Montana Moose and Sheep Drawing Error Leads to Fewer Licenses Issued

Mistake in Drawing Results in Quota Discrepancies

HELENA – In the recent moose and sheep drawing in Montana, a mistake was made that led to more tags issued than available in the unit quotas. The error occurred due to incorrect quotas being entered into the drawing system by licensing staff. After discovery of the error many “successful” applicants were notified that they had not in fact drawn a tag.

The affected licenses are for moose and bighorn sheep, two iconic species sought after by hunters in Montana. The incorrect quotas led to a discrepancy between the number of applicants drawn and the actual quota for each license.

Impacted Sheep Licenses

The following bighorn sheep licenses were affected by the drawing error:

Impacted Moose Licenses

The following moose licenses were affected by the drawing error:

Rectifying the Issue

Since the drawing system allocates licenses in a specific order, FWP staff can identify and rectify the mistakenly awarded licenses beyond the appropriate quotas. While this may disappoint some hunters who believed they were successful in the drawing, it is considered the fairest way to address the error.

The correction process will be initiated promptly to address the drawing error. The moose, sheep, goat, and bison drawing took place on May 12, and the error was discovered on May 16. FWP staff swiftly halted the purchase of licenses by successful applicants in the affected districts.

The correction process involves removing successful applicants from the drawing based on their place in line in the original drawing. Once the necessary corrections are made, the affected hunters will be notified through phone calls and emails, and their MyFWP accounts will be updated. Subsequently, the successful applicants will be able to purchase their licenses.