700-20 Elk Permit Draw Odds, Montana
Elk permit, district 700-20, from FWP's 2023 to 2026 drawing statistics. Jump to resident odds or nonresident odds.
Photo: National Park Service (GrandTetonNPS), public domain. Photo credits
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| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Drawing | Elk permit, district 700-20 |
| 2026 total quota | 250 |
| 2026 nonresident cap (FWP's NR quota column) | 25 |
| 2026 landowner preference cap: resident / nonresident | 38 / 25 |
| 2026 first-choice applicants: resident / nonresident | 2,407 / 279 |
| 2026 drawn on first choice: resident / nonresident | 194 / 20 |
| 2026 first-choice odds: resident / nonresident | 8.1% / 7.2% |
| 2026 total successful (all choices and pools) | 250 |
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 points | Chances in drawing | 1st-choice applicants | Drawn | Odds at this level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 295 | 4 | 1.4% |
| 1 | 2 | 491 | 5 | 1.0% |
| 2 | 5 | 423 | 6 | 1.4% |
| 3 | 10 | 299 | 14 | 4.7% |
| 4 | 17 | 256 | 28 | 10.9% |
| 5 | 26 | 180 | 22 | 12.2% |
| 6 | 37 | 142 | 27 | 19.0% |
| 7 | 50 | 114 | 18 | 15.8% |
| 8 | 65 | 78 | 22 | 28.2% |
| 9 | 82 | 49 | 16 | 32.7% |
| 10 | 101 | 26 | 8 | 30.8% |
| 11 | 122 | 17 | 7 | 41.2% |
| 12 | 145 | 15 | 6 | 40.0% |
| 13 | 170 | 5 | 2 | 40.0% |
| 14 | 197 | 5 | 2 | 40.0% |
| 15 | 226 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| 16 | 257 | 4 | 3 | 75.0% |
| 17 | 290 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 18 | 325 | 4 | 3 | 75.0% |
| 23 | 530 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
Resident outlook for 2027
If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (+53 applicants a year), about 2,460 residents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 8%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 3.4 (+0.14 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.
Landowner preference (residents, 2026): 31 first-choice applicants, 31 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 points | Chances in drawing | 1st-choice applicants | Drawn | Odds at this level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 1 | 2 | 27 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 2 | 5 | 39 | 2 | 5.1% |
| 3 | 10 | 36 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 4 | 17 | 25 | 5 | 20.0% |
| 5 | 26 | 29 | 1 | 3.4% |
| 6 | 37 | 27 | 1 | 3.7% |
| 7 | 50 | 23 | 1 | 4.3% |
| 8 | 65 | 21 | 2 | 9.5% |
| 9 | 82 | 16 | 2 | 12.5% |
| 10 | 101 | 5 | 1 | 20.0% |
| 11 | 122 | 6 | 2 | 33.3% |
| 13 | 170 | 2 | 1 | 50.0% |
| 14 | 197 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% |
| 16 | 257 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
| 19 | 362 | 1 | 1 | 100.0% |
Nonresident outlook for 2027
If first-choice demand keeps its 2023 to 2026 trend (-38 applicants a year), about 241 nonresidents would apply in 2027; with the same number of first-choice licenses, overall first-choice odds would be about 8%. Average bonus points among first-choice applicants are trending to about 5.0 (+0.44 a year), a measure of point creep in a weighted draw. Confidence: medium.
Landowner preference (nonresidents, 2026): 5 first-choice applicants, 5 drawn.
First-choice odds by year
First-choice draws over first-choice applicants in the regular drawing (landowner preference excluded).
| Draw year | Quota | Res applicants | Res odds | NR applicants | NR odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 200 | 2,247 | 6.9% | 393 | 4.1% |
| 2024 | 250 | 2,431 | 8.4% | 350 | 6.3% |
| 2025 | 250 | 2,407 | 8.3% | 316 | 6.0% |
| 2026 | 250 | 2,407 | 8.1% | 279 | 7.2% |
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
- In 2026, 2,407 residents listed this drawing first for a quota of 250, about 9.6 resident applicants per license.
- Residents: at 0 bonus points 1% drew; at 14 points (the highest level with at least 5 applicants) 40% drew.
- Nonresidents: at 0 bonus points 0% drew; at 11 points (the highest level with at least 5 applicants) 33% drew.
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.
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