what to do if you also apply for an elk permit and don't get it etc. I am pretty sure everyone hates it

 

[NJ-Hunting]

Kind of crazy! I've hunted Montana multiple times but always drew the combo with 0 points. Hoping to luck out and get an elk permit this year. But first have to draw the combo again with 0 points then get lucky again and draw the permit. Then like you said, if I don't draw the permit, I get to decide whether I was the combo or not if I only draw that. Fun fun fun lol

I shouldn't complain too much because Montana lets me hunt there pretty often but sometimes a guy has too haha

 

[JDZ]

yikes haha I don't know why I expected Montana to make sense lol

Montana is all alone on top of the mountain as the nationwide leader in the most F’d up non-resident draw system.

Last year, my wife and I applied for the exact same thing with the option of the 80% refund if we didn’t draw the permit. Same fees at application time. Her refund was over $200 more than mine. I’m assuming that’s because I drew the combo license but not the permit. And she didn’t draw the combo license and therefore didn’t have a chance at the permit.

When the lawmakers enacted the rule where a certain percentage of the combo licenses go to those who choose not to buy points, there’s no way they thought it through to the current situation and thought that was a good idea.

But, hate the game, not the player…

 

[ThickPines]

I’m in for a Big Game Combo. I’m in a party of 2 with 2 points each. This would be my first Western trip. Fingers crossed! Looking forward to a good time

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Complaining has already started before the results! Just wait until the draw, then we get all the "It said I have a released tag, does that mean I drew?" and "We put in as a group but I drew and my friend didn't" and finally "I had 4 bonus points but didn't draw the combo, what's going on!?"

 

[Cohunter22]

In for the combo with two points, fingers crossed. Permit is no chance so will be happy with a general tag either way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Axlrod]

Maybe Montana uses the draw as an aptitude test, so only those bright enough to figure it out, are out in the woods with a weapon! At any rate there always seems to be enough people that figure it out, to draw every tag available to NR's.

 

[ez_willie]

Complaining has already started before the results! Just wait until the draw, then we get all the "It said I have a released tag, does that mean I drew?" and "We put in as a group but I drew and my friend didn't" and finally "I had 4 bonus points but didn't draw the combo, what's going on!?"

Let’s not forget all the people that draw the general with 1-2 pts at 0% draw odds because they got a “released” tags. Go ahead and call game and fish for those released tag draw odds.

 

[MTHunt’r]

Maybe Montana uses the draw as an aptitude test, so only those bright enough to figure it out, are out in the woods with a weapon! At any rate there always seems to be enough people that figure it out, to draw every tag available to NR's.

Unfortunately, a lot more figure it out than I’d care for. Certainly is the most complicated system out there though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[dfirkus83]

I've hunted elk in Idaho, but first time applying for Montana. Group of 4 with 2 preference points each applying for big game combo. Hopefully this year is still +80% draw odds?

 

[Mtbhikernv]

Maybe Montana uses the draw as an aptitude test, so only those bright enough to figure it out, are out in the woods with a weapon! At any rate there always seems to be enough people that figure it out, to draw every tag available to NR's.

I spent 20 hours trying to make sense of it all, haha. I think I finally know where I can hunt depending on if I get anything. Or you’ll see me in Montana jail…