Montana Odds

[muleyman]

I have a buddy that lives in Sealey Lake MT and this year me and two other friends from Oregon put in for the big game combo draw. We only have one point. We DID buy the additional point for $20. Was that a waste of money? My other question is what do you think our odds are for drawing with only one point between the three of us?

Thanks for the help!

muleyman )->

 

[Bambistew]

the point won't help you at all. YOu'll be in the '0' point catagory and have about a 60% chance to draw.

 

[NeMont]

But please continue to buy the point because we need the money.

Nemont

 

[Bambistew]

I guess I don't understand what you're asking... Did you apply as a party and had only one point split between the three of you or do you all have one point?

If you all have one point then you stand a good chance of drawing, if only one of you has a point and you applied as a party and 'pooled' your one point then you effectivly have no points in the draw and have lower odds.

I put in and spent the $20 too. We'll see what happens in a month or so.

 

[Randy11]

It doesnt matter because theres no big deer around seeley, especially mulies
dont even bother with the area.

 

[muleyman]

I am the only one who put in last year and didn't get drawn. So I guess you could say we have only one point between all of us.

My buddy lives in S - Lake. We won't be hunting there. His parents own a ranch somewhere out by the "Bob". Lots of elk and whitetail around there I guess. He said that if we want to go after mule deer we will need to move a lot higher up in elevation. Archery hunting is what I do best..............!

muleyman

 

[lostinOregon]

Muleyman,

they average the point so you have 0, so if you put in for deer combination you have about a 12% chance, it goes up each year with the points, so it is a good investment. Twenty bucks isn't even a half tank of gas. I put in for the elk/deer combo but my son has drawn the deer combo every year he has had one point (3 times)

 

[JohnnyLegend]

I recently spoke with the MT licensing group and they told me if you apply for the non-residenbt big game combo with 0 bonus points, you have a 65% chance to draw. I have drawn 4 out of 5 times in MT as a NR. Montana is in my opinion the best value in the west with their big game combo and its flexibility of use. Good luck in the draw and good hunting in 06'.

 

[lostinOregon]

Talking two different options, there is the big game combo elk/deer that has the 60% success rate, I was talking about the deer only combo odds

 

[PrarieDog]

I have applied (unsuccessfully) the last three years for the Montana NR "deer only" license. Each time purchasing a preference point. With only 2500 "deer only" licenses available, odds are pretty slim. Preference points in Montana are not like most other states, where six points will take precedence over five points, etc. In Montana a preference point simply means your name will go into the "hat" one extra time for each preference point. So instead of having a 1 in 25000 chance, you'll have a 2 or 3 in 25000 shot. Still not fantastic odds. Also, somebody with zero, or one preference point, can still outdraw someone with three, four, or five points. Odds for the "Big Game Combination Deer & Elk" license are much greater since there are 12,500 tags allocated. This is in addition to the Outfitter & Landowner guaranteed licenses. This year I applied for the "Big Game Combination" license, where I have been told with three preference points, I have a 93% chance of drawing.

 

[Bob D.]

A friend of mine drew the deer tag in 2004 and again in 2005, and those are the only times he has ever put in for it. Looks like 100% odds to me.

 

[PrarieDog]

Five or six years ago, I did a "party" application with three friends, with no preference points between us. We drew the very first time. Luck of the draw

 

[rifleman]

last year i was part of a party of 5 that all drew with no pref. points. putting in again the same way this year. i know people on the forum have told me different, but i think putting in as a party helps. furthermore, why have 5 people put in with 5 applications, if everyone doesn't have a chance. i've talked to 3 different montana G&F office personel and everyone of them told me something different about how the drawing works. i know anything can happen though. just look at one of the guys i went with last year. it was his 4th time to draw in 5 years, all times with multiple people in his party. the one time he didn't draw he got a leftover tag from the big game combo. you just never know i guess.

 

[Tally]

You did not buy an additional point for $20.
The twenty bucks went to apply the point you have to your status in the drawing.
It asked you if you want to participate in the bonus point program, if so, pay $20.