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Residents: How to Apply

1.Determine if you need a Deer or Elk permit in your hunting area. A permit and a general license is required to hunt Mule Deer Bucks and Bull Elk in certain hunting districts.

  • Your permit must be used with your General Deer or Elk hunting license. A permit is not a second license and does not allow the holder to kill an additional animal. Rather, it offers a special opportunity to hunt for a species in a particular hunting district allowing the hunter to harvest a buck mule deer or bull elk.

  • Review the maps for Deer or Elk. If the hunting district where you wish to hunt indicates a permit is required, you must apply by March 15. If the map indicates that no permit is required, your General Elk or Deer license is all you need to hunt there during the 2012 general hunting season.

2.If you're applying for an Elk Permit, purchase your 2012 General Elk License.

Buy your Generak Elk License through FWP's Online Licensing System.

3.Pick the correct permit code and know the hunting district.

Some hunting districts have more than one option for a permit—for instance, HD 631 offers one for archery-only and one for general season only, while HD 380 offers one for archery and the general season. Some permits—like those offered for deer in HDs 213 and HD 298—also are valid in more than one hunting district. NOTE: Hunting districts that have a quota of "pending" will not be finalized until the FWP Commission meets on Feb. 16; do not apply for these hunting districts until you have verified the commission's action.

4. Are you applying as a party?

NOTE: In Montana, a "party" simply means that a group of hunters are applying together for the chance to obtain hunting licenses or permits. It is strictly illegal to transfer any hunting license. Each individual in the application "party" must harvest his or her own game.

For paper applications: Make sure: (1) all party members are listed; (2) all part members apply for the same hunting districts, in the same order and include the same preference/ bonus-point participation; (3) all party application must be submitted in the same envelope; (4) if one party member makes an error, that application will be eliminated but the remaining will be processed.

For online applications: The party establisher must list all party members and provide the party number to all party members so each member can apply online for that party.

5. Check out our permit application tips

We've put together some tips for a successful application.

5. Watch the Resident Application Tutorial video:

7. Complete your application

Paper applications:

  • Download application
  • Fill in date of birth, ALS #
  • Complete all mandatory information
  • Original signature
  • Select the license type
  • For permits, fill in the hunting districts (All 5 numbers)
  • Double-check your math
  • Postmark no later than March 15th

Online applications: