Montana Antelope (Pronghorn) — Hunting District 556
Montana Hunting District 556 covers 2,545,907 acres and lies 13 miles north-west of Red Lodge and 35 miles south-west of Laurel. 47% of it is public land, mostly national forest (34%) and BLM (9%). In 2025, hunters took 88 pronghorn here. The 2026 draw put up 12 tags here for 52 first-choice applicants.
Your chance of drawing here
Every pronghorn license type on offer in Hunting District 556, with the prior-draw chance for a first-choice nonresident applicant. Type your points in to see your own number.
Chances are from the 2026 draw (the most recent) for a first-choice nonresident. "Points needed" = the cut in the last draw.
Simple view Odds at every point level-
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| Hunt | Your odds (0 pts) | Points needed | Tags / applicants | License | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 556-20 ↗ Antelope License 556-20 — Either-sex | — No data | — | 12 / 52 | Standard | Sep 5 – Nov 8, 2026 |
| 556-20 ↗ Antelope License 556-20 — Either-sex | — No data | — | 12 / 1 undersubscribed | Landowner | Sep 5 – Nov 8, 2026 |
What these columns mean
- Your odds —
- the share of applicants at your point level who drew this tag in the 2026 draw. Not a forecast: quotas and demand move every year.
- The badge —
- plain language for that number. Likely draw 75% or better · Real chance 40%+ · Long shot 15%+ · Point builder below that, so you are applying mainly to bank a point · Undersubscribed means fewer first-choice applicants than tags, so everyone who applied drew.
- Points needed —
- the lowest point total that still got a tag in the 2026 draw, and how that cut has moved since the earliest draw we hold.
- Tags / applicants —
- tags on offer and first-choice applicants for them, as the agency published them. Under five tags we print counts instead of a percentage, because one applicant either way swings it.
What it costs to apply (2026 nonresident fees)
| License | Up front | Gone if you miss | If you draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard license | $65 | $65 | $65 |
| Landowner license | $65 | $65 | $65 |
Application window: opens Mar 1, closes Jun 1, 2027 (expected). Full fee breakdown.
The country
Boundaries are drawn for orientation only — the written boundary description in the regulations governs.
Who owns the ground
- Private 1,340,420 ac · 53%
- National Forest 866,372 ac · 34%
- BLM 234,987 ac · 9%
- State trust land 66,193 ac · 3%
- National Park Service 26,477 ac · 1%
- State land 3,818 ac · 0%
- County or city land 3,055 ac · 0%
- National Wildlife Refuge 254 ac · 0%
- Bureau of Reclamation 0 ac · 0%
- Department of Defense 0 ac · 0%
- Tribal 0 ac · 0%
- Other public 0 ac · 0%
Source: Antelope 2026-2027 Hunting District Landcover and Land Ownership Calculations
How the hunting has gone
What Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks publishes for this area after each season — harvest statistics for everyone who hunted it, not draw odds and not a forecast. Montana's figures blend mandatory reporting with a phone and mail survey. FWP does not publish district-level hunter counts for elk or antelope, so success rates are missing for those.
| Season | Harvest |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 88 |
| 2024 | 71 |
| 2023 | 77 |
| 2022 | 52 |
Residents vs nonresidents (2025)
- Nonresident 9 taken
- Resident 79 taken
Boundary: Antelope Hunting Districts (2026 and 2027 Seasons)
Harvest: 2025 Antelope (Pronghorn) Harvest Estimates (MyFWP Harvest Estimates Search, District=ALL)
Harvest: 2024 Antelope (Pronghorn) Harvest Estimates (MyFWP Harvest Estimates Search, District=ALL)
Harvest: 2023 Antelope (Pronghorn) Harvest Estimates (MyFWP Harvest Estimates Search, District=ALL)