These dates are provided only as a general reference. Check current regulations or use FWP's online Hunt Planner for specific dates.
2021 Mountain Lion Season Dates
Archery (without hounds)
September 4 – October 17
Fall (without hounds)
October 23 – December 1
Winter (with hounds)
December 1 – April 14
Late Winter (with hounds)
February 1 – April 14
Licenses & Fees
Mountain Lion — General
Details: A Mountain Lion License purchased after August 31 may be purchased at any license provider, any FWP office, or online AND may not be used until 5 days after the license is issued. Not available to apprentice hunters.
Fees:
Resident: $19
Nonresident: $320
Mountain Lion — Special License
Details: Some districts require special licenses that are limited and available only through a drawing. Apply online or at an FWP office by July 24. Residents and nonresidents pay a $5 nonrefundable drawing fee; successful applicants are required to pay the full license fee. Not available to apprentice hunters.
Fees:
Resident: $19
Nonresident: $320
Hound Training License
Details: This license entitles the license holder to use a dog or dogs to aid in chasing mountain lions and/or bobcat in all valid mountain lion hunting districts in the state, except Hunting District 282, during the hound training season from Dec. 2-April 14. A resident hunter with a valid mountain lion license is not required to have a Resident Hound Training License to chase mountain lion. This is available over the counter to resident Conservation License holders 12 years of age or older or who will turn 12 before or during the season for which the license is issued.
Fees:
Resident-only: $5
Non-Resident Hound Handler License
Details: The state Legislature passed House Bill 311 during the 2019 legislative session. HB311 created a Non-Resident Hound Handler License. Statutory limitations of HB311 include that no more than 35 NRHH licenses may be issued in any year, and no more than 2 in any hunting district. The nonresident hound handler license is for personal use only and cannot be used to assist any other person in the pursuit of a lion for harvest.
Transfer possession of harvested game animal that requires mandatory FWP inspection: Download form (PDF)
Harvest Quotas & Subquotas
When the male or female subquota or quota is reached in a hunting district or management unit, the mountain lion season for that subquota or quota in that huting district or management unit will close upon 24-hour notice.
Mountain lion quotas fill quickly in some hunting districts or management units so hunters should check harvest closure information frequently.
Trichinellosis, also called trichinosis, is a disease that people can get by eating raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with the microscopic parasite, Trichinella. Infection occurs commonly in certain wild carnivorous animals such as bear or mountain lions, or omnivorous animals such as domestic pigs or wild boar.
FWP recommends that all bear and lion meat be thoroughly cooked before consumption by humans or pets. For hunters who still desire Trichinella testing, they may send a tissue sample to the Montana Department of Livestock’s diagnostic lab.
The Mountain Lion Identification Program is a voluntary training program available to anyone who is interested in mountain lion ecology and/or who wants to hunt mountain lions.
