Montana FWP announces key 2018 dates for early hunters

Montana FWP

Beginning Aug. 6, hunters can buy over-the-counter and surplus B licenses, antlerless, for deer and elk.

Aug. 9, general antelope and antelope B drawing results will be available.

Aug. 13, surplus general antelope, antelope B and antelope archery 900-20 licenses go on sale.

Aug. 15, antelope archery season opens for the 900-20 license.

The 900-20 archery antelope licenses were drawn July 16. The licenses allow bowhunters to hunt antelope from Aug. 15 to Nov. 11 in any hunting district starting with 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. All other antelope licenses will be drawn Aug. 9.

In the past, all antelope licenses were drawn at the same time, typically late July or early August, which did not give biologists enough time to complete their antelope surveys and make any final changes to license numbers. Antelope surveys cannot begin before mid-July because fawns typically are not up with herds before then. By drawing the 900-20 archery licenses early, it allows those archery hunters time to plan their hunt, and by drawing all other antelope licenses on Aug. 9 it gives biologists time to do their final surveys.

This year, archers applied for the 900 licenses as the first and only option. It wasn’t available as the second choice on other antelope license applications as in the past. This change allowed FWP to offer elk and deer surplus licenses earlier.

Surplus licenses are those that remain after Montana’s recent special hunting license drawings. The remaining licenses are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. A list of available surplus licenses for deer and elk will be posted on the FWP website at http://www.fwp.mt.gov beginning Aug. 2. A list of available surplus licenses for antelope will be posted on the afternoon of Aug. 9. These licenses and permits can be purchased online, over the counter or by downloading a paper application (the latter is not recommended due to first-come, first-served basis).