First time applying as nonresident.... is it worth applying for points in Montana?

My first post! I recently graduated college and finally have the ability to take time off for hunts. I have only ever hunted in Oregon as a resident, but want to start hunting the other Western states.

For 2018, I will be applying in OR, ID, WY, CO, NV, UT, and AZ. What I’m not sure about is applying for points in Montana.

It seems that I am so far behind the points in MT that I will never draw a good limited entry tag and the general tags seem like a good opportunity to hunt mature animals every year.

I guess my question is whether the cost of building points in MT is worth it or would I be better off treating MT as a general state.

I appreciate any input!

Montana is a bonus point state which means you can draw an incredible tag your 1st year applying.Odds are you wont,but there is a chance.If you archery hunt,there's some pretty good tags you can draw fairly quick

If have the cash laying around, would go ahead and build points in MT. You are applying in several states. If you are attempting to draw primo tags then you need all the applications in the hopper you can afford each year. If you are focused on hunting mature animals of average horn/antler size then you are applying for too many states. So, I assume you are looking to draw the 5% of tags with plenty of public land access, nice harvest rates on above average elk and deer and perhaps pull a Big3 tag at some point. Apply, apply and apply. I apply in those states you listed and a couple more and am out around $2000 when the dust settles due to fees, mandatory licenses, miscellaneous fees, etc. I draw a Big3 tag about every 8 years and a very nice elk or deer tag about every year. It helps that you start getting results back before some of the May/June applications are due so can adjust your strategy if got lucky with a nice tag in the early draw results. Good luck.

I appreciate the input mixedbag and LopeHunter. Drawing a big3 tag every 8 years is impressive!

So, maybe I will apply in Montana.

After reading that, I’m having a feeling that if I don’t apply I may end up regretting it down the road.

OregonElk said:

I appreciate the input mixedbag and LopeHunter. Drawing a big3 tag every 8 years is impressive!

So, maybe I will apply in Montana.

After reading that, I’m having a feeling that if I don’t apply I may end up regretting it down the road.

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Not sure should regret. I like applying as is like Christmas Day about 15 days a year as various draw results are announced. Sure, usually get "not drawn/unsuccessful" on the long shots but once in a while you draw a primo tag that is likely you will never draw again or perhaps is limited to drawing once in a lifetime. Scratching out a check at an auction to buy a hunt makes it easier to plan for a hunt but I like the added excitement of knowing the Draw Gods smiled on me. You will often hear people saying are better off putting $1000 into a savings account then buying a sheep hunt in Canada rather than trying to draw a tag for here in the States. They are not wrong as when buy the tag you know you have a hunt that year. When apply, odds are in a twenty year period of applying for a ram bighorn tag that you will not draw as a non-resident. You might. You might several times. Or you might draw a bull moose tag or a mountain goat tag. Or a rut bull elk tag. A migration rut mule deer buck tag. A Coues December rut rifle tag. I think the mountain goat is generally the toughest physical hunt but there are some nasty sheep units around the West. Apply and you never know.

You can apply to hunt free-range, wild aoudad rams in NM on pubic lands and will draw at some point and that hunt is comparable to a Rocky Bighorn hunt. You can hunt Montana Rocky rams in the Unlimited Units every year then if harvest you wait a few years then can do it again. Few score with a ram in the Unlimiteds but every year several rams are harvested in those units. You can hunt WY pronghorn bucks with 2nd choice tags every year as use your First Choice to try for a Primo tag and build points. So, lots of options as are filling out your draw applications and can see how you are doing on the early draws before decide on how apply in the later draws. For example, if you score a nice elk hunt in WY in the random bucket as were building points then can go for toughest to draw hunts in CO/OR/AZ.

If you are talking about the big 3, the drawing odds are very slim. They really don't publish the odds for a nonresident just everyone lumped together, you have to do some math of your own. I did some crunching one time and some hunts you can take the resident odds and cut it 10 times.