Montana Bonus Points & Preference Points

What bonus points are for:

• Bonus Points apply only to limited-entry drawings (not general licenses).
• They are used for Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Moose.
• Bonus Points do NOT guarantee a license — they increase your odds.

How Bonus Points work

• Montana uses a weighted lottery, not a preference system.
• Your Bonus Points are squared, then +1 for the draw.

Example: If you have 3 Bonus Points → (3+1)² = 16 chances
Someone with 0 points has 1 chance.
So, more points equal better draw odds, but everyone is still in the draw.

When Bonus Points reset

• If you draw the license, your bonus points for that species reset to zero.
• Bonus Points are species-specific (can’t use elk Bonus Points for deer, etc.).

Nonresidents:

• Nonresidents can earn and use Bonus Points the same way residents do.
• Bonus Points do not override statutory nonresident quotas (e.g., the 10% cap).

Cost of Bonus Points

Bonus Points vs Preference Points (Important!)

A lot of people mix this up so it's important to know the difference.

Bonus Points: use for limited-entry licenses/permits-applies to resident and nonresident hunters

Preference Points: are only used for Nonresident General Deer / Elk Combo licenses.

• Preference Points-you can not build Preference Points-if you do not apply one year, your Preference Points go away.
• Outfitter Preference Point-If you book with an outfitter, you are eligible to purchase 1 additional Preference Point for that year. This gives you a much better chance of drawing.
• Note: It hasn’t been possible to draw either a nonresident General Deer / Elk Combo with only 1 Preference Point.

Cost of Preference Point

• All Preference Point are: $100.00. (only for nonresidents)