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Bull elk with large antlers standing in golden sagebrush

690-20 Elk Permit Draw Odds, Montana

Elk permit, district 690-20, from FWP's 2023 to 2026 drawing statistics. Jump to resident odds or nonresident odds.

Photo: National Park Service (GrandTetonNPS), public domain. Photo credits

FactValue
DrawingElk permit, district 690-20
2026 total quota50
2026 nonresident cap (FWP's NR quota column)5
2026 landowner preference cap: resident / nonresident8 / 5
2026 first-choice applicants: resident / nonresident1,568 / 178
2026 drawn on first choice: resident / nonresident37 / 5
2026 first-choice odds: resident / nonresident2.4% / 2.8%
2026 total successful (all choices and pools)50

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
0114210.7%
1220700.0%
2522110.5%
31015310.7%
41715132.0%
52612421.6%
6379100.0%
75010222.0%
8658644.7%
9825423.7%
101013725.4%
111224025.0%
121452528.0%
1317021419.0%
141972428.3%
152269111.1%
162579111.1%
172901317.7%
183251119.1%
1936211327.3%
20401300.0%
214426116.7%
22485400.0%
23530300.0%
245774125.0%

Resident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+96 applicants a year), about 1,664 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 5.2 (+0.12 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Landowner preference (residents, 2026): 25 first-choice applicants, 8 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%
122500.0%
252514.0%
3101915.3%
4171700.0%
526900.0%
6371400.0%
7501500.0%
865800.0%
982600.0%
10101500.0%
111229111.1%
12145300.0%
13170200.0%
141972150.0%
15226100.0%
16257100.0%
172903133.3%
18325100.0%
20401100.0%
22485100.0%
24577100.0%

Nonresident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (-17 applicants a year), about 161 nonresidents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 3%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 5.8 (+0.37 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Landowner preference (nonresidents, 2026): 1 first-choice applicants, 0 drawn.

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
2023501,2793.0%2281.8%
2024501,3672.9%2181.4%
2025501,4302.7%2061.9%
2026501,5682.4%1782.8%

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.