HELENA — The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has extended the next bison hunting season and made a change that could increase the number of licenses issued.
On Thursday, the commission approved expanding the current season-ending date from February 15 to February 28. The opening date will remain November 15. The only license not impacted is the 385-21 license, which runs from September 15 to November 14.
The number of licenses offered for hunting district 385, which borders the north side of Yellowstone National Park near Gardiner, will move from a set number of licenses to a license quota range.
The quota range allows the commission to adjust the number of licenses during the off-season. Currently, FWP offers forty 385-20 licenses and five 385-21 licenses. The new change will establish a quota range of 10-100 for 385-20 licenses and a 1-15 quota range for the 385-21 licenses.
Bison are migratory. Depending on the year and weather, there could be little to no animals on Montana land or hundreds.
Hunters hoping to score a tag will still need to enter the yearly drawing. However, the bison licenses are some of the most coveted. In 2024, more than 16,000 hunters applied for the 70 available tags.
