I have several friends who were UNSUCCESSFUL in the draw for the Montana Non-resident Big Game Combination Licenses!
Apparently the numbers this year were 18,000+ applicants for 11,000 licenses!
I have 5 friends who were unsuccesful and only a single non-resident friend who was successful!
I have seen on numerous communication venues that the numbers of Big Game Hunters is decreasing slightly every year in the U.S.A.!
Could be - I don't know for sure but I do know the numbers of non-resident folks who apply to Hunt the Big Sky Country each year has been increasing slightly!
Apparently there are still SOME (18,000!) people who can afford the gas, and afford the time away from work and are willing to pay the BIG BUCKS for the Montana Non-resident Combo licenses!
I will say this in areas where the Wolves have not decimated the Elk those lucky enough to draw the Montana Big Game Combo Licenses should have a good chance at the elusive Wapiti!
The winter was VERY mild (AGAIN!) throughout all of SW Montana.
The latest figures I saw for snowpack in all of the SW Montana mountain ranges was 106% of normal! This is the first time in many years that the water content of the snow (snowpack has exceeded the norm!
In fact that 106% of normal snowpack figure represented 175% of last years snowpack!
Good luck all!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VG

Too bad you didn't post this a day or to ago. MT "opened the gate" for the alternate licenses yesterday morning at 8am. The alternate list is for returned licenses that go out first come first serve in the order you are on the list. Your buddies can still get on the 'list' but they'll probably be pretty far down now. Last time I looked, yeasterday at 9am, there was about 500 people on the list for elk/deer combo waiting list.

You're right it should be a good year as long as we get some rain.

I was one of the fortunate ones who drew a NR tag. I'll be bow hunting elk come September. Hope you and your friends draw in 07'.

I got skunked again this year. I need to move up sooner than later.

I was one of the Sucessful ones and I am looking forward to October. I have a resident buddy that also indicats animal numbers look good due to another warm winter

Ivan: Is your wish for rain a bit of trepidation about forest fires this fall or antler growth or what?
I saw an absolute TROPHY Antelope not 45 yards from I-15 at milepost 68 yesterday (5 miles north of Dillon, Montana). This monster was 16 inches and thick AND well pronged! I am sure he is at least CLOSE to B&C minimum!
The Antelope are pretty well fully developed antler (horn) wise by now.
If I was not so in love with the Powder River country for Antelopin - I would apply for this area around my home in Dillon.
I have several rancher friends and neighbors who would allow me to Hunt on their land - IF I got drawn! And the new Montana state record Antelope was killed not 6 miles from my house in 2,004!
I just am a worry wart and the Powder River country allows for a virtual lock on the Antelope application (for residents!).
I would rather drive the 500 miles to my spot on the Powder River and Hunt for sure than take a chance and not get drawn here near home (the odds of anyone being drawn around here are much poorer than most all other areas).

LBguy: I buy my licenses over the counter here in Montana as I have been a resident now for over 8 years. Its some of my out of state friends that did not get drawn this year! Maybe I will see you out there?
Best of luck to all of you that venture to Montana for a Hunt this year.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

VarmintGuy - I have been bowhunting CO for many years, and had great success, but my son in law (and daughter) want me to try MT, so this year will be the first. They live just NW of Missoula and both work in Missoula. My son in law just started bow hunting, killed a couple deer there in MT this past season, and is quite anxious to try elk with a bow. Once I find out where he is taking me, I'll let you know. Good hunting to all!

After being successfully drawn for the nonres combo two years in a row, I didn't get one this year. I didn't know about this second chance thing. is there still time to get in on it.

By the way, Varmitguy knows what he is talking about. I have never in my life seen so many deer as I have seen next to the Powder River. Problem is, they are all on leased land that is almost impossible to get on without paying a pretty sum of money.

I've been hunting Montana since 1980 but this year, we were unsuccessful. Like an idiot, I listened to one of my hunting buddies and, for the first time, applied for the "deer only" tag. We got shot down! Now I'm scrambling, trying to find a place to hunt this year.

Bull1

I have a friend who bought a home last year and moved to MT and his combo license is $71 includes fishing and hunting deer,elk,bear.Antelope,big horn sheep,mtn goat & moose are extra after getting a buck lope he can buy additional doe lope tags for $14 apiece and extra deer tags.turkey is extra.

22WRF: Yeah things are tough down in Powder River country for Mule Deer "free range" Hunters like myself! Virtually ALL the private land is sewn up by "outfitters"!
If the truth be told I would rather Hunt Mule Deer in the Powder River country than any Big Game Animal, anywhere on earth!
Its so very tough to do though anymore.
Maybe I will see you over that-a-way in 2,007! Better luck next year in the draw!
I had 29 Mule Deer in my yard yesterday and they are starting to slough off their winter coats! Even here in SW Montana which has been hit VERY hard with predation on Mule Deer (Wolves, Black Bears, Coyotes, Grizzlies and Mt. Lions are devouring Mule Deer and their fawns year round!) over the last 15 years - I am actually seeing more Mulies on winter range and now in their spring feeding areas both last year and this year especially!
Must be the mild winters over the last nine years around here. And the low snow pack maybe allowing the Mulies to escape the Lions (and etc) better during the times of the year they are concentrated on their winter range?
While Spring Bear Hunting last year I chased Coyotes off of newborn Mule Deer fawns on two different days!
Come on Mule Deer - fight off the predators and the Whitetails and get back to your previous high populations!
Long live the Mule Deer.

Scr83jp: You ran a sentence into another one there so let me make it clear for anyone interested - the Resident Combination License (now referred to as the "Sportsmens License") now allows a Hunter to fish, to Hunt Deer and Elk as well as Black Bear. It also allows one to Hunt Upland Birds and "allows" Hunting and bird watching on state lands! This Black Bear inclusive "Sportsmans License" costs $85.00 (slightly less for those who are 62 or older).
Yes, we residents are allowed two Wild Turkeys each year (some minor restrictions apply) and numerous additional Doe/Fawn tags ARE available at VERY modest costs to residents for both Whitetail and Antelope.
One of my friends bought 6 Whitetail Doe tags for around his home and filled 5 of them plus his Buck Deer tag last fall. He also got an Elk and a large Black Bear and two of his daughters and his wife all got big Buck Whitetails!
Their freezers are FULL!
I personally only very rarely harvest the female of Big Game species. I get enough game meat to keep my two freezers full just harvesting the male of these species.
I will say this though, I was "given" a large Doe Whitetail last fall that had been born and raised eating Alfalfa - and it simply was the most WONDERFUL game meat I have ever eaten!
Of course my friend that harvested it had the good sense to properly kill this wonderful head of game by shooting it through the heart/lungs and we did not waste even one pound of that sublime venison! I thank him every time I see him for that special gift.
I may just reconsider my aversion to harvesting female heads of Big Game after eating that creatures flesh!

Bull1: That non-resident tag for Deer only is a VERY tough ticket these days! I remember from about 4 years ago that the odds were 1 in 4 of being successful back then and I am sure its at least down to a 1 in 5 chance now.
Odds are much better for the non-resident Big Game Combination license (this includes an Elk tag) and of course its much more expensive as well!
Better luck next year and good luck finding a place to Hunt this year.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy