Wyoming Draw Odds

Wyoming runs a hybrid nonresident draw for elk, deer, and antelope: nonresidents pick a 'regular' or 'special' (higher-fee) price class, 75% of each class's quota goes to the applicants with the most preference points, and the remaining 25% is drawn at random from everyone left — so a first-year applicant still has a real shot in most hunt areas.

You front the full license fee when you apply (refunded if unsuccessful), elk applications close in late January/early February, and deer and antelope close June 1.

Sources: Wyoming Game and Fish Department documents, last verified August 31, 2026. · 183 sources

Odds Moved a Lot Last Year

In the 2026 draw, the prior year's odds were off by about 35 percentage points for pronghorn, 26 percentage points for deer, and 25 percentage points for elk for nonresident applicants near the points needed. Treat one year's odds here as a starting point, not a plan. How we check.

Odds by Species

The Rules, Side by Side

Nonresident and resident rules for every species. Small numbers are sources.

Deer, Pronghorn

Nonresident · regular and special licenses

System
Pref + random 3
Choices
3
Lower Choice Burns Points
No
Point-Only
Yes
Points Expire
Yes · 2 yr
Party Averages
Yes
NR Share
20% 3

Nonresident · reduced price license

System
Random 3
Choices
3
NR Share
20% 3

Resident

System
Random 3
Choices
3
NR Share
—

Elk

Nonresident · regular and special licenses

System
Pref + random 3
Choices
3
Lower Choice Burns Points
No
Point-Only
Yes
Points Expire
Yes · 2 yr
Party Averages
Yes
NR Share
16% 3

Nonresident · reduced price license

System
Random 3
Choices
3
NR Share
16% 3

Resident

System
Random 3
Choices
3
NR Share
—
Moose, Bighorn Sheep
Rule Nonres.Resident
System Pref + random 1Pref + random 1
Choices 11
Lower Choice Burns Points ——
Point-Only YesYes
Points Expire Yes · 2 yrYes · 2 yr
Party Averages YesYes
NR Share 40% 4—
All Species
Rule Nonres.
System Random 3
Choices 3
Lower Choice Burns Points —
Point-Only —
Points Expire —
Party Averages —
NR Share —

NR Share

Elk
16% The nonresident share of full-price limited-quota elk licences in the initial drawing. 16% The same share of the reduced-price cow and calf elk licences, which are drawn separately.
Deer
20% The nonresident share of limited-quota deer licences; the other 80% is offered to residents. 20% The same share of the reduced-price doe and fawn deer licences, which are drawn separately.
Pronghorn
20% The nonresident share of limited-quota antelope licences; the other 80% is offered to residents. 20% The same share of the reduced-price doe and fawn antelope licences, which are drawn separately.
Every species
40% The share of the nonresident elk, deer and antelope quota drawn in the higher-priced special licence class, the other 60% going to the regular class.

Points Expire

Deer, elk, moose, pronghorn, and bighorn sheep
After 2 years without applying or buying one.
How These Draws Work, With an Example

Hybrid: preference + random: Say a hunt has 100 nonresident tags. 75 go to the applicants with the most preference points; if the last point level that draws has more applicants than tags left, that level is split at random. The other 25 are drawn at random from everyone who missed the points pass, so an applicant with no points still has a chance.

Random draw: Every applicant has the same chance: tags divided by applicants. No points count in this draw.

Buying Points

A nonresident can buy a Preference Point Only in Wyoming without applying for a tag. How you buy one depends on the species; the table below gives each.

Points are on sale Jul 1 – Nov 2. Open now, closes Nov 2. Drawing your first choice spends the points you built. Points carry over from year to year, and Wyoming voids them after 2 years without applying or buying one.

Species Resident Nonresident
Deer Separate Window · lapses after 2 idle years — $41 1$75 from 2027youth $10
Elk Separate Window · lapses after 2 idle years — $52 1$75 from 2027youth $10
Moose Separate Window · lapses after 2 idle years $7 1 $150 1
Pronghorn Separate Window · lapses after 2 idle years — $31 1$75 from 2027youth $10
Bighorn Separate Window · lapses after 2 idle years $7 1 $150 1
  1. 1.No application fee on a point-only purchase, and no hunting licence is needed, though a card processing fee applies

Source: Preference Point Only — wgfd.wyo.gov

Fees

2026 Fee Nonres. Resident
Every Applicant
Big game application fee (per species applied for) 2 To apply $15 $5
Youth preference point (elk, deer or antelope) 3 If unsuccessful $10 —
Conservation stamp (annual; required with any hunting license) 2 If drawn $21.50 —
Archery license (required to hunt archery-only seasons/types) 2 If drawn $72 $16
Deer
Deer license (regular) 2 To apply $389 with the $15 application fee. $374 $42
Deer license (special) 2 To apply $1,215 with the $15 application fee. $1,200 —
Doe/fawn deer license (reduced price) 2 To apply Reduced-price licenses are types 6, 7 and 8. $34 —
Youth deer license 2 To apply $110 —
Deer preference point 3 If unsuccessful $41 —
Elk
Cow/calf elk license (reduced price) 2 To apply Reduced-price licenses are types 6, 7 and 8. $288 $57
Elk license (regular), includes fishing privileges 2 To apply $707 with the $15 application fee. $692 —
Elk license (special) 2 To apply $1,965 with the $15 application fee. $1,950 —
Youth elk license 2 To apply $275 —
Elk preference point 3 If unsuccessful $52 —
Pronghorn
Antelope license (regular) 2 To apply $341 with the $15 application fee. $326 $37
Antelope license (special) 2 To apply $1,215 with the $15 application fee. $1,200 —
Doe/fawn antelope license (reduced price) 2 To apply Reduced-price licenses are types 6, 7 and 8. $34 —
Youth antelope license 2 To apply $110 —
Antelope preference point 3 If unsuccessful $31 —
Cash to Apply, One Species $1,685–$3,220 $42–$62

Cash to apply adds up every fee due with an application; each extra species adds its own application fee.

Next Application Deadlines

You pay the full tag fee when you apply.

  1. Elk · nonresidents only 1

    results about May 20 · points only Jul 1 – Nov 1

    (Last cycle ran Jan 2 – Feb 2, 2026.) The full license fee and the $15 application fee are charged when you apply and credited back to the same card if you miss. You can change or withdraw an application until early May.

    Jan 2 – Feb 1, 2027 107 days expected
  2. Moose and bighorn sheep 1

    results about May 21 · points only Jul 1 – Nov 2

    (Last cycle ran Jan 2 – Apr 30, 2026.) Applications run from January 2 to April 30, with results on May 21. Points are bought separately, July 1 to November 2.

    Jan 2 – Apr 30, 2027 195 days expected
  3. Deer and pronghorn · nonresidents only 1

    results about Jun 18 · points only Jul 1 – Nov 1

    (Last cycle ran Jan 2 – Jun 1, 2026.)

    Jan 2 – Jun 1, 2027 227 days expected
  4. Deer, elk, and pronghorn · residents only 1

    results about Jun 18

    (Last cycle ran Jan 2 – Jun 1, 2026.)

    Jan 2 – Jun 1, 2027 227 days expected
  5. All species 1

    results about Jul 8

    (Last cycle ran Jun 22 – Jun 26, 2026.) The leftover drawing for elk, deer and antelope full- and reduced-price licenses.

    Jun 22–26, 2027 252 days expected

Dates marked expected are last cycle's schedule rolled forward by Wyoming Game and Fish Department's own rule; confirm them once the new dates are published.

Legal cartridges in Wyoming by species and weapon

Sources (183)

Draw Rules, Fees and Deadlines

  1. 1. 2026 Wyoming Game and Fish Department Hunting License Application Information
  2. 2. Wyoming Game and Fish Department · License Fee List (WGFD web page, 2026 fees)
  3. 3. Wyoming Game and Fish Department · Wyoming Game and Fish Commission Chapter 44 - Regulation for Issuance of Licenses, Permits, Stamps, Tags, Preference Points and Competitive Raffle Chances (signed July 15, 2026) · 2027
  4. 4. Wyoming Game and Fish Department · Wyoming Statutes Title 23 - Game and Fish (Legislative Service Office compiled PDF, file dated 2026-05-08)

Draw Results, Hunt Lists and Harvest Reports, 2021–2026

2026 · 42 documents
2025 · 37 documents
2024 · 36 documents
2023 · 21 documents
2022 · 22 documents
2021 · 21 documents
Report an error on this page

Every report is checked against the agency source before we change anything.

About These Numbers

Rules, fees and deadlines are copied from Wyoming Game and 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.