87-2-702. Restrictions on special licenses -- availability of bear and mountain lion licenses. (1) A person who has killed or taken any game animal, except a deer, an elk, or an antelope, during the current license year is not permitted to receive a special license under this chapter to hunt or kill a second game animal of the same species.

(2) The commission may require applicants for special permits authorized by this chapter to obtain a valid big game license for that species for the current year prior to applying for a special permit.

(3) Except as provided in 87-2-815, a person may take only one grizzly bear in Montana with a license authorized by 87-2-701.

(4) (a) Except as provided in 87-1-271(2) and 87-2-815, a person who receives a moose, mountain goat, or limited mountain sheep license, as authorized by 87-2-701, with the exception of an antlerless moose or an adult ewe game management license issued under 87-2-104, is not eligible to receive another special license for that species for the next 7 years. For the purposes of this subsection (4)(a), "limited mountain sheep license" means a license that is valid for an area in which the number of licenses issued is restricted.

(b) (i) Except as provided in 87-1-271(2) and 87-2-815, a person who takes a legal ram mountain sheep with at least one horn that is equal to or greater than a three-fourths curl using an unlimited mountain sheep license or a population management license issued pursuant to 87-2-701 is not eligible to receive another special license for that species for the next 7 years. For the purposes of this subsection (4)(b)[(i)], "unlimited mountain sheep license" means a license that is valid for an area in which the number of licenses issued is not restricted.

[(ii) Before September 1 of each even-numbered year, the department shall report to the environmental quality council information on:

(A) mountain sheep harvested pursuant to this subsection (4) from the Tendoy Mountain herd;

(B) efforts to collect tissue samples and other biological information from mountain sheep harvested from the Tendoy Mountain herd to determine the immunity of surviving herd members to pneumonia outbreaks; and

(C) attempts by the department to share tissue samples and other biological information collected from the Tendoy Mountain herd with Washington State University, other public entities, and private entities that research the interaction between mountain sheep and domestic sheep.]

(5) An application for a wild buffalo or bison license must be made on the same form and is subject to the same license application deadline as the special license for moose, mountain goat, and mountain sheep.

(6) (a) Licenses for spring bear hunts must be available for purchase at department offices after April 15 of any license year. However, a person who purchases a license for a spring bear hunt after April 15 of any license year may not use the license until 24 hours after the license is issued.

(b) Licenses for fall bear hunts must be available for purchase at department offices after August 31 of any license year. However, a person who purchases a license for a fall bear hunt after August 31 of any license year may not use the license until 24 hours after the license is issued.

(7) Licenses for mountain lion hunts must be available for purchase at department offices after August 31 of any license year. However, a person who purchases a license for a mountain lion hunt after August 31 of any license year may not use the license until 5 days after the license is issued. (Bracketed language in (4)(b) terminates July 1, 2027--sec. 3, Ch. 186, L. 2017).