New to the Montana application system

Hey everyone, this is my first post on the forum but I would like to know how things work in Montana. In Minnesota things are easy, get a deer license and I’m not 18 (at the time) so no need for a small game license. However, I’m going to MSU Bozeman in the fall of 2019 and would love to expand my hunting opportunities. My question is, is it as simple as in Minnesota where I get a license (or perhaps a combo) for grouse, deer, and perhaps elk if I feel comfortable enough. Or is there more to it? I’ve listened to Randy’s podcasts for a year or two now and he’s mentioned quite a few times about tags and point systems. Would that apply to what I would be doing, or is it just for more lucrative areas and species? Lastly, is becoming a resident while at school in MSU for hunting acheivable or am I stuck paying non-resident or student discounted licenses? Thanks in advance for any information. I’m just looking how to get started into western hunting and am researching in advance to know what to expect when I’m there.

Go to fwp.mt.gov and check it out, or call 406 444 2950. There are college student combination tags available for a little bit cheaper price. As far as resident, I think if you fulfilled the requirements (after 6 months) you would be good but as a student, be best to check with the folks who call the shots.

Here’s a link that spells it out. Pretty straightforward.
http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/all/nonresidentStudent.html

You would have to establish residency to qualify for resident prices. To establish residency, you would need to be able to prove that for at least 6 months you have had a physical Montana address as your primary address, registered your vehicle in MT, obtained a MT drivers license, are registered to vote in MT, file taxes in MT, and you cannot claim residency for any reason in any other state. Depending on your situation, making some of these changes may be a bigger headache than it’s worth while still in school.

non resident students get a discount from the normal non resident fees

http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licenses/all/nonresidentStudent.html