To hunt buffalo in Montana, you apply for a special bison license through the state’s annual lottery by May 1, or you pursue a hunt through one of the tribal programs that operate separately from state licensing. State tags are drawn from thousands of applicants each year, the hunt takes place on foot in two districts bordering Yellowstone National Park, and a nonresident tag costs $1,250 if you draw. Everything else, from bonus points to brucellosis precautions, follows from those basics.
The State Lottery Application
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) issues state bison licenses only through a special drawing. The application deadline is May 1. Before you apply, you need two prerequisite licenses: a Conservation License and a Base Hunting License.1Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Hunt Species Guide – Bison
The nonrefundable application fee is $10 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.2Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Nonresident License Fees If you draw a tag, the license itself costs $125 for residents and $1,250 for nonresidents. You pay the license fee only if you’re selected.1Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Hunt Species Guide – Bison
Bonus Points and Your Real Odds
Odds of drawing in any single year are low. Montana uses a bonus point system that rewards patience. Each year you apply and don’t draw, you earn one bonus point. In the next drawing, the system squares your accumulated points and adds one for the current application to set your number of chances. An applicant with 10 points would receive 101 chances (10 squared plus one).3Montana FWP. Bonus Points The scaling is exponential, so first-time applicants are competing against people who have been building points for a decade or longer.
Mandatory Orientation
If you draw a tag, you receive a letter with instructions to complete a mandatory online bison hunter orientation before hunting. Archery hunters must also complete a separate mandatory archery orientation.1Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Hunt Species Guide – Bison Skip either one and you cannot legally hunt.
Where and When You Hunt
State bison hunting takes place in two districts near Yellowstone, both aimed at bison that migrate outside the park boundary:
- Hunting District 385, Gardiner area (north of Yellowstone): An Absaroka Beartooth early season runs September 15 through November 14; the general season runs November 15 through February 28.
- Hunting District 395, West Yellowstone area (west of the park): Season runs November 15 through February 28.
Those are the 2026 season dates published in the current FWP regulations.4Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. 2026 Moose Sheep Goat Bison Hunting Regulations The bulk of the harvest happens between November and February, when bison move to lower elevations near Gardiner and West Yellowstone.
Rules You Must Follow in the Field
Montana Code Annotated Section 87-2-730 requires fair chase, conducted on foot and away from public roads. No specific individual bison is designated for you to target.5Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 87-2-730 – Special Wild Buffalo License – Regulation You are limited to one bison per license.
FWP establishes a 100-yard buffer where hunting is prohibited along U.S. Highways 20, 89, 191, and 287, which run through and near the hunting districts.4Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. 2026 Moose Sheep Goat Bison Hunting Regulations Statewide, Montana law prohibits hunting any game animal with artificial light, bait, or salt licks.6Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 87-6-401 – Unlawful Use of Equipment While Hunting Tag the animal immediately upon harvest as specified in your license conditions.
Tribal Hunts Are a Separate Pathway
Several tribes run bison hunts independently from state licensing. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) conduct off-reservation hunts near Yellowstone with their own regulations.7Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Off-Reservation Bison Hunt The Blackfeet Nation partners with FWP on a lottery for guided hunts on the reservation, and the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes run their own buffalo program with a separate lottery.
Rules differ. On CSKT and Blackfeet off-reservation hunts, the only permitted weapon is a center-fired rifle firing a bullet of 150 grains or more.8Blackfeet Nation Fish and Wildlife. Equipment, Tools, and Support Under state statute MCA 87-2-732, FWP allocates a share of licenses to Montana tribes for traditional purposes, and tribal fair chase rules allow hunting on horseback while state license holders must be on foot.9Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 87-2-732 – Allocation of Wild Buffalo Licenses to Tribes for Traditional Purposes If a tribal hunt interests you, contact the relevant tribal wildlife department directly. Application processes, fees, and seasons vary and change year to year.
After the Shot
You must report your harvested bison to FWP within 48 hours by calling 1-877-FWP-WILD (1-877-397-9453).1Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Hunt Species Guide – Bison Reporting is mandatory and feeds directly into population management.
Bone and gut piles left in the field must be moved well away from roads, trails, and dwellings, and specific distances vary by managing authority and season. CSKT rules, for one example, impose a 150-yard no-shooting zone around developed facilities and require gut piles to sit at least 200 yards from roads and facilities through the end of November, with distances increasing as grizzly activity shifts.10Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes. Yellowstone Bison Hunt Read the specific regulations that apply to your district and license.
Two Hazards You Won’t See on Other Hunts
Brucellosis
Yellowstone-area bison carry brucellosis, a bacterial infection that spreads to humans through contact with blood, bodily fluids, and reproductive organs during field dressing. The CDC recommends latex or rubber gloves and eye protection when handling any bison carcass, along with avoiding bare-skin contact with fluids or organs. Use clean, sharp knives, bag and dispose of gloves after butchering, and wash your hands with soap and warm water as soon as possible.11Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brucellosis and Animals
One detail catches people off guard: freezing, smoking, drying, and pickling do not kill brucellosis bacteria. Cook bison meat thoroughly. Don’t feed raw meat or scraps to dogs.11Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Brucellosis and Animals
Grizzly Bears
Both hunting districts sit in active grizzly habitat, and a fresh bison carcass is one of the strongest attractants there is. FWP advises carrying bear spray at all times and keeping it immediately accessible. Pack meat out as fast as you can. If you must leave a carcass temporarily, leave it in a spot visible from a distance and approach cautiously on your return. If a bear has claimed your kill, do not try to chase it off. Report the lost game to FWP.12Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Bear Aware Hunting and Angling
Avoid butchering at dusk or after dark when you can. If a late kill forces you into low-light work, bring strong headlamps and stay vigilant. Drag gut piles into open areas at least 100 yards from the carcass as soon as possible.12Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Bear Aware Hunting and Angling
What a Bison Hunt Really Costs
The license fee is the smallest line item. A bull can weigh over 1,500 pounds on the hoof, which leaves you with hundreds of pounds of meat to move out of rugged, often snowbound terrain. Professional butchering and processing for a whole bison typically runs several hundred dollars, depending on the processor. A guide or outfitter for a bison expedition can run thousands, and availability is thin because so few tags are issued.
Plan on cold-weather gear rated for extended time on foot in Montana’s mountains between November and February, plus transportation that can haul a large amount of meat. Many successful hunters say the physical work of recovering a bison in deep snow is the hardest part of the whole experience.
If Someone Tries to Interfere
Bison hunts near Yellowstone have historically drawn protesters. Montana law protects legal hunters. Under MCA 87-6-215, it is illegal to intentionally interfere with the lawful taking of a wild animal, to disturb wildlife with intent to prevent a legal hunt, or to harass a hunter engaged in lawful activity.13Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 87-6-215 – Harassment
A first offense carries a fine up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail, plus possible loss of hunting and fishing privileges. A second offense within five years brings a mandatory fine of at least $500 (up to $1,000), up to six months in jail, and automatic forfeiture of hunting and fishing privileges for at least 24 months.13Montana State Legislature. Montana Code 87-6-215 – Harassment If you’re interfered with during a hunt, report it to a game warden rather than engaging with the person directly.