Mule deer tag – $410,000; Montana bighorn license – $305,000

Sporting Classics Daily recently ran the story of a mule deer tag that went for $410,000 at auction. In Montana a bighorn license went for $305,000 at auction

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks auctioned off the license in January for the 2016 season. According to KPAX 8, the winning bidder was a member of the Wild Sheep Foundation. Of his bid, 90 percent — $274,500 — will go to the FWP’s sheep conservation efforts.

Each year, 150 sheep tags are issued for Montana via a lottery. Of those, less than one percent will be drawn, giving a select few a chance at the state’s roughly 5,000 sheep spread across 3.7 million acres.

The highest bid on a Montana sheep hunt was set in 2013, when Douglas Leech paid $480,000 for the privilege of hunting the mountain kings. In 2014 and 2015 the licenses were auctioned for $320,000 each.