Official Montana 2024 Draw Thread

What season will you be hunting this year?

  • Archery

    Votes: 44 31.2%
  • Rifle

    Votes: 38 27.0%
  • Both

    Votes: 59 41.8%

  • Total voters
    141
  • Poll closed .

jjarrell

FNG
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
20
Second year in a row attempting to draw general tag with 0 pp, hoping for better luck this time. Tough to skip slightly better odds of hunting same year without points just to buy a point that comes with relative certainty of not hunting that year, all for the purpose of having two points the following year with only slightly better (and diminishing) odds of hunting that year over those having none.
 

WCB

WKR
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
3,640
I put in for the Big Game Combo with 2 points. Might have to piggy back my Moose hunt in Alberta the last week of Sept. with an archery elk hunt. More than likely Ill just chase elk in MT with a Rifle in Oct early Nov. then head back and concentrate on Mule Deer late Nov.
 

PaBone

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Messages
186
Location
Western Pa.
I drew the last three years in a row, but this year I'm just buying a point. Definitely going to miss Montana, Good luck to anyone hoping to draw.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
399
I drew the last three years in a row, but this year I'm just buying a point. Definitely going to miss Montana, Good luck to anyone hoping to draw.
you can just buy a point to use the next year without applying for the draw?
 

Scottf270

WKR
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
647
Location
Missouri
Be interesting to see this years draw odds. One point bought this year and another when applying next year may be 50% draw at best with 2 points?
 
OP
mountainman406
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
1,058
Location
Montana
Be interesting to see this years draw odds. One point bought this year and another when applying next year may be 50% draw at best with 2 points?

All depends on the amount of applicants. 2pt odds were in the 80s last year, I’d assume somewhere near the mid to upper 70s this year.


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Therooster240g

Lil-Rokslider
Classified Approved
Joined
Mar 1, 2021
Messages
104
How long after the draw do refunds get sent out? I had the bright idea of buying a point last year before I realized I had to apply this year to keep it.


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OP
mountainman406
Joined
Jan 17, 2017
Messages
1,058
Location
Montana
How long after the draw do refunds get sent out? I had the bright idea of buying a point last year before I realized I had to apply this year to keep it.


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Seems to be random, first year my dad didn’t draw, he had a refund in 3 weeks. Last year took 2.5 months…


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Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
531
Second year in a row attempting to draw general tag with 0 pp, hoping for better luck this time. Tough to skip slightly better odds of hunting same year without points just to buy a point that comes with relative certainty of not hunting that year, all for the purpose of having two points the following year with only slightly better (and diminishing) odds of hunting that year over those having none.

Why didn’t you buy one last September during the points only period and another during your application this spring, you’d have two points!
 
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
421
Location
Arkansas
When looking at last year’s draw odds, keep in mind there will be 15% fewer non resident general big game combos issued this year than last year. 15% will be going to non resident landowners due to HB-635 passing.

Between that and overall creep I’d expect a pretty significant dip in the odds this year. ( I promise, I’m a lot of fun at parties :))
 

Jake292

FNG
Joined
Mar 19, 2019
Messages
2
Why didn’t you buy one last September during the points only period and another during your application this spring, you’d have two points!
You are not allowed to buy a preference point during the points only period if you applied in the draw that year.
 

jjarrell

FNG
Joined
Jan 3, 2023
Messages
20
Why didn’t you buy one last September during the points only period and another during your application this spring, you’d have two points!
Yep - you can't buy a point later in the summer if you put in for that species' draw earlier in the year. This is the part of MT's NR system that is most frustrating to me, resulting practically in a choice between the zero points or two+ years strategy, and not being able to work towards both at the same time.
 
Last edited:

Riplip

WKR
Joined
Mar 12, 2012
Messages
639
Location
Colorado
When looking at last year’s draw odds, keep in mind there will be 15% fewer non resident general big game combos issued this year than last year. 15% will be going to non resident landowners due to HB-635 passing.

Between that and overall creep I’d expect a pretty significant dip in the odds this year. ( I promise, I’m a lot of fun at parties :))
Good point although I recall reading somewhere that they estimated the number of NR landowners eligible for these tags was in the 200's, (sounds low to me) but if correct, it wouldn't move the needle too much. In looking at the language they can allocate "up" to 15% so whatever is left over would remain or revert back to the original pool. Either way I agree, I think odds will be a little lower this year overall.
 

aachey

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 30, 2019
Messages
224
Location
Pennsylvania
"(3) (a) To qualify to receive a Class B-10 license pursuant to this section, the landowner must own at least 2,500 contiguous acres in fee title."

Per HB-635
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Messages
399
Yep - you can't buy a point later in the summer if you put in for that species' draw earlier in the year. This is the part of MT's NR system that is most frustrating to me, resulting practically in a choice between the zero points or two+ years strategy, and not being able to work towards both at the same time.

Wait, so if you put in with 0 points and DONT draw, you don’t get a point automatically for the next year so you have 1, then if you don’t draw you get another, have 2, etc? You go back to 0 each year?
 
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
421
Location
Arkansas
"(3) (a) To qualify to receive a Class B-10 license pursuant to this section, the landowner must own at least 2,500 contiguous acres in fee title."

Per HB-635
Each landowner can also get up to 5 licenses with the appropriate amount of acreage. You can bet some of the mega ranches that are several hundred thousand acres are divided into multiple ownership shells and will be able to pull 5 licenses for each of those shell ownerships. How many total licenses this will be is speculation until after this year's draw is complete, but my guess is it will be way more than 200 and it will probably get higher each year.
 
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