State of the Western Draw 2018

← 2017 · 2019 → · every year: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Nonresident view of the 2018 draws across 4 states: 1,088 hunt codes, 34,661 nonresident tags, 220,419 first-choice applications. Every figure is from the agency's published draw report; odds are prior-draw probabilities.

Demand at a glance

State · speciesCodesNR tags 1st-choice appsApps / tag Drawable at 0 pts UndersubscribedMedian cut Cut shift Odds error
California · White-tailed / Mule Deer 86 24,336 72,038 3.0 20% 11 4%
California · Elk 65 219 30,371 138.7 0% 0 <1%
California · Pronghorn 17 185 18,397 99.4 0% 0 <1%
California · Bighorn Sheep 7 10 11,440 1144.0 0% 0 <1%
Montana · White-tailed / Mule Deer 153 1,875 5,932 3.2 54% 57 3%
Montana · Elk 156 3,085 11,193 3.6 28% 23 4%
Montana · Moose 90 32 3,001 93.8 0% 0 <1%
Montana · Pronghorn 110 2,560 7,672 3.0 25% 15 6%
Montana · Mountain Lion 24 31 370 11.9 8% 1
Montana · Bighorn Sheep 44 28 7,702 275.1 14% 6 <1%
Montana · Mountain Goat 34 17 3,449 202.9 0% 0 <1%
Montana · Bison 5 8 1,181 147.6 0% 0
Montana · Wild Turkey 2 1 17 17.0 0% 0
Nebraska · White-tailed / Mule Deer 3 370 11 0.0 33% 0
Nevada · White-tailed / Mule Deer 147 1,115 13,111 11.8 <1% 0
Nevada · Elk 63 439 10,373 23.6 0% 0
Nevada · Pronghorn 58 314 5,610 17.9 0% 0
Nevada · Bighorn Sheep 24 36 18,551 515.3 0% 0

"Drawable at 0 pts" = share of codes where a first-year applicant had at least a 50% chance. "Cut shift" needs the prior draw on file. "Odds error" = applicant-weighted back-test error of the prior year's odds (methodology).

California white-tailed / mule deer

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

  • A1 Archery Hunt In C Zones - Buck — 625 of 1751 tags claimed
  • D9 Zone D9 Archery and General Sea... — 725 of 1800 tags claimed
  • C C Zones General Seasons - Buck — 6791 of 7335 tags claimed
  • A31 Los Angeles Archery Either - sex — 465 of 900 tags claimed
  • A22 San Diego Archery Either - Sex — 525 of 900 tags claimed

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

California elk

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

California pronghorn

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

California bighorn sheep

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana white-tailed / mule deer

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

  • 599-00 Deer B License 599-00 — 28 of 250 tags claimed
  • 598-00 Deer B License 598-00 — 59 of 120 tags claimed
  • 597-00 Deer B License 597-00 — 28 of 80 tags claimed
  • 699-00 Deer B License 699-00 — Antlerl... — 52 of 100 tags claimed
  • 299-00 Deer B License 299-00 — 2 of 40 tags claimed

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana elk

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

  • 004-00 Elk B License 004-00 — Antlerle... — 349 of 480 tags claimed
  • 311-00 Elk B License 311-00 — 12 of 100 tags claimed
  • 399-01-EP Elk Permit 399-01-EP — 3 of 60 tags claimed
  • 699-00 Elk B License 699-00 — Antlerle... — 22 of 50 tags claimed
  • 411-00 Elk B License 411-00 — Antlerle... — 15 of 40 tags claimed

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana moose

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana pronghorn

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

  • 560-30 Antelope B License 560-30 — Doe... — 3 of 30 tags claimed
  • 550-20 Antelope License 550-20 — Eithe... — 18 of 40 tags claimed
  • 450-30 Antelope B License 450-30 — Doe... — 9 of 30 tags claimed
  • 550-30 Antelope B License 550-30 — Doe... — 4 of 20 tags claimed
  • 470-30 Antelope B License 470-30 — 6 of 20 tags claimed

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana mountain lion

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana bighorn sheep

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana mountain goat

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana bison

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Montana wild turkey

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Nebraska white-tailed / mule deer

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Nevada white-tailed / mule deer

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Nevada elk

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Nevada pronghorn

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

Nevada bighorn sheep

Hardest tags (highest cut)

No drew-out levels published.

Sleepers (undersubscribed, 5+ tags)

Every code with 5+ tags was oversubscribed.

Biggest cut moves vs 2017

Prior draw not on file.

How to read these numbers

Every percentage on this page is a prior-draw probability: the chance an applicant with that many points would have drawn in the draw year shown, computed from the agency's published results. It is not a forecast — quotas, applicant numbers, and point creep change every year. Every figure links to the agency document it came from. Where a state does not publish a number, we show a dash, never a zero. Hunts with fewer than five tags show counts instead of percentages. Fees show the fee year used. Read the methodology for the engine details.

Not an application service

This page is informational only. Draw rules, quotas, fees, and deadlines are set by the state agency and change by commission action — confirm everything on the agency's own site before you apply, and apply through the agency, not here. We disclaim all liability for reliance on this page.