How to Draw a Montana Elk Tag

If you want to hunt elk in Montana as a nonresident, the first thing to understand is that you are not just buying a tag — you are applying for one. Most nonresident elk tags go through a draw, and the deadline comes early in the year, long before the leaves turn. Miss it and you are waiting until next season.\n\nStart by deciding what you are after. A general elk tag gives you a lot of country to hunt and decent odds most years. A limited-entry district can mean bigger bulls and less pressure, but the draw odds are longer and you may need a few preference points to get in. If this is your first western hunt, a general tag is usually the right call — you will see game and you will not burn years waiting.\n\nBuy your points every year even when you are not hunting. Points are cheap insurance, and they compound. When you book a hunt with us, we walk you through the whole application — the districts, the deadlines, and the point strategy that fits your timeline. It is the part that scares most first-timers off, and it is the part we make easy.