Change
will speed up drawing results
MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS
Hunters and
anglers can expect a few changes this year when they buy their 2020 licenses
starting March 1.
The most
visible change Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks customers will see is a change
to license paper. Starting this year, both licenses and carcass tags will be
printed on normal-sized paper, and license buyers will be able to print them at
home.
For years,
FWP licenses and tags have been produced on weather-resistant paper. However,
this paper is not only expensive, but requires printing technology so outdated
that it’s almost impossible to replace. The switch to standard 8.5 by 11-inch
paper will provide significant savings and ultimately be easier for customers.
What this
means is hunters won’t have to wait for special permits or licenses to come in
the mail from FWP, but rather will be able to print them at home or at their
local license provider.
This change
also will reinforce the ability in Montana to have your license electronically
on your mobile device and not printed out in your pocket. While carcass tags
still need to be printed out, other licenses, such as a fishing license, do
not. If checked in the field, this electronic version of your license is
perfectly legal.
FWP
recommends that people carry small plastic bags with them while hunting, and
place validated carcass tags in the bags before attaching them to an animal.
Small plastic bags ideal for this application will be available at all license
providers, but any small sandwich bag will work.
Additionally,
in 2020, hunters applying for licenses or permits will be able to do so online
or at an FWP office. Mail-in applications will no longer be accepted.
With modern
technology, the number of online applications continues to steadily grow.
Eighty-six percent of Montana hunters now choose this method. The small
percentage of mail-in applications creates a time-consuming, expensive and inefficient
delay in the license-drawing process. Mail-in applications must be entered
manually in the licensing system, leaving room for human error and
delays.
Customers
who still look for written guidance to help them through the application
process will be able to find information sheets online or at an FWP office in
the coming weeks. These information sheets will not be accepted as
applications.
This simple
change means that drawing results will now be available two weeks after the
application deadline, rather than six weeks, allowing hunters to begin making
plans for the upcoming season that much earlier.
