Official GIS polygon layers render here when available. Click a unit polygon to ask Jeremiah for practical hunting background; seeded unit cards appear only when no GIS layer has been imported yet.

2 GIS layers

Montana Spring Turkey Hunting Districts

Official GIS source

species units

5 polygons

Species-specific hunt/tag/management boundaries.

Map key

No district / excluded area

State outline

100 / 700 series

200 / 800 series

300 / 900 series

400 series

500 series

600 series

Hover / clicked

Cream/white gaps are places not covered by this active district layer, such as reservations, national parks, lakes/water, or other excluded/non-district areas. Colors separate hunting-district number series for readability; always verify exact rules, species, and season dates against the official source.

GIS unit polygons are loaded for MT. Click any polygon on the map to open Jeremiah with unit background and opportunity notes.

Back to mapCompare all units Open application portal

Agency source

1

high confidence

Opportunities

19

researched nonresident paths

Applications

0

public research mode

Unit map

GIS

ArcGIS REST

Sandhill Crane opportunities

First-pass official-source research package for nonresident applications, draw/OTC paths, odds, harvest stats, and map linkage. Retrieved 2026-05-14.

1 opportunities

0 mapped

12 sources

Application process

Montana nonresidents should use MyFWP/FWP OLS as the system of record. For a regular deer/elk application, first verify the MyFWP profile, hunter education, Conservation License, Base Hunting License fee, and any bowhunter prerequisites. Then choose one nonresident combination path: General Deer Combination, General Elk Combination, or General Big Game Combination. Add any deer/elk permit choices in the same April 1 workflow, remembering that permits are HD-specific privileges layered on the underlying license and are not extra animals. Moose, sheep, goat, and bison close May 1; antelope, Deer B, Elk B, crane, and swan close June 1; limited mountain lion closes July 22. Post-draw Deer Permit, Elk Permit, Deer B, and Elk B surplus list signup runs June 15-July 15. Boondoggle should provide the plan, links, deadlines, map context, and screenshot/PDF import, but not submit, pay, change profile data, or report harvest without explicit human approval.

Open portal

Timezone: America/Denver / Montana time; FWP pages state 11:45 p.m. MST for application deadlines

Sandhill Crane

Sandhill Crane Permit / Central Flyway Opportunity

medium

draw

nonresident

needs map link

Hunt codes: crane permit areas in migratory bird regulations

Units: crane/flyway areas

Deadlines: From: 2026-05-01; To: 2026-06-01; Label: Applications open May 1, 2026 at 5 a.m. MST and close June 1, 2026 at 11:45 p.m. MST; drawing expected mid-June.; Timezone: America/Denver; Source Url: https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/hunting-licenses/application-drawing-dates

Fees: Confirm exact crane permit/license fees in the current migratory bird regulations; nonresident migratory bird license is listed separately at $150.

Prerequisites

• MyFWP / FWP Online Licensing System account is required for online applications, purchases, draw status, surplus signup, roster signup, and point purchases.
• Buy a Conservation License before applying for or buying hunting licenses; 2026 nonresident cost is listed as $10.
• Pay the annual Base Hunting License fee with the first hunting license/application; 2026 nonresident cost is listed as $50.
• Combination licenses include season fishing and upland bird licenses, but Conservation License, Base Hunting License fee, and AIS Prevention Pass are separate.
• Anyone born after January 1, 1985 must provide approved hunter education proof to buy or apply for a Montana hunting license.
• Archery-only seasons or districts require a bow-and-arrow license plus bowhunter education or accepted prior bowhunting-license proof.
• First-time black bear license buyers must complete Montana's Black Bear Identification Test before purchasing a bear license.
• Nonresident deer/elk hunters generally need to draw or otherwise qualify for one of Montana's combination licenses before hunting general deer/elk or applying for associated special deer/elk permits.

Sandhill Crane map gaps

• Sandhill crane and swan flyway/permit area layers needed.

Sandhill Crane follow-up

• Need to parse current 2026 regulation PDFs for exact deer, elk, antelope, B-license, moose, sheep, goat, bison, bear, lion, wolf, turkey, crane, and swan hunt-code tables.
• Need final confirmation of black bear/nonresident hound draw details and swan/crane exact fee details from current species PDFs before exposing in production UI.

Jeremiah guide notes

What should a regular nonresident deer or elk hunter do first?

Verify MyFWP, hunter education, Conservation License/Base Hunting License fee, and then choose exactly one combination path: Deer, Elk, or Big Game. Add any deer/elk permit choices before the April 1 deadline.

Is a Montana deer or elk permit an extra animal?

No. Deer and elk permits generally authorize a special place/sex/season opportunity on top of a valid underlying license; they are not additional tags.

What are the big 2026 Montana nonresident deadlines?

April 1 for deer/elk combinations and deer/elk permits; May 1 for moose, sheep, goat, and bison; June 1 for antelope, Deer B, Elk B, crane, and swan; July 22 for limited mountain lion.

How do Montana points work?

Most species drawings use squared bonus points plus the current application chance. Nonresident combination licenses use preference points: 75% go by preference point order and 25% go randomly to zero-point applicants.

What if I miss the main deer/elk draw?

For Deer Permit, Elk Permit, Deer B, and Elk B, sign up for the surplus list June 15-July 15 if available. It is randomized, and selected hunters get email purchase instructions.

Can Boondoggle submit my Montana application?

No. Boondoggle should prepare the plan, links, deadlines, map context, and screenshot/PDF import. The actual application, payment, profile edits, and harvest reporting stay in the official FWP/MyFWP portal unless Jonathan explicitly approves a separate user-present action.

Official sources

Applications, Drawings, and Bonus Points

2026 application openings, deadlines, draw timing, and opportunity availability by species.

Nonresident Hunting Licenses

Nonresident license landing page, MyFWP/OLS workflow links, alternates, refunds, surplus, roster, and special-category license links.

Nonresident License Fees

2026 nonresident combination prices, species license prices, availability, base-fee note, AISPP note, and application-fee notes.

Hunting Requirements / Base Hunting Fees

Conservation license, base hunting license fee, hunter education, bowhunter education, and bow-and-arrow license prerequisites.

Bonus and Preference Points

Montana bonus point formula, nonresident combination preference point allocation, party application averaging, point purchase windows, and point loss rules.

Drawing Statistics