Montana’s evidence of sex requirement is as follows:

Evidence of Sex (MCA 87-6-406): A person who kills a game animal in this state shall retain evidence of sex of the animal with the carcass until it is processed. The provisions of this section do not apply to a game animal harvested using a license with which either sex of the animal may be taken. Evidence of sex does not need to be naturally attached. A person who kills a game animal in a hunting district where the harvest is limited by the animal’s antler point or horn size shall retain the antlers or horns until the carcass is processed.

What this all means, according to FWP’s Region 7 Warden Captain Jack Austin, is that if a person harvests an animal using a license (tag) that is valid for either sex of that animal they don’t need to retain evidence of sex.

If a person harvests an animal with a license that is specific to one gender, then they must retain some part of the animal that identifies the animals sex until the animal is processed. This proof of sex does not have to be attached, but instead just be with the carcass. For a doe deer or a cow elk it is easiest to retain the head as evidence of sex, but they could also retain the udder or a few nipples off the udder.

If a hunter harvests an animal in a hunting district where there are special antler point or horn length restrictions (ie..must be 4 points per side or greater… or must be ¾ curl ram….), then the hunter must retain the antlers or horns until the animal is processed.