Montana bonus points system for special permits

From Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Fish, Wildlife and Parks uses a unique approach to provide all applicants at least one opportunity at drawing a license/permit, while still giving people who have been unsuccessful in the past a chance to increase their odds of drawing a license/permit in the future.

Hunters may only earn 1 bonus point per license year for a species special permit or license. The options are: 1) at the time of application for that species permit or license, or 2) between July 1 and Sept. 30 if the individual did not apply for that species special permit or license.

The bonus points can be used in future years to place the applicants name in the drawing additional times. The number of additional chances is calculated by squaring the base bonus points. Unlike a preference system, a Bonus Points system does not guarantee a license/permit to the applicants with the most bonus points and first-time applicants still have a chance to draw a license/permit. Any bonus points accumulated will not be lost unless the individual draws the species they applied their bonus points to.

Bonus points essentially offer additional drawing chances and are used for the first hunting district choice only.

Existing bonus points will be mathematically “squared” prior to the drawing. That means if people already have three “base” bonus points those will be “squared” and they will then have nine bonus points going into the drawing.

People who wish to participate in the Bonus Point program for licenses/permits, at the time of their application must check “YES” on the Bonus Point questions and include the $20 for nonresident or $2 for resident Bonus Point fee per permit type. Then if they are unsuccessful, they will be awarded an additional base bonus point for next year’s drawing.

People who did not apply for a license or permit can purchase a bonus point for that license or permit from July 1 through Sep. 30. The fee to purchase a bonus point without applying is $15 per species for residents and the nonresident fees are $25 per species except for moose, sheep, and goat which are $75 per species.

  People cannot apply and purchase bonus points in the same year.

Any bonus points accumulated will not be lost unless the individual draws their first choice on the species they applied their bonus points.

Check Drawing Statistics at https://myfwp.mt.gov/fwpPub/drawingStatistics to see how Bonus Points affect chances.