Arizona Draw Odds
Arizona is a bonus-point draw with three passes: 20% of each hunt's permits go to the applicants with the most bonus points, then everyone else is drawn at random with one extra random number per point (first and second choices), then a final pass for third through fifth choices. Nonresidents are capped at 10% of permits in each hunt number.
You need an Arizona hunting license to apply, the permit fee is charged only if you draw, and points are lost when any choice draws. Elk and pronghorn applications close in early February; deer in early June.
Sources: Arizona Game & Fish Department documents, last verified August 31, 2026. · 20 sources
Odds by Species
Deer
218 hunt codes- NR Tags 2026
- 3,370
- Applicants per Tag
- 6.1
Elk
273 hunt codes- Tags 2026, All Residencies
- 13,484
- NR Applicants
- 34,642
Antelope (Pronghorn)
68 hunt codes- NR Tags 2026
- 77
- Applicants per Tag
- 134.6
The Rules, Side by Side
Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.
| Species | Who | System | Choices | Lower Choice Burns Points | Point-Only | Points Expire | Party Averages | NR Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Species | Nonresident | Split: points + random 6 | 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
| Resident | Split: points + random 6 | 5 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | — |
NR Share
- Elk
- 10% Counted per hunt number and rounded down. New from the 2026 draw: antlerless-elk and any-elk hunts had no nonresident ceiling at all before it.
- Deer
- 10% Counted per hunt number and rounded down; from the 2026 draw it covers antlered, antlerless and any-deer hunts alike.
- Pronghorn
- 10% Pronghorn has been capped the whole time: the 2026 amendment added other species around it and left pronghorn as it was.
Points Expire
- Every species
- Expended when drawn in a computer draw; forfeited after 5 consecutive years without applying for that genus (R12-4-107(F)); hunter-ed/conservation-ed point is permanent; loyalty point forfeited if a year is skipped.
How This Draw Works, With an Example
Split: points + random: 20% of the tags go to the applicants with the most points; the other 80% are drawn at random with points + 1 entries per applicant, so points still help but never guarantee a tag.
Buying Points
A nonresident can buy a BONUS POINT ONLY in Arizona without applying for a tag. Put the species' bonus-point-only hunt number on the normal draw application - deer 1000, pronghorn 2000, elk 3000, turkey 4000, javelina 5000, bighorn sheep 6000, bison 7000, sandhill crane 9000 - as the only hunt on it.
Drawing any choice on your application spends the points you built. Arizona's rule for losing them: expended when drawn in a computer draw; forfeited after 5 consecutive years without applying for that genus (R12-4-107(F)); hunter-ed/conservation-ed point is permanent; loyalty point forfeited if a year is skipped.
| Species | Resident | Nonresident | How | Points Lapse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Species On The Application · can lapse 1 | $13 2 | $15 3 | On The Application | Can lapse 1 |
- 1.Expended when drawn in a computer draw; forfeited after 5 consecutive years without applying for that genus (R12-4-107(F)); hunter-ed/conservation-ed point is permanent; loyalty point forfeited if a year is skipped
- 2.Plus a hunting licence valid through the deadline (general hunting $37, combination $57)
- 3.Plus a licence valid through the deadline; a nonresident needs the $160 combination licence, because nonresident general hunting is not sold
Source: BONUS POINT ONLY — azgfd-live-portal-wordpress-pantheon.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com
Fees
| 2026 Fee | Nonres. | Resident | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Every Applicant | |||
| Combination Hunt and Fish license (only NR license valid for the draw; valid 1 year from purchase) 3 To apply | $160 | $37 | To apply |
| Hunt permit-tag application fee (per applicant, per species) 3 To apply | $15 | $13 | To apply |
| Bonus point only (application fee; no tag fee) 3 Point-only purchase | $15 | $13 | Point-only purchase |
| PointGuard (optional tag-surrender insurance, per species per applicant) 3 If drawn Optional. Buy PointGuard or PointGuard Plus, not both. | $10 | $10 | If drawn |
| PointGuard Plus (optional; all eligible species for three consecutive draw cycles) 3 If drawn Optional. Buy PointGuard or PointGuard Plus, not both. | $25 | $25 | If drawn |
| Deer | |||
| Archery deer nonpermit-tag (OTC, capped, online-only sale; same $300 as the draw permit-tag) 5 If drawn | $300 | — | If drawn |
| Deer hunt permit-tag ($315 incl. $15 application fee) 6 If drawn | $300 | $45 | If drawn |
| Elk | |||
| Elk hunt permit-tag (charged only if drawn; booklet price $665 includes the $15 application fee) 6 If drawn | $650 | $135 | If drawn |
| Pronghorn | |||
| Pronghorn hunt permit-tag ($565 incl. $15 application fee) 6 If drawn | $550 | $90 | If drawn |
| Cash to Apply, One Species | $175 | $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
-
Elk 4
results about Feb 23
(Last cycle ran Jan 13 – Feb 3, 2026.) Applications close at 11:59 p.m. Arizona time. Leftover tags are sold first-come from mid-March.
Jan 13 – Feb 3, 2027 109 days expected -
Jan 13 – Feb 3, 2027 109 days expected
-
Deer 5
(Last cycle closed Jun 2, 2026.) This is the fall draw: deer, turkey, javelina, bighorn sheep and bison. Applications open in early to mid-May and close at 11:59 p.m. Arizona time. Leftover tags are sold first-come from early July.
Jun 2, 2027 228 days expected
Dates marked expected are last cycle's schedule rolled forward by Arizona Game & Fish Department's own rule; confirm them once the new dates are published.
Legal cartridges in Arizona by species and weapon
Sources (20)
Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines
- 1. Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information (regulations booklet)
- 2. Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025-2026 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- 3. Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2026 Pronghorn and Elk Hunt Draw Information (regulations booklet)
- 4. Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2026 pronghorn, elk draw now open (AZGFD news release, Jan. 13, 2026)
- 5. Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2026-2027 Arizona Hunting Regulations
- 6. Arizona Game and Fish Department · Arizona Game and Fish Laws and Rules Book (July 23, 2026 edition; A.R.S. Title 17 + A.A.C. Title 12, Chapter 4)
Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2021–2026
2026 · 2 documents
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2026 F Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2026 M Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
2025 · 5 documents
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 AZ Deer Draw Odds
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 AZ Elk Draw Odds
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 AZ Pronghorn Draw Odds
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 Fall Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2025 M Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
2024 · 2 documents
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2024 F Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2024 M Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
2023 · 3 documents
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2023 AZ Elk Draw Odds
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2023 F Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2023 M Draw Report - 1-2 Pass
2022 · 1 document
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · 2022 AZ Elk Draw Odds
2021 · 1 document
- Arizona Game and Fish Department · Arizona Game and Fish Laws and Rules Book (July 2020 edition) — R12-4-114 as amended effective January 2, 2016 · 2021
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About These Numbers
Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from Arizona Game & Fish Department 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.