Big game permits open for Region 1

Hunting in Montana isn’t just limited to the season of fall. It’s an ingrained culture, a way of life, a primal mindset and a state of mind. 

Hunters can be lifelong residents or sportsmen from around the world. And when they aren’t out in the forests chasing fresh tracks, they spend the rest of their year preparing for the next hunt, scouting, conditioning, and finding ways to secure the big game tags they covet most. With spring in the air, it’s time for hunters to formulate a game plan for preference points, special entries, and looming application deadlines.

Here in western Montana, big game hunting opportunities are plentiful, with over-the-counter tags for deer, elk, bear, mountain lion, upland bird, and turkey. Sought-after special tags for Moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and bison are much harder to come by. 

One Mineral County resident and hunter, Christine West, has had the privilege of drawing the ever-popular moose tag a few times over the past two decades. She and partner Ed often put in for a moose application. 

She shared, “We’ve drawn the tag probably five or six times over the years. We had one last fall, and we went out a lot but never saw a bull. All we saw were cows.” 

They have each taken one bull and one cow in the last twenty years; for them, it’s all about the meat. Entering the drawing for moose is a game of odds, which is very similar to actually hunting these big majestic animals. 

West noted, “It’s really hit or miss, and depends on the area. If there are lots of moose in the district, they’ll allow a few more tags. It's also dependent on the numbers of males and females.” Up Big Creek, she exclaimed, “There is a lot of territory up here.” And she added, “When the tags are hard to come by, it makes it that much more special.”

Compared to other states out West, Montana offers one of the higher moose tag allocations. In 2023, 274 bull tags were issued throughout the state. Of those, 12 were drawn by the 3,327 non-residents who applied in the draw. The remaining were awarded to Montana state residents. 

According to Montana FWP, the vast majority of the state’s moose population is found in Regions 1 and 3. Mineral County is sandwiched in the middle in region two. All but 62 of the antlered bull tags issued across the state were from these two regions in 2023. Through hunting statistics and outcomes, the region 1 hunts continue to be much more difficult than in region 3. Because of this, non-resident application totals were almost three times higher for region three hunts than region one hunts in the last year. 

In 2023, hunters averaged 57% success out of 20 days of hunting in the districts that make up region one. In comparison, 2023’s hunters averaged 94% success on 17 days hunted in the region three units opened to non-residents. So, drawing a moose tag in Montana, especially in Region 1 the northwest corner of the state, will mean needing to spend lots of time in the field to come home with a bull. 

Another highly sought-after big game animal in Montana is the big horn sheep. Most days, a scenic drive along Highway 135 from St. Regis to Plains will turn up groups of these stocky, curly-horned beasts. But for frequent sightings of them often along that stretch of road, the only hunting districts near Mineral County for bighorn sheep is the 122 near Tamarack Creek, and over into Pats Knob, the 124. These districts have a very limited number of tags. Unit 122, which borders Mineral County, only allows a quota of two rams each hunting season. 

Montana has five units that they manage for unlimited bighorn sheep hunting opportunities. Those areas are in Regions 3 and 5 in southwest Montana, bordering Idaho and Wyoming. For the best odds of bighorn, travelling across the state is a necessity. But for Big Sky locals, long drives are a part of life. Like this year, for example, Christine West plans to forgo an annual moose hunt in exchange for antelope hunting over in eastern Montana. 

March 1 marks the beginning of the new license year for sportsmen of Montana. This means that you can now buy your 2025 hunting, fishing and conservation licenses and begin applying for permits and special licenses. The deadline to apply for deer and elk permits is April 1.   

Applications for most species - deer, elk, antelope, deer B licenses, elk B licenses, antelope B licenses, moose, sheep, goat, and bison – can be made beginning March 1.  

Some important deadlines in the coming months include big game and non-resident combo tags. The deadline is April 1. For moose, sheep, mountain goat, and bison, the deadline is May 1. The deadline for Antelope and B licenses is June 1. Applicants have the option to reapply for the same offerings as last year with a simple click, eliminating the need to search through previous applications. 

Hunters and anglers can also buy licenses and apply for permits on the FWP website beginning at 5 a.m. on March 1; click on “Buy and Apply.” Most FWP offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.