Alaska Draw Odds
Alaska's drawing hunts are a pure random lottery with no preference or bonus points: every valid application gets a random draw number and the lowest numbers win, so your odds in a hunt are simply permits divided by applications. There is no statewide nonresident quota; instead many hunts are printed as residents-only or nonresidents-only hunt numbers (nonresident sheep, mountain goat and brown bear hunters must also hire a registered guide or hunt with a close Alaska-resident relative, and guided Kodiak bear applicants need a signed guide-client contract before applying).
To apply you need an Alaska hunting license ($160 nonresident) plus a nonrefundable $5 fee per hunt entry ($10 for bison and muskox), you may enter up to six applications per species, and the tag fee (e.g. $800 nonresident moose, $850 sheep, $1,000 brown bear) is paid only if you draw. Applications run November 1 to December 15 online at hunt.alaska.gov and results are posted around the third Friday of February; leftover undersubscribed permits go on sale first-come the first Friday in March.
Sources: Alaska Department of Fish and Game documents, last verified September 1, 2026. · 9 sources
Odds by Species
Moose
164 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 1,152
- Applicants per Tag
- 29.1
Mountain Goat
42 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 814
- Applicants per Tag
- 46.7
Bison
6 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 46
- Applicants per Tag
- 1,064.1
Caribou
12 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 481
- Applicants per Tag
- 57.6
Dall Sheep
52 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 38
- Applicants per Tag
- 231.6
Brown Bear
137 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 641
- Applicants per Tag
- 28.3
Musk Ox
4 hunt codes- NR Tags 2025
- 45
- Applicants per Tag
- 200.3
The Rules, Side by Side
Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.
| Rule | Nonres. | Resident |
|---|---|---|
| System | Random 5 | Random 5 |
| Choices | — | — |
| NR Share | — | — |
| Rule | Nonres. | Resident |
|---|---|---|
| System | Random 5 | Random 5 |
| Choices | — | — |
| NR Share | 10% 1 | — |
| Species | Who | System | Choices | NR Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moose, Mountain Goat, Bison, Musk Ox | Nonresident | Random draw 5 | — | — |
| Resident | Random draw 5 | — | — | |
| Dall Sheep | Nonresident | Random draw 5 | — | 10% 1 |
| Resident | Random draw 5 | — | — | |
| All Species | Nonresident | Random draw 5 | — | — |
| Resident | Random draw 5 | — | — |
NR Share
- Dall sheep
- 10% A Tok Management Area rule rather than a statewide one: hunts DS102 and DS103 give nonresidents a tenth of their permits, and up to half of those go to nonresidents hunting with a resident relative. 10% A Delta Controlled Use Area rule rather than a statewide one: hunts DS203 and DS204 give nonresidents up to a tenth of their permits.
How This Draw Works, With an Example
Random draw: Every applicant has the same chance: tags divided by applicants. No points count in this draw.
Buying Points
Alaska has no points to buy: every applicant has the same chance each year.
Fees
| 2026 Fee | Nonres. | Resident | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Applicant | |||
| Annual hunting license 3 To apply | $160 | $45 | To apply |
| Drawing application fee, per hunt entry 4 To apply | $5 | $5 | To apply |
| Moose | |||
| Moose locking-tag 3 If drawn | $800 | — | If drawn |
| Goat | |||
| Goat locking-tag 3 If drawn | $600 | — | If drawn |
| Bison | |||
| Drawing application fee, per hunt entry (bison) 4 To apply $20 for a party application. | $10 | $10 | To apply |
| Bison locking-tag 3 If drawn | $900 | — | If drawn |
| Caribou | |||
| Caribou locking-tag 3 If drawn | $650 | — | If drawn |
| Dall sheep | |||
| Sheep locking-tag 3 If drawn | $850 | — | If drawn |
| Brown bear | |||
| Brown/grizzly bear locking-tag 3 If drawn Nonresident aliens pay $1,300. Required only in some units; check the hunting regulations. | $1,000 | $25 | If drawn |
| Musk ox | |||
| Drawing application fee, per hunt entry (muskox) 4 To apply $20 for a party application. | $10 | $10 | To apply |
| Muskox locking-tag (bull) 3 If drawn The cow tag is also $2,200. Nonresident aliens pay $3,000. | $2,200 | $500 | If drawn |
| Muskox locking-tag (cow) 3 If drawn | — | $25 | If drawn |
| Cash to Apply, One Species | $165– |
$50– |
Kept if you miss |
Cash to apply adds up every fee due with an application; each extra species adds its own application fee.
Next Application Deadlines
-
All species 2
results about Feb 19
(Last cycle ran Nov 1 – Dec 15, 2025.) Online only. Applications close at 5 p.m. Alaska time, and application and license fees are not refunded.
Nov 1 – Dec 15, 2026 59 days expected
Dates marked expected are last cycle's schedule rolled forward by Alaska Department of Fish and Game's own rule; confirm them once the new dates are published.
Legal cartridges in Alaska by species and weapon
Sources (9)
Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines
- 1. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2025-2026 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
- 2. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2026-2027 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
- 3. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · ADF&G License, Stamp and Tag Prices · 2026
- 4. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · Alaska Drawing Hunt Information - FAQs · 2026
- 5. Alaska Department of Fish and Game · How Does the Random Drawing Work · 2026
Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2021–2024
2024 · 1 document
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2024-2025 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
2023 · 1 document
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2023-2024 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
2022 · 1 document
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2022-2023 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
2021 · 1 document
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game · 2021-2022 Alaska Drawing Permit Hunt Supplement
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About These Numbers
Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from Alaska Department of Fish and Game documents and change by commission action; a date marked expected is last cycle's schedule rolled forward. The odds on each species page are last draw's results. Check the agency's site and apply there; we don't take applications. How we compute these.