Hunting in Montana

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About hunting in Montana

The fourth-largest state in the United States, Montana is a hunter’s and outdoorsman’s paradise. Covering 147,000 square miles, Montana is split into distinct eastern and western regions by the Continental Divide. Most of the major mountain ranges (there are at least 100) are in the west. About 60 percent of the state, most of the eastern section, is prairie, but there are a number of isolated peaks and ranges that interrupt the prairie landscape. Huntable species in Montana include black bears, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, Rocky Mountain elk, Shiras moose, mountain goats, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, turkeys, wolves, and bison. There is also excellent hunting for upland birds and waterfowl in most of the state. Montana’s wildlife is well managed, with excellent trophies of nearly every big-game species being taken in the state every year. Some of the largest bighorn sheep in the world come from Montana, especially the Missouri Breaks region; however, drawing odds are extremely low. Hunting in Montana is conducted on both public and private land, and permission is required to hunt on private land. Outfitters and guides must by licensed by the Department of Labor and Industry. To hunt in Montana, you need a general big-game or species license as well as, in some cases, a permit entitling you to hunt in a specific area or type of animal. A Conservation License is also required. Consult with your outfitter and be certain that he or she is able to either provide the needed licenses and tags or instruct you on how to purchase them. Many of Montana’s hunting opportunities are only available through a draw system, which requires planning ahead. In some cases, however, licenses are available for purchase over the counter or outfitters have tags available for nonresident hunters. Big-game animals must be properly tagged before the carcass is removed from the kill site or before the hunter leaves the kill site. Montana requires that all hunters and guides must wear a minimum of 400 square inches of hunter orange visible above the waist. The rule does not apply to archery hunters hunting during the archery-only season, but it does apply to bowhunters hunting during the general big-game firearm seasons. It’s crucial to familiarize yourself with Montana’s hunting regulations before you begin your hunt, even if you are hunting with an outfitter. Rules surrounding season dates and hunt area boundaries can be complex, and because rules often differ from species to species and region to region, be sure to read up on specific regulations for you particular hunt. Find information at Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (fwp.mt.gov) and specific hunting regulations here: http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/regulations/default.html.

Montana on map

TAGs & licenses

Big Game

Montana offers a wide array of big game and is a desired destination for many hunters. Licensing procedures differ for residents and non-residents. All hunters must purchase a Conservation License and a Base Hunting License as prerequisites before buying any big game tags which are a mixture of over-the-counter and draws.

Residents have preferences with obtaining big game tags and have access to some over-the-counter options, whereas non-residents are restricted to the combination license quota available by draw only.

Some big game hunts (sheep, moose, goat, bison) are essentially resident-only due to very low non-resident tag availability. Also, Montana sets aside a portion of non-resident tags for those who use a licensed outfitter.

Deer & Elk: Resident hunters need General Deer and General Elk licenses which are available over the counter each year and can obtain Deer and Elk permits via draw or OTC depending on the area. Non-residents must apply for Combination Licenses (Big Game Combo for Elk+Deer, or Deer Combo, or Elk Combo) via a lottery draw held in spring. These combination licenses also include upland birds and fishing permits. Most application deadlines are by April 1st.

Pronghorn (Antelope) licenses are issued by lottery for both residents and non-residents – you must apply by the deadline (usually early June) and tags are limited.

Moose, Bighorn Sheep, and Mountain Goat tags are extremely limited and allocated by lottery to residents (with a very small quota for non-residents, up to 10% in each draw), these are considered to be once-in-a-lifetime hunts.

Montana’s Black bear and Mountain lion licenses can be purchased over the counter. Bear licenses must be bought by a set deadline and are quota-limited in-season (hunters must check closure status of zones). Mountain lion licenses are sold OTC to residents and non-residents (with a limit of one per person) and are also subject to regional harvest quotas – if a zone’s quota is reached, the season closes.

Small Game

Montana does not require a separate small game license; the Conservation License plus Base Hunting License allows residents and non-residents to hunt upland game birds and small game.

However, upland game bird hunters (pheasant, grouse, partridge, turkey in fall, etc.) need an Upland Game Bird License. For Turkey, a separate turkey tag must be purchased – these are sold OTC for general areas (some districts have a limited permit by draw).

Montana also has numerous district-specific licenses for certain small game hunts (e.g., special wild turkey permits, sandhill crane permits in specific areas are available by drawing only).

Migratory bird hunters must obtain a Montana Migratory Bird License and also have a Federal Duck Stamp and HIP registration

Small game species like Coyote, Prairie dogs, Rabbits, etc., do not require special permits (they can be hunted with the base license; in fact, Coyotes and Prairie dogs are unregulated in Montana). Trapping of furbearers requires a separate Trapping license for species like Bobcat or Beaver.

Documents Needed

Conservation License
Base Hunting License
Big Game or Turkey Tags/Licenses – Specific to species
Upland Game Bird License
Migratory Bird License (State) + HIP + Federal Duck Stamp
Hunter Education Certificate

Minimum Hunter Age

Montana’s minimum hunting age is 12 for unsupervised youth who have completed hunter education. However, Montana has an Apprentice Hunter program that allows youth ages 10 and 11 to hunt under close supervision without having completed hunter education.

Links to More Information

fwp.mt.gov - Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Price distribution

$2,150

$4,513

$6,876

$9,239

$11,602

Hunting methods

United States

6.7

of 10

Verified review

Jan 3, 2025

J&J Guide Service review

6.7

of 10

J&J Guide Service, Living the Dream Outdoors LLC.

Outfitter

My guide, John Pezzin’s was outstanding. I have hunted elk for 35 yrs and he is one of the best I have had. Worked very hard at trying to put us on elk. Had four hunters at lodge with no shots fired all week. That’s hunting.

Lots of hunters no matter where we went. Many more than I expected and we only hunted weekdays, not weekends. Most elk sightings were on private land. The food was very poor. Expect a little more than a peanut and jelly sandwich for lunch. Hunters had to reheat food upon return for dinner. Cook made food at 4pm then left.

Davide

Spain

10.0

of 10

Verified review

Nov 4, 2023

Amazing place and adventure

10.0

of 10

Montana Whitetails

Outfitter

Keith and his team run a top notch business with really good quality land and animals. All bucks I’ve seen were what most people consider a trophy or a lifetime. My guide, Josh was more than amazing. He did literally his best to let me harvest a good buck. Unfortunately weather was not on our side and was raining too much so we were not lucky enough to get one. Still… the experience, the food, the lodge everything was perfect!

Weather was not the best and for that reason bucks were not moving too much … but that’s not under their control of course. Everything was just perfect !