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270-51 Deer Permit Draw Odds, Montana

Deer permit, district 270-51 (mule), from FWP's 2023 to 2026 drawing statistics. Jump to resident odds or nonresident odds.

FactValue
DrawingDeer permit, district 270-51 (mule)
2026 total quota15
2026 nonresident cap (FWP's NR quota column)1
2026 landowner preference cap: resident / nonresident3 / 1
2026 first-choice applicants: resident / nonresident654 / 38
2026 drawn on first choice: resident / nonresident14 / 0
2026 first-choice odds: resident / nonresident2.1% / 0.0%
2026 total successful (all choices and pools)15

Resident odds by bonus point (2026 drawing)

Share of first-choice resident applicants at each bonus-point level who drew, from FWP's 2026 bonus point report. Each applicant gets one chance plus their points squared, so the draw favors high point holders without a hard cutoff. How Montana bonus points work.

Bonus pointsChances in drawing1st-choice applicantsDrawnOdds at this level
015600.0%
1211900.0%
258000.0%
3108400.0%
4176800.0%
5265723.5%
6375447.4%
7503712.7%
8651715.9%
9821000.0%
101011715.9%
111221200.0%
121451317.7%
131709111.1%
14197300.0%
15226400.0%
162575120.0%
18325200.0%
19362300.0%
235303133.3%
2457711100.0%

Resident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+31 applicants a year), about 685 residents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 2%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 4.5 (+0.13 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Landowner preference (residents, 2026): 1 first-choice applicants, 1 drawn.

Nonresident odds by bonus point (2026 drawing)

Share of first-choice nonresident applicants at each bonus-point level who drew, from FWP's 2026 bonus point report. Each applicant gets one chance plus their points squared, so the draw favors high point holders without a hard cutoff. How Montana bonus points work.

Bonus pointsChances in drawing1st-choice applicantsDrawnOdds at this level
01900.0%
121000.0%
25500.0%
310500.0%
417100.0%
526100.0%
637100.0%
750100.0%
982100.0%
11122200.0%
12145100.0%
14197100.0%

Nonresident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (-2 applicants a year), about 36 nonresidents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 0%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 3.0 (-0.04 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

First-choice odds by year

First-choice draws over first-choice applicants in the regular drawing (landowner preference excluded).

Draw yearQuotaRes applicantsRes oddsNR applicantsNR odds
2023155622.3%432.3%
2024155812.4%430.0%
2025155482.6%462.2%
2026156542.1%380.0%

Outlook method: see the top of the Montana points explainer and our forecast method. It is a trend line, not a promise.

Notes from TagCanyon

Deadline

Deer and elk permits: FWP's 2026 window ran Mar 1 to Apr 1, 2026 (11:45 p.m. Mountain), with results in mid-April. FWP has not posted 2027 dates yet; the April 1 deadline has held in recent years. FWP application and drawing dates.

Source: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP), 2026 Drawing Statistics reports (MyFWP drawing statistics, FWP application and drawing dates). Tables, outlooks and text are TagCanyon's own; FWP does not warrant or endorse them. Not affiliated with FWP. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026.