Official Montana 2025 Draw Thread

[Skerhunter]

There is no other explanation than everyone who applied and didn't draw being thrown back into a pool as individual applicants and the released tags being random...good reread the official 2024 and 2023 threads. Guys with one point getting tags and people being split up and only 1 member of the group drawing. It's happened this year in this thread as well.

I don't know where it says in the regs that the released tag draw is done according to preference points but in practice it hasn't been that way the last few years I've personally been applying. Buddy got a released tag in 2021 with 1 point.

Crazy! I must have missed it in prior years. I know guys have claimed to have drawn with one point before but then corrected themselves later. Also last years draw was super messed up, with them giving out tags they didn’t have (residents included).

The groups getting split is covered in the regs now but easy to miss.

 

[Rifleman86]

I drew with 2 PP’s and my partner drew with 0. Both Big game combo.

 

[cornfedkiller]

The groups getting split is covered in the regs now but easy to miss.

Where? I can't find anything about it. Got a section or page number?

 

[7millie]

Unsuccessful for the second year in a row with the 0 points tactic. Maybe it’s the lords way of keeping my November open for the 231 Nevada elk I’m going to draw

 

[MOHunter]

My brother and I applied for the Elk Combo at a 1.5 avg (2 & 1). We both drew in the released pool. We didn't want to draw either due to a pending CO app that is expected to burn a lot of points. I couldn't just buy a PP this year, so we went the group route to try to avoid drawing. I called MT FWP this morning and he said the released tags DO go by PP, and that groups are NOT split unless there's a difference in members' applications in some way. Then they could potentially be split.

His only explanation for us drawing at 1.5 pts was that it must have dropped this year from prior years, but he said they didn't have the data yet to know the specific point requirements this year. He estimated a month for those stats to be available. Does anyone know when they historically post them? I think we have a case for a refund if it shows a requirement of 2.0 pts, given that it's still supposed to go by PP.

For anyone in the same boat with CO, I think you can "decline" the tag immediately after drawing. Regs say a full reinstatement of points and tag fees. But deadline is like June 2, so you've only got a couple of days.

 

[GrayGoose]

For anyone in the same boat with CO, I think you can "decline" the tag immediately after drawing. Regs say a full reinstatement of points and tag fees. But deadline is like June 2, so you've only got a couple of days.

In CO, you have to choose either a refund or pre-draw point restoration. You don't get both nor do you gain a point for the year. I could not find anything about declining a tag.

Hunting License Refunds, Reversals and Exchanges

cpw.state.co.us

Otherwise, I ate a preference point this year for MT and decided to try my luck elsewhere. Looking forward to the draw report though to see what it took for preference points in the different combos. The MT draw thread always seems to have lots of confusion but it's always an enjoyable read

 

[schur7559]

My brother and I applied for the Elk Combo at a 1.5 avg (2 & 1). We both drew in the released pool. We didn't want to draw either due to a pending CO app that is expected to burn a lot of points. I couldn't just buy a PP this year, so we went the group route to try to avoid drawing. I called MT FWP this morning and he said the released tags DO go by PP, and that groups are NOT split unless there's a difference in members' applications in some way. Then they could potentially be split.

His only explanation for us drawing at 1.5 pts was that it must have dropped this year from prior years, but he said they didn't have the data yet to know the specific point requirements this year. He estimated a month for those stats to be available. Does anyone know when they historically post them? I think we have a case for a refund if it shows a requirement of 2.0 pts, given that it's still supposed to go by PP.

For anyone in the same boat with CO, I think you can "decline" the tag immediately after drawing. Regs say a full reinstatement of points and tag fees. But deadline is like June 2, so you've only got a couple of days.

My buddy and I are the exact same situation so I called FWP this morning. I asked if released tags go off of preference points and he said they did. So then I asked how 1.5 points was not enough for our group to draw but 1 point was enough for my buddy to draw. He replied that he didn’t know how to answer that.

 

[Behlftball]

Didn't draw with 0 points. Back to the alternative list this year

 

[cornfedkiller]

In CO, you have to choose either a refund or pre-draw point restoration. You don't get both nor do you gain a point for the year. I could not find anything about declining a tag.

What @MOHunter posted is correct. Page 8 of the regs, fine print under the "Draw Results: Posted to your CPW Account" section. The refer to is as "surrendering" the tag.

 

[MOHunter]

Exact same thing happened to me.. am I the only one that didn't know they'd split a group and give one guy a (returned) tag and not the other party member? I don't want to hunt solo - that's why I applied as a group.

Screws us for next year too because now my buddy has points (that he has to use or lose), and I won't have any.

Edit: I guess my buddy drew as well.. He had 1 point.

What was your group point avg? I think the release goes off your group avg as opposed to the individual point level.

 

[cornfedkiller]

What was your group point avg? I think the release goes off your group avg as opposed to the individual point level.

1.5

 

[MOHunter]

I don't think your buddy drew the released tag with 1 point. If the group was at 1.5 avg then you both drew the released tag at 1.5. So far, that's all I'm seeing on this thread - groups that avg 1.5 getting a released tag. My understanding, and what FWP told me this morning, is that means the odds dropped from 2 required to 1.5 required this year.

My big question is what will the stats show when released? If it shows 2 as the required level, then they obviously don't take released tags into account when publishing the odds. Anyone able to shed any light on this?

My buddy and I are the exact same situation so I called FWP this morning. I asked if released tags go off of preference points and he said they did. So then I asked how 1.5 points was not enough for our group to draw but 1 point was enough for my buddy to draw. He replied that he didn’t know how to answer that.

 

[BassAssassin04]

I was unsuccessful for the Big Game Combo with 2 preference points.

I applied for the big game combo with 2 PP and Elk permit with 10 points. I did not draw the big game combo. Also shows I did not draw the elk permit, but I think in reality I wasn't even in that drawing. My crew goes to Montana ever other year, so I'll be in a weird point position now.

 

[schur7559]

I don't think your buddy drew the released tag with 1 point. If the group was at 1.5 avg then you both drew the released tag at 1.5. So far, that's all I'm seeing on this thread - groups that avg 1.5 getting a released tag. My understanding, and what FWP told me this morning, is that means the odds dropped from 2 required to 1.5 required this year.

My big question is what will the stats show when released? If it shows 2 as the required level, then they obviously don't take released tags into account when publishing the odds. Anyone able to shed any light on this?

That must be correct, it’s the only way it would make sense. I too am very curious to see the draw data.

 

[GrayGoose]

What @MOHunter posted is correct. Page 8 of the regs, fine print under the "Draw Results: Posted to your CPW Account" section. The refer to is as "surrendering" the tag.

Thanks for clarifying! Was just searching the internet and the only thing I could get to show up in search results on refunds was the link I shared.

 

[Skerhunter]

Where? I can't find anything about it. Got a section or page number?

You think it’s that easy!?!? You need to have 20 browser tabs open to find it and I can’t find it again.

But if your party doesn’t pay attention on the app they can set it up wrong, so they get a refund after the first draw. I found this from the 2023 draw (right column first bullet point).

 

[judah1991]

I don't understand how people with 2 points aren't drawing when people with less than 2 are?

I was unsuccessful for the Big Game Combo with 2 preference points.

I applied for the big game combo with 2 PP and Elk permit with 10 points. I did not draw the big game combo. Also shows I did not draw the elk permit, but I think in reality I wasn't even in that drawing. My crew goes to Montana ever other year, so I'll be in a weird point position now.

 

[ndbuck09]

anyone have the link to the preference point statistics from previous years? I can't seem to find that for the previous years where they have had this new 3 point max system to draw the elk combo

 

[BassAssassin04]

It would be nice if they would do away with the Elk permit and make its its own separate license. That would really simplify their draw process. For non residents it does not make much sense. For residents I guess its a decent system.

 

[MOHunter]

You think it’s that easy!?!? You need to have 20 browser tabs open to find it and I can’t find it again.

But if your party doesn’t pay attention on the app they can set it up wrong, so they get a refund after the first draw. I found this from the 2023 draw (right column first bullet point).

You think it’s that easy!?!? You need to have 20 browser tabs open to find it and I can’t find it again.

But if your party doesn’t pay attention on the app they can set it up wrong, so they get a refund after the first draw. I found this from the 2023 draw (right column first bullet point).

This is very interesting. So the released pool can be both - retained as a group or separated individually based on how you apply originally. And it would indicate that my group partner drew as an individual with just 1 point! SCHUR, did your partner have the group code in parenthesis beside his successful tag (released)?

If my partner drew with just 1 point then: 1) the odds fell precipitously (not likely); 2) their odds every year don't take into account the released pool and are therefore worthless; 3) the system screwed it up this year and didn't allocate released tags based on PP like they say it should.