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130-50 Deer Permit Draw Odds, Montana

Deer permit, district 130-50 (mule), from FWP's 2023 to 2026 drawing statistics. Jump to resident odds or nonresident odds.

Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS Mountain Prairie) via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Credits
FactValue
DrawingDeer permit, district 130-50 (mule)
2026 total quota10
2026 nonresident cap (FWP's nonresident quota column)1
2026 landowner preference cap: resident / nonresident2 / 1
2026 first-choice applicants: resident / nonresident296 / 13
2026 drawn on first choice: resident / nonresident9 / 1
2026 first-choice odds: resident / nonresident3.0% / 7.7%
2026 total successful (all choices and pools)10

Resident odds by bonus point (2026 drawing)

Share of first-choice resident applicants at each bonus-point level who drew, from FWP's 2026 bonus point report. Each applicant gets one chance plus their points squared, so the draw favors high point holders without a hard cutoff. How Montana bonus points work.

Bonus pointsChances in drawing1st-choice applicantsDrawnOdds at this level
012800.0%
126100.0%
253000.0%
3104000.0%
4173300.0%
5262200.0%
6372414.2%
7501417.1%
8658112.5%
9827114.3%
1010110110.0%
11122300.0%
121455240.0%
131704125.0%
14197200.0%
15226200.0%
16257100.0%
1729011100.0%
20401100.0%

Resident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+18 applicants a year), about 314 residents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 3%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 4.3 (+0.23 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Nonresident odds by bonus point (2026 drawing)

Share of first-choice nonresident applicants at each bonus-point level who drew, from FWP's 2026 bonus point report. Each applicant gets one chance plus their points squared, so the draw favors high point holders without a hard cutoff. How Montana bonus points work.

Bonus pointsChances in drawing1st-choice applicantsDrawnOdds at this level
01300.0%
12400.0%
25300.0%
310100.0%
86511100.0%
15226100.0%

Nonresident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+2 applicants a year), about 15 nonresidents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 7%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 3.2 (+0.48 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: low.

First-choice odds by year

First-choice draws over first-choice applicants in the regular drawing (landowner preference excluded).

Draw yearQuotaResident applicantsResident oddsNonresident applicantsNonresident odds
2023102414.1%60.0%
2024102753.3%185.6%
2025102593.9%80.0%
2026102963.0%137.7%

Outlook method: see the top of the Montana points explainer and our forecast method. It is a trend line, not a promise.

Notes from TagCanyon

  • In 2026, 296 residents listed this drawing first for a quota of 10, about 29.6 resident applicants per license.
  • Residents: at 0 bonus points 0% drew; at 12 points (the highest level with at least 5 applicants) 40% drew.

Deadline

Deer and elk permits: FWP's 2026 window ran Mar 1 to Apr 1, 2026 (11:45 p.m. Mountain), with results in mid-April. FWP has not posted 2027 dates yet; the April 1 deadline has held in recent years. FWP application and drawing dates.

Deadline reminder: Montana deer and elk permit drawing

Deadline Apr 1, 2027. Expected: the April 1 deadline has held in recent years (11:45 p.m. Mountain).

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Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), 2026 Drawing Statistics reports (MyFWP drawing statistics, FWP application and drawing dates). Tables, outlooks and text are TagCanyon's own; FWP does not warrant or endorse them. Not affiliated with FWP. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026.

Mule deer buck among rocks and brush in Glacier National Park, Montana

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Photo: National Park Service (GlacierNPS) via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Credits