West Desert General Season Deer Draw Odds (Utah)
General-season buck deer hunts on the West Desert unit, drawn with preference points. In 2026, 391 residents applied for 238 resident permits and 37 nonresidents for 24 nonresident permits across 3 hunts.
West Desert general-season deer draw: key facts, 2026
- West Desert general-season deer hunts drew 391 resident applications in 2026, the fewest of 29 general-season deer units.
- West Desert general-season deer averaged 1.6 resident applicants per resident permit, the 13th lowest of 29 general-season deer units with permits.
- West Desert general-season deer resident odds ranged from 1 in 1.0 (DB1617, archery) to 1 in 1.9 (DB1619, rifle) in 2026.
- Nonresidents were 9% of West Desert general-season deer applicants (37 of 428) and drew 24 of 262 permits in 2026.
- Statewide, general-season deer drew 98,698 resident applicants for 54,733 resident permits in 2026 (1.8 per permit); West Desert general-season deer hunts had 1.6 per permit.
Computed from Utah DWR draw odds (utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026) and earlier DWR drawing odds reports. Past draws do not predict future ones.
Odds by weapon
All West Desert general-season deer hunts
| Hunt | Code | Weapon | 2026 season | Res. applicants | Res. permits | Res. odds 2026 | Nonres. permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swasey | DB1617 | Archery | Aug. 15 to Sept. 11 | 28 | 28 | 1 in 1.0 | 1 |
| Swasey | DB1618 | Muzzleloader | Sept. 23 to Oct. 1 | 47 | 47 | 1 in 1.0 | 4 |
| Swasey | DB1619 | Rifle (any legal weapon) | Oct. 17 to Oct. 25 | 316 | 163 | 1 in 1.9 | 19 |
West Desert general-season deer hunt map
Boundary data: Utah DWR, 2026 hunt boundaries. For reference only, simplified for display. Legal boundary on the DWR Hunt Planner.
Dedicated Hunter Program on West Desert
The Dedicated Hunter Program has its own drawing and its own preference points. Participants can hunt all general-season deer seasons on their unit for up to three years. How the program works.
Swasey DB1806
Key facts, hunt DB1806
- Every resident point level that applied, down to 0 preference points, drew at least half its applicants in 2026.
- Resident odds of 1 in 1.1 were the tied 11th best of 31 Dedicated Hunter hunts with resident permits in 2026.
- Resident applicants rose from 19 in 2025 to 25 in 2026 (+32%).
- Resident permits went from 18 in 2025 to 23 in 2026.
- Nonresidents were 4% of applicants (1 of 26) and drew 1 of 24 permits in 2026.
Computed from Utah DWR draw odds (utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026) and earlier DWR drawing odds reports. Past draws do not predict future ones.
Odds by point level, 2026
Resident
| Preference points | Applicants | Permits | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 1 | all drew |
| 1 | 7 | 7 | all drew |
| 0 | 17 | 15 | 1 in 1.1 |
| Total | 25 | 23 | 1 in 1.1 |
Nonresident
| Preference points | Applicants | Permits | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 1 | all drew |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 1 in 1.0 |
Source: Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds (2026). utahdraws.com/drawodds. "Odds" is applicants per permit at that point level, first-choice applicants and permits as DWR lists them.
2 years of history
Residents, 2025 to 2026, hunt DB1806. The DWR reports we hold (2018 onward) first list this hunt code in 2025. Earlier hunts on this unit may have run under other codes or boundaries; we do not merge them.
| Year | Res. applicants | Res. permits | Res. odds | Top res. points drawn | Lowest res. points drawn | All res. drew from | Nonres. applicants | Nonres. permits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 25 | 23 | 1 in 1.1 | 4 | 0 | 1+ | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 19 | 18 | 1 in 1.1 | 4 | 0 | 4+ | 0 | 0 |
Questions about West Desert general-season deer draw odds
How many West Desert general-season deer hunts are there?
DWR's 2026 draw odds list 3 hunts for West Desert general-season deer: Swasey archery (DB1617); Swasey muzzleloader (DB1618); Swasey rifle (any legal weapon) (DB1619).
Which West Desert general-season deer hunt had the best resident odds in 2026?
Swasey archery (DB1617) at 1 in 1.0 (28 residents for 28 permits). The longest odds were Swasey rifle (any legal weapon) (DB1619) at 1 in 1.9. Odds change every year.
When are the West Desert general-season deer seasons?
2026 seasons from the DWR guidebook: DB1617 Aug. 15 to Sept. 11; DB1618 Sept. 23 to Oct. 1; DB1619 Oct. 17 to Oct. 25. 2027 dates post when DWR publishes the 2027 guidebook.
Get the 2027 deadline
We plan to email when DWR announces the next application dates and before the deadline. Delete any time via [email protected].
Odds: Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds (2026). utahdraws.com/drawodds. History from the 2018 to 2025 DWR reports, linked year by year in the history tables.
Season dates: Utah DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook. Boundary data: Utah DWR, 2026.
Page built Sept. 24, 2026. Found an error? [email protected]. Verify all dates and rules with DWR before applying.