Montana FWP analyzing nonresident hunting impacts, seeks hunter input

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is collecting data on the impacts of nonresident hunters on deer, elk, upland game birds, and water fowl hunting in the state, and is asking hunters to provide feedback about how nonresident hunting impacts how licenses are allocated.

The survey is part of a study bill — House Bill 568 — passed by the 2025 Legislature. The Montana Hunters First Act, sponsored by Republican Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, directed FWP to conduct an impact study on nonresident hunting.

The bill requires the department to look at how nonresident hunting impacts deer, elk and bird hunting in each of the seven regions across the state, as well how lands enrolled in hunter access program are utilized and game population trends.

During the 2025 session, lawmakers also passed a bill increasing the base cost of a nonresident hunting fee by more than 500%, which is expected to raise nearly $7 million annually.

While the final results of the study will be released in December, the department released some preliminary data this week showing that nonresident license sales have grown during the previous decade, “though some of that has tapered a bit in recent years,” according to FWP, while remaining higher than 2016 numbers.

Nonresident total elk license purchases, which includes deer-elk combo and elk only licenses, grew from 19,914 in 2016 to 22,092 in 2025, while deer licenses peaked in 2021 at 42,557 and dropped to 40,614 in 2025.

The share of nonresident deer and elk hunters climbed from around 17% in 2016 to a peak of more than 20% in 2021 before dropping off a percentage point in recent years.

Since 2016, the largest uptick in hunting license sales has been in migratory bird licenses, which rose from 3,490 in 2016 to 5,539 in 2025 — a 58% increase.

Nonresident upland game bird license sales increased 15% from 3,490 in 2016 to 5,539 in 2025.

In general, license sales are sold according to state law, which can change with every legislative session. The Fish and Wildlife Commission can also dictate how licenses are distributed and has cut back on some licenses for nonresident in recent years.

House Bill 568 requires FWP to identify “specific issues for consideration” for the legislature, the department and the Fish and Wildlife Commission about nonresident hunter impacts. However, the bill does not make any immediate changes to hunting seasons, license quotas, or resident/nonresident allocations.

Hunters can participate in the survey through FWP’s website.

The department will publish a publicly accessible report by Dec. 1.