Montana’s non-resident bison hunts allow hunters the chance to harvest a bison as they migrate out of Yellowstone National Park. Montana has two non-resident bison hunts. Unit 385-20 is on the northern border of Yellowstone National Park near the town of Gardiner, and unit 395-20 is located on the western side of the park near the town of West Yellowstone. New for 2026, season dates have been extended from February 15 to the end of the month in hopes of boosting harvest success in years with a later bison migration. The dates for these hunts will now be November 15, 2026, through February 28, 2027.
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In years with mild temperatures and a lack of good snowfall, most of the herd will stay safely within the confines of the park’s boundaries for the winter hunting season. Aside from the cold weather and heavy snowfall in the winter of 2022/2023, this has been the case since the 2017/2018 hunting season. During the 2025/2026 season, one of the thirty Gardiner hunters were able to take a bison outside of the park boundary. The 395-20 unit, on the other hand, had good activity outside of the park, and seventeen of the twenty-five bison permit hunters took a bison on the West Yellowstone hunt. Success on this hunt can be more variable and less weather dependent than that of the Gardiner hunt. Some years will see good success when the season opens and mixed success the rest of the season.
There is no point system for Montana bison, so your odds are the same as all other applicants. Keep in mind that Native American tribes from across several states have traditional hunting rights here and will be hunting if bison come out of the park. It can’t be overstated how many hunters come away disappointed from their Montana bison hunt every year. These can be extremely frustrating hunts, but if you want to hunt Boone and Crockett eligible bison, Montana is one of a handful of states that offers the opportunity to do so.
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The Montana Bison application deadline is May 1, 2026.
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Up-Front Fees |
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| Base Hunting License | $50 |
| Conservation License | $10 |
| Bonus Point (optional/per species) | $20 |
| Bison Application Fee | $50 |
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| Bison Permit | $1,250 |
| Bow and Arrow License (required for all archery hunts) | $10 |
| *Fees do not include the additional 2.5% convenience fee. | |
MT Bison Hunting Articles from Huntin' Fool Magazine
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