Montana Elk & Deer Application Deadline!
Written by Dan Pickar
Application Dates & Deadlines
| Species | Date Type | Resident/Non-resident | TagHub Data Access | Elk & Deer | Application Deadline | April 1st | February 20, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw Results | Mid-April | ||
| Pronghorn | Application Deadline | June 1st | April 24, 2026 |
| Draw Results | Early-August | ||
| Moose, Sheep, Goat & Bison | Application Deadline | May 1st | April 1, 2026 |
| Draw Results | Mid-June | ||
| Bonus Point Purchase | First Date Available | July 1st | |
| Last Day Available | September 30th | ||
| Dates are subject to change. Please check the regulations. | |||
Important Notes
Important Notes on Statistics
1. Montana has the worst harvest reporting in the West for deer, elk and pronghorn. The State only reports harvest by unit and does not break it down by weapon, season, limited entry vs. general season, youth or disabled. The State also chooses not to count hunter numbers every other year in order to save money and does not survey who hunted for mule deer vs. whitetail. For these reasons, the same overall harvest success number appears for all hunts in the same unit. Without hunter numbers no harvest success rate can be calculated every other year.
2. The State often has separate sex restrictions for mule deer and whitetail even when both are legal in the same unit. For whitetail, whether it is either sex or buck only may differ at different dates within the same unit. Check the regs carefully.
3. Unreliable & Spotty Harvest Data for Small Hunts | Montana gathers their harvest reports by phone survey, the least reliable method and increasingly difficult. This makes the accuracy of their harvest data a little suspect, especially for hunts with few tags. 4. Overlapping Hunts Affect Hunters /100 Sq Mi | This column only reports the number of hunters for the species being looked at but there may also be hunters for other species.
2. The State often has separate sex restrictions for mule deer and whitetail even when both are legal in the same unit. For whitetail, whether it is either sex or buck only may differ at different dates within the same unit. Check the regs carefully.
3. Unreliable & Spotty Harvest Data for Small Hunts | Montana gathers their harvest reports by phone survey, the least reliable method and increasingly difficult. This makes the accuracy of their harvest data a little suspect, especially for hunts with few tags. 4. Overlapping Hunts Affect Hunters /100 Sq Mi | This column only reports the number of hunters for the species being looked at but there may also be hunters for other species.
About the Author
Dan loves bowhunting western big game, with elk being his favorite. He specializes in bowhunting, hunting consulting and anything to do with archery. His duties at Eastmans include writing for EHJ and EBJ for the last 10 years, content creator for Eastmans digital media and a podcast co-host with Brian Barney, just to name a few. Dan currently writes the MRS for Utah and his home state of Montana.
Licenses Costs & Fees
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | Elk | $20 | $1,112 |
|---|---|---|
| Elk/Deer | N/A | $1,312 |
| Deer | $16 | $760 |
| Pronghorn | $19 | $205 |
| Moose, Sheep, Goat, Bison (each) | $125 | $1,250 |
| Wolf | $19 | $50 |
| Archery License | $10 | |
| Elk Permit App Fee | $9 | |
| Deer Permit App Fee | $5 | |
| Moose, Sheep, Goat, Bison App Fee (each) | $10 | $50 |
| Prices are subject to change. Please check the regulations. | ||
Bonus Point Cost
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | With App (All Species) | $2 | $20 |
|---|---|---|
| Elk & Deer Purchase | $15 | $25 |
| Moose, Sheep & Goat Purchase | $15 | $75 |
| Prices are subject to change. Please check the regulations. | ||
Agency Information
| Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park Offices | |
|---|---|
| State Headquarters | 406.444.2535 |
| Region 1 | 406.752.5501 |
| Region 2 | 406.542.5500 |
| Region 3 | 406.994.4042 |
| Region 4 | 406.454.5840 |
| Region 5 | 406.247.2940 |
| Region 6 | 406.228.3700 |
| Region 7 | 406.243.0900 |
| Butte Area | 406.494.1953 |
| Havre Area | 406.256.6177 |
| Lewistown Area | 406.538.4658 |
| Licensing/Draw Results: 406.444.2950 | |
| MT Guides/Outfitters: 406.449.3578 | MONTANAOUTFITTERS.ORG | |
| MT BLM Office: 406.869.5000 | |
| U.S. Forest Service | |
| Western Region 801.625.5306 | Eastern Region 303.275.5350 |
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