Show Notes
Did you know there are over-the-counter Bighorn Sheep tags in the lower 48? We dive in to that and more in this episode!
Montana runs a squared bonus point system, which means you always have a chance no matter how many points you have — but the odds climb very differently depending on the species. Moose points actually build toward something real. Sheep is closer to a lifetime lottery ticket. Goat and bison sit somewhere in between. Before you decide whether to apply, you need to know which of these is actually worth your time and money. This episode breaks down all four species — what the draw odds look like at every point level for both residents and non-residents, why Montana's tag prices are surprisingly affordable compared to Wyoming, and how to think about whether building points here beats saving up for a guided hunt somewhere else. What we cover: • How Montana's squared bonus point system works — and why you always have a shot even with one point • The only five units offering unlimited bighorn sheep tags, the harvest quota system, and why success rates sit at just 2–7% • Why Montana moose odds actually climb to meaningful percentages — and what that means for your long-term strategy • Rocky Mountain goat draw odds for non-residents vs. residents, and why this is one of the best resident opportunities in any state we've covered • Montana's Yellowstone-corridor bison hunt: no point system, pure lottery, and what a quarter-to-half percent draw odds really means • Why the same bison herd costs $1,250 to apply for in Montana vs. $6,000 in Wyoming Hit subscribe and leave us a five-star review — and get on the Drawn West newsletter at getdrawnwest.com so you never miss another deadline like this one.
Stay Ahead of Hunting Season with the Drawn West Newsletter. Get practical emails on deadlines, draw strategy, new episodes, and giveaway updates.
Join Here: https://www.getdrawnwest.com/newsletter Looking for more content from Drawn West? Check out our latestarticle! [HowComedy Can Help Save Hunting]
FREE Gear Checklist: https://www.getdrawnwest.com/gear
Connect with Brian Krebs https://linktr.ee/getdrawnwest Have Questions or Comments? Send an email to [email protected]! Sponsorsand Discounts: GOHUNTInsider - $50 Gear Shop Credit with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/g3aa8L4 GOHUNT GearShop – 10% off most items with code DRAWNWEST https://alnk.to/e75Pm4u Save10% onMaverick Hunting Blinds & Accessories with code DRAWNWEST https://maverickhunting.com/?ref=getdrawnwest
00:00 Montana Once-in-a-Lifetime Overview& May 1st Deadline 02:08 Tag Costs, Refund Policy & HowMontana's Hybrid System Works 04:13 Squared Bonus Points Explained: WhyYou Always Have a Chance 05:13 When to Apply vs. When to BuyPoints Only 07:26 Montana Bighorn Sheep: Best in theLower 48 — But Declining Tags 10:00 The Over-the-Counter Sheep Hunt:What the Success Rates Actually Say 13:00 Top Trophy Units & Non-ResidentDraw Odds by Point Level 16:35 Resident Bighorn Sheep Odds: ADifferent Story Entirely 18:00 Montana Moose Breakdown:Population, Harvest & Trophy Quality 20:08 Moose Draw Odds: Why This SpeciesIs Worth Playing the Long Game 23:39 Rocky Mountain Goat: Best ResidentOdds We've Seen in This Series 25:40 Resident Goat Odds at Max Points —Legitimately Exciting 26:30 Montana Bison Hunt: YellowstoneMigration, No Points, Pure Lottery 29:00 Should You Apply? Brian's PersonalTake on All Four Species
More from Drawn West
Think rugby is rough? Try playing it on horseback while fighting for possession of a 70-pound goat. Nick Willert says he came out of professional MMA fights less injured than he has from Kok Boru and horseback wrestling—and after hearing his stories, I believe him. Nick joins me to explain two sports I barely knew existed: one where you wrestle another rider out of the saddle, and another where four riders work together to move a goat carcass into the opposing team’s goal. We get into competing at the World Nomad Games, drawing an unfamiliar horse, the match that left him with three broken ribs, and why he keeps going back. Then we shift into Forge Line fieldwear and the gear that has to survive all of it. I share my first impressions of the Oaks Camp pants and jacket after wearing them for projects around my property, and Nick explains the military clothing experience behind their fit, reinforced construction, and washable waxed cotton. We also talk through hunting applications, layering, and the difference between weather resistance and waterproof protection. What we cover: · How horseback wrestling works—and why grappling skills are only part of the equation. · What Kok Boru is, how teams score, and what makes it so physically demanding. · Nick’s World Nomad Games experience and the injury that ended his latest tournament. · The challenges of bringing horseback wrestling and Kok Boru to the United States. · How Forge Line carried its military clothing experience into civilian fieldwear. · My first impressions of the Oaks Camp pants for food plots, fence work, and everyday use. · Waxed cotton, reinforced panels, and building a layering system around your activity and conditions.
How do you choose hunting optics without spending money on magnification and features you don’t need? I break down how to choose a spotting scope, binoculars, and a laser rangefinder for western hunting and whitetail scouting. From angled vs. straight spotting scopes to 10x vs. 12x binoculars, I explain the tradeoffs behind my glassing setup and what I’d look for before upgrading. I use my Maven S3 spotting scope, B6 12x50 binoculars, and RF1 rangefinder to demonstrate, but the buying considerations apply across optics brands. · Angled vs. straight spotting scopes—and why I switched to angled · Choosing spotting scope magnification to complement your binoculars · Why I prefer 12x50 binoculars for western hunting and whitetails · When higher-power binoculars might replace a spotting scope · Tripod mounting, binocular diopter adjustment, and digiscoping adapters · What rangefinder distance ratings mean for different targets · Angle compensation, brightness controls, and field/forest modes Subscribe to Drawn West and leave a rating and review. Sign up for the newsletter through the link below, and follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram. For the hands-on demonstrations, watch on YouTube or Spotify. Stay drawn.
Last Day to Win a Custom Bow! Enter at: https://www.getdrawnwest.com/giveaways And get 10x entries when you shop Drawn West Apparel! https://www.getdrawnwest.com/shop Your broadhead might work great when everything goes right. But what happens when an elk turns, your arrow catches a shoulder, or the blood trail disappears? I sit down with Dr. Ed Ashby to talk arrow penetration, single-bevel broadheads, and building a hunting arrow for more than a perfect broadside shot. I’ve followed his research since I started changing my arrow setup for elk hunting, and I brought out a box of broadheads to ask the questions I’ve always wondered about. We get into the Natal study, why structural integrity and arrow flight come before chasing high FOC, and what the roughly 650-grain heavy-bone threshold actually means. I also push on the other side of the equation: if my arrow already passes through, could a wider cut help me recover a deer in thick Minnesota cover? Ashby shares his perspective on blood trails, bleeder blades, and why breaking through bone doesn’t guarantee lethal penetration. What we cover: · How four unrecovered whitetails sparked Ashby’s arrow-performance research. · Lessons from testing 32 broadhead designs during the Natal study. · Why you shouldn’t sacrifice arrow flight for higher FOC. · How tip shape, ferrule design, and single bevels affect penetration. · What the 650-grain threshold does—and doesn’t—tell you. · Cutting width, blood trails, and recovering animals when the hit isn’t perfect. If this gives you something to think about before your next hunt, follow the podcast and share it with someone working on their arrow setup. Follow @getdrawnwest on Instagram to keep up with what we’re doing.
Trucker hats are live! Shop the most comfortable blaze orange hats and build some extra entries for the ARC! https://www.getdrawnwest.com/shop First focal plane vs. second focal plane scopes does not need to be complicated. The right choice comes down to how you hunt, how far you shoot, and whether you want a simple point-and-shoot setup or more options for dialing and precision.
Most hunting merch is a logo slapped on a shirt nobody actually wants to wear. I didn't want to do that. After months of sketching, the first Drawn West apparel line is live: eight shirts and hoodies built around real hunting stories, inside jokes, and a few statement pieces meant to start a conversation at the airport, at deer camp, or at the trailhead. I go piece by piece through the launch lineup. That includes the OG Hoodie and OG Tee, the Classic Hoodie, the One Country topo shirt with a bugling bull set into the map where I shot my first elk, the Speed Goat pronghorn on a Drawn West chopper, the Spoon & Crockpot Buck, and the 98% Non-Res Plate. I also get into why resident vs non-resident tension out West matters to me, why hunting is more than a score, and how we chose blanks, fit, and halftone DTF printing so the shirts feel good to wear. Then I explain exactly how apparel entries work in the Mathews ARC giveaway, and why it's statistically impossible to buy your way to the bow.