TagCanyon logoTagCanyonDeadline emails
Bull elk with large antlers standing in golden sagebrush

690-21 Elk Permit Draw Odds, Montana

Elk permit, district 690-21, 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 690-21
2026 total quota50
2026 nonresident cap (FWP's NR quota column)5
2026 landowner preference cap: resident / nonresident8 / 5
2026 first-choice applicants: resident / nonresident721 / 119
2026 drawn on first choice: resident / nonresident39 / 3
2026 first-choice odds: resident / nonresident5.4% / 2.5%
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
011700.0%
129600.0%
259422.1%
3108600.0%
4176346.3%
5267211.4%
6375935.1%
7504149.8%
8652926.9%
9822800.0%
1010129517.2%
1112210220.0%
1214519210.5%
1317014428.6%
1419711327.3%
152267228.6%
162571000.0%
17290400.0%
183256233.3%
193624125.0%
20401200.0%
214423266.7%
22485200.0%
23530100.0%

Resident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+22 applicants a year), about 743 residents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 5%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 5.7 (+0.18 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Landowner preference (residents, 2026): 20 first-choice applicants, 6 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
01300.0%
12900.0%
25800.0%
3102300.0%
4171200.0%
5261000.0%
6371200.0%
750500.0%
8657114.3%
9821417.1%
10101200.0%
11122500.0%
121452150.0%
13170200.0%
14197200.0%
16257100.0%
17290100.0%
21442100.0%

Nonresident outlook for 2027

If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (-2 applicants a year), about 117 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 (-0.02 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.

Landowner preference (nonresidents, 2026): 2 first-choice applicants, 2 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
2023506545.7%1254.0%
2024506425.8%1283.9%
2025506965.3%1254.0%
2026507215.4%1192.5%

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.