Preference/Bonus points Montana

Ok, think I am now more confused!!

basic takeaway, if not hunting this year...only buy a bonus point???
 
So if everybody with 1 point drew.. I wonder about party apps >0 but <1 points? I did read that MT will average preference points for a party in the draw.

I'm thinking it might be iffy this year even for full point holders.
 
So, last year I got BP and PP... I am attempting to draw elk combo and an elk permit. I am filling everything out online... I added the BP and PP to be purchased this year.... I don't see where I can use my acquired points? Does that happen automatically when entering the draw??
 
So, last year I got BP and PP... I am attempting to draw elk combo and an elk permit. I am filling everything out online... I added the BP and PP to be purchased this year.... I don't see where I can use my acquired points? Does that happen automatically when entering the draw??
Yes . Don’t worry
 
Thanks. It's a little confusing to just "trust" it's being applied haha
Any points your have are applied to your application for that year . Nothing confusing about it . Montana is pretty simple to figure out if you read the regs
 
Montana’s entire system is a complete disaster. point system, website, harvest stats; all junk and all confusing to new hunters.

Completely agree. I wish every non-resident hunter would tell FWP that fact. Residents have been complaining for years, to no avail.
 
Montana’s entire system is a complete disaster. point system, website, harvest stats; all junk and all confusing to new hunters.
^^^^. There are a few good pieces of the website that I enjoy, but other than that I agree. I stated on another forum, we have been hunting montana for 15 years, not ONCE have we had a harvest survey. that is pathetic.
 
^^^^. There are a few good pieces of the website that I enjoy, but other than that I agree. I stated on another forum, we have been hunting montana for 15 years, not ONCE have we had a harvest survey. that is pathetic.
I get called every year about deer , but never once asked about elk and I’ve had a elk tag in Montana every year with me deer tag .
 
^^^^. I stated on another forum, we have been hunting Montana for 15 years, not ONCE have we had a harvest survey. that is pathetic.
It's not pathetic. It's a wise use of limited resource - money. Montana sells 10,000's of OTC and NR elk tags. There is no point to surveying all elk hunters. As you are never going to get 100% a response rate with the survey, you would still have to use a randomly selected set of the responses to avoid bias. Surveying all hunters would end up costing a lot more money and result in the same data. Harvest success is useful for setting permit numbers, but with OTC tags, there is not a specific number of permits per unit and hunters are free to move from unit to unit at will. With OTC tags, percent success is only useful for providing hunters with an estimate of previous hunters success. Aerial surveys are used to estimate the number of animals in the unit, as hunters, predators, weather(affects survival through winter), etc are all part of the equation when determining population trends, not just hunter harvest rate. In hunting, you either filled your tag or you didn't. With only two outcomes, you don't need to survey a very high percentage of the hunters to get an accurate estimate of success.
 
It's not pathetic. It's a wise use of limited resource - money. Montana sells 10,000's of OTC and NR elk tags. There is no point to surveying all elk hunters. As you are never going to get 100% a response rate with the survey, you would still have to use a randomly selected set of the responses to avoid bias. Surveying all hunters would end up costing a lot more money and result in the same data. Harvest success is useful for setting permit numbers, but with OTC tags, there is not a specific number of permits per unit and hunters are free to move from unit to unit at will. With OTC tags, percent success is only useful for providing hunters with an estimate of previous hunters success. Aerial surveys are used to estimate the number of animals in the unit, as hunters, predators, weather(affects survival through winter), etc are all part of the equation when determining population trends, not just hunter harvest rate. In hunting, you either filled your tag or you didn't. With only two outcomes, you don't need to survey a very high percentage of the hunters to get an accurate estimate of success.
I don’t know that it’s a wise use of resources. Paying people to make phone calls rather than having hunters report harvest through an automated system. why not do mandatory harvest reporting like Iowa and New Mexico? it’s all automated and easy to submit. NM adds an extra level of motivation, if you don’t report you are ineligible to draw the following year.
 
It's not pathetic. It's a wise use of limited resource - money. Montana sells 10,000's of OTC and NR elk tags. There is no point to surveying all elk hunters. As you are never going to get 100% a response rate with the survey, you would still have to use a randomly selected set of the responses to avoid bias. Surveying all hunters would end up costing a lot more money and result in the same data. Harvest success is useful for setting permit numbers, but with OTC tags, there is not a specific number of permits per unit and hunters are free to move from unit to unit at will. With OTC tags, percent success is only useful for providing hunters with an estimate of previous hunters success. Aerial surveys are used to estimate the number of animals in the unit, as hunters, predators, weather(affects survival through winter), etc are all part of the equation when determining population trends, not just hunter harvest rate. In hunting, you either filled your tag or you didn't. With only two outcomes, you don't need to survey a very high percentage of the hunters to get an accurate estimate of success.
Or just do what New Mexico does and require a harvest report/survey by February 15th. If not done by then you get charged a late fee off I believe $8. If you still don’t complete it your applications will be rejected for the following year.
 
I don’t know that it’s a wise use of resources. Paying people to make phone calls rather than having hunters report harvest through an automated system. why not do mandatory harvest reporting like Iowa and New Mexico? it’s all automated and easy to submit. NM adds an extra level of motivation, if you don’t report you are ineligible to draw the following year.
Utah requires submitting an online survey also. It still doesn’t change the fact that requiring surveys for every OTC tag does not aid the management of those species. This issues comes up in Colorado also, and each time the dead horse gets beaten again and again.
Besides, we are talking about Montana. If you tell some guy from Butte that he can’t have an elk A tag like he has had for the last 30 years because he didn’t fill out an online survey six months ago, he is probably going to return with an angry mob of his bar buddies outfitted with pitchforks, torches and rope. And telling him it’s okay because they do it in Iowa, is not going to help the situation.
 
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I actually like MT's system but certainly understand how it can be confusing for someone who hasn't navigated the process before, but I think that is the case for every state. I also happen to like the bonus point system vs the true pp system we have hear in Colorado.

I have been contacted by FWP Every year I have hunted (most of the time several calls until they reach me). I think its probably more important what they do with the data rather than how they obtain it. I certainly don't mind the mandatory requirement in NM but understand how it might ruffle some feathers of long time MT residents.
 
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