Utah Bison Draw Odds by Unit
Every once-in-a-lifetime bison unit in the 2026 draw, with applicants, permits and the highest points that drew. Pick a unit for odds by point level and each hunt's history.
In the 2026 Utah draw, 15,878 resident applications went to 16 once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts for 120 resident permits, about 132.3 applications per permit (Utah DWR data). The longest resident odds were Antelope Island rifle (BI6500) at 1 in 1669.5; the best were Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, cow only rifle (BI6529) at 1 in 13.8.
Units
| Henry Mountains | 7 | 9,292 | 49 | 5,356 | 6 | 189.6 | 29 | n/a* |
| Antelope Island | 1 | 3,339 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1669.5 | 32 | n/a* |
| Book Cliffs | 8 | 3,247 | 69 | 2,347 | 7 | 47.1 | 29 | n/a* |
* n/a when any hunt on the unit was missing in 2022 or DWR printed a different hunt name then (renamed or redrawn), so there is no like-for-like comparison. Source: Utah DWR drawing odds reports, 2022 and 2026. 2026 PDF. CWMU hunts are on the CWMU page.
Every bison hunt
| Weapon | 2026 season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope Island | BI6500 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Dec. 7 to Dec. 9 | 3,339 | 2 | 1 in 1669.5 | 32 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, hunter's choice | BI6528 | Archery | Aug. 15 to Sept. 11 | 126 | 6 | 1 in 21.0 | 23 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, cow only | BI6529 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17 to Oct. 27 | 110 | 8 | 1 in 13.8 | 19 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, hunter's choice | BI6531 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 21 to Oct. 2 | 405 | 9 | 1 in 45.0 | 29 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Bitter Creek, hunter's choice | BI6532 | Archery | Aug. 15 to Sept. 11 | 226 | 6 | 1 in 37.7 | 26 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Bitter Creek, hunter's choice | BI6534 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Sept. 12 to Sept. 20 | 917 | 10 | 1 in 91.7 | 29 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Bitter Creek, hunter's choice | BI6535 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 3 to Oct. 15 | 810 | 8 | 1 in 101.2 | 27 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Bitter Creek, cow only | BI6536 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Nov. 14 to Nov. 29 | 209 | 14 | 1 in 14.9 | 25 | 0 |
| Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, hunter's choice | BI6537 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Nov. 7, 2026 to Jan. 31, 2027 | 444 | 8 | 1 in 55.5 | 28 | 7 |
| Henry Mountains Hunter's choice | BI6503 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 28 to Nov. 8 | 4,269 | 3 | 1 in 1423.0 | 29 | 2 |
| Henry Mountains Hunter's choice | BI6504 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Nov. 11 to Nov. 22 | 2,329 | 5 | 1 in 465.8 | 27 | 2 |
| Henry Mountains Cow only | BI6505 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Dec. 9 to Dec. 20 | 396 | 8 | 1 in 49.5 | 24 | 2 |
| Henry Mountains Cow only | BI6506 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Dec. 23, 2026 to Jan. 3, 2027 | 175 | 11 | 1 in 15.9 | 26 | 0 |
| Henry Mountains Hunter's choice | BI6509 | Archery | Jan. 18 to Jan. 31, 2027 | 427 | 5 | 1 in 85.4 | 23 | 0 |
| Henry Mountains Hunter's choice | BI6516 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Nov. 25 to Dec. 6 | 1,496 | 6 | 1 in 249.3 | 29 | 0 |
| Henry Mountains Cow only | BI6539 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Jan. 6 to Jan. 17 | 200 | 11 | 1 in 18.2 | 18 | 0 |
Once-in-a-lifetime bison: all applicants by year
DWR prints a species summary block in each odds report. It counts every applicant for once-in-a-lifetime bison across all hunts in that report.
| Year | Res. applicants | Res. permits | Res. odds | Res. applicants with 10+ points | Top res. point level | Nonres. applicants | Nonres. permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 15,878 | 120 | 1 in 132.3 | 4,186 | 32 | 7,703 | 13 |
| 2025 | 15,115 | 117 | 1 in 129.2 | 3,910 | 30 | 8,258 | 12 |
| 2024 | 14,578 | 77 | 1 in 189.3 | 3,592 | 29 | 8,443 | 15 |
| 2023 | 14,488 | 152 | 1 in 95.3 | 3,446 | 28 | 8,130 | 21 |
| 2022 | 14,426 | 136 | 1 in 106.1 | 3,397 | 27 | 8,355 | 18 |
| 2021 | 14,236 | 128 | 1 in 111.2 | 3,285 | 26 | 8,088 | 14 |
| 2020 | 12,710 | 99 | 1 in 128.4 | 2,964 | 25 | 7,369 | 13 |
| 2019 | 12,163 | 216 | 1 in 56.3 | 2,888 | 24 | 7,037 | 26 |
| 2018 | 11,404 | 145 | 1 in 78.6 | 2,726 | 23 | 6,201 | 18 |
| Year | Residents | Nonresidents | Top point level listed (res / nonres) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 8,097 | 6,152 | 31 / 30 |
| 2025 | 7,448 | 5,719 | 31 / 29 |
| 2024 | 7,256 | 6,426 | 30 / 31 |
| 2023 | 6,811 | 6,179 | 29 / 30 |
How the bison draw works
Bison once-in-a-lifetime hunts use bonus points. About half the permits on each hunt go to the applicants with the most points. For the rest, you get one random number plus one per bonus point, and your lowest number counts.
Read the guide2027 key dates
DWR has not published 2027 dates yet. For reference, the 2026 application period ran March 19 (8 a.m. MDT) to April 23 (11 p.m. MDT) and results were emailed on or by May 31.
All datesDeadline reminders
We plan to email when DWR announces the next application dates and before the deadline. Delete any time via [email protected].
Questions
How many once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts does Utah offer?
DWR's 2026 draw odds list 16 once-in-a-lifetime bison hunts on 3 units. 15,878 resident applications went to those hunts for 120 resident permits.
Which bison hunts had the longest resident odds in 2026?
Antelope Island rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6500), 1 in 1669.5; Henry Mountains Hunter's choice rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6503), 1 in 1423.0; Henry Mountains Hunter's choice rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6504), 1 in 465.8.
Which bison hunts had the best resident odds in 2026?
Book Cliffs Little Creek/South, cow only rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6529), 1 in 13.8; Book Cliffs Bitter Creek, cow only rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6536), 1 in 14.9; Henry Mountains Cow only rifle (any legal weapon) (BI6506), 1 in 15.9. Hunts with few applicants can swing a lot from year to year.
What is the bonus point code for bison?
BIS, per the 2026 DWR Big Game Application Guidebook. You use it to buy a bonus point without applying for a hunt.
Is this the official Utah draw site?
No. Utah Draw Guide is independent and not affiliated with Utah DWR. Apply only at utahdraws.com.