Like most moose populations in the Lower 48, Montana’s moose have seen better days. Last year, for the ninth consecutive year, statewide permit totals were cut. Between disease and wolf predation, moose numbers continue their steady decline while biologists do their best to stabilize the population. That being said, Montana remains a good option for non-resident moose applicants, as it still offers one of the higher moose tag allocations in the West. Last year, there were 262 bull tags issued throughout the state. Of those, 15 were drawn by the 3,634 non-residents that applied in the draw.
Regions 1 and 3 continue to hold the vast majority of the state’s moose population, and all but 65 of the antlered bull tags issued across the state were for these two regions in 2025. Regionwide success rates in Region 3 continue to be about 15% higher than those of Region 1, but they also come with steeper draw odds. Hunters are also spending more time in the field to fill their tags in Region 1, averaging roughly sixteen days of hunting. Region 3 moose hunters are logging an average of twelve days of hunting and reporting a 93% success rate across this area of the state. It’s important to keep in mind that drawing a moose tag in Montana, especially in Region 1, will likely mean you will need to spend a ton of time in the field to come home with a bull. Be prepared to hunt long and hard, as moose densities are low in most of these areas. Many Montana moose hunters make the mistake of showing up on their hunt with unrealistic expectations. Just because these are once-in-a-lifetime hunts does not mean filling a tag will be easy.
