Utah Draw FAQ
Short answers to the questions hunters ask most, each with its source and year: DWR's 2026 guidebooks, Utah Admin. Rule R657-62 and DWR's 2026 draw odds.
Draw basics
When is the Utah big game draw?
DWR has not announced the 2027 dates yet. In 2026 the big game 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 (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, pages 31 and 33). We post the 2027 dates when DWR publishes the 2027 guidebook.
How does the Utah big game draw work?
About half the permits on each limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunt go to the applicants with the most bonus points, and the rest are drawn at random. In the random half you get one random number for the application plus one more for each bonus point, and your lowest number counts (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8; DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook).
Where do I apply for Utah hunting permits?
Only at the official state site, utahdraws.com, run by Utah DWR. Utah Draw Guide is independent and does not take applications, sell licenses or hold points.
Do you need a hunting license to apply for the Utah draw?
Yes. You need a valid Utah hunting or combination license before you can apply for a permit, a bonus point or a preference point (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). If you were born after Dec. 31, 1965, you also need proof that you passed a DWR-approved hunter education course.
How much does it cost to apply for the Utah draw?
$10 for residents and $21 for nonresidents for each species or bonus point you apply for, nonrefundable, in 2026 (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 15). You pay the permit fee only if you draw, plus a 2.2% card transaction fee.
How many Utah limited-entry permits can you draw in a year?
One. You can draw only one limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit a year; limited-entry permits are drawn first (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). Residents may apply for one limited-entry species and one once-in-a-lifetime species a year; nonresidents may apply for all of them.
Can you apply as a group in the Utah draw?
Yes, up to four hunters, for general-season deer or limited-entry deer, elk or pronghorn (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). Group applications are not accepted for once-in-a-lifetime hunts, and a group with a nonresident is left out of any hunt that has no nonresident permits.
Bonus and preference points
How do bonus points work in Utah?
You earn one bonus point for a species each time you apply for a limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit and do not draw, or when you apply for a point only. Points belong to the species, not a unit. Top point holders get the bonus half of the permits, and each point adds one random number in the random half (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8; DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook).
What is the Utah 50/50 bonus point system?
It splits each hunt's permits in half. The bonus half goes to the applicants with the most points, working down from the top point level, with ties broken at random; everyone left, including those who lost a tie, goes into the random draw for the other half (Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8).
What is the difference between bonus points and preference points in Utah?
Bonus points are used for limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts, antlerless moose and ewe Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and only decide half the permits. Preference points are used for general-season buck deer, antlerless deer, antlerless elk and doe pronghorn; each year you apply and miss, a preference point gives you a better chance the next year. Drawing a general-season deer permit uses up your deer preference points (DWR 2026 guidebooks).
Can you buy a Utah bonus point without applying for a hunt?
Yes. Apply for the species point code, such as ELK for limited-entry bull elk, and pay the application fee. In 2026 you could do it March 19 (8 a.m. MDT) to April 23 (11 p.m. MDT) or again June 9 to 23 during the antlerless application period (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 31).
What happens to your bonus points when you draw in Utah?
You lose your bonus points for that species, and a waiting period starts for limited-entry deer, elk and pronghorn: five years for buck deer and bull elk, two years for buck pronghorn (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). If you surrender the permit at least 30 days before the season opens, your points come back, but you do not earn a point that year.
Dates and deadlines
When do Utah draw results come out?
2026 big game results were emailed on or by May 31, and antlerless results were available July 8 (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 33; DWR 2026 Antlerless Application Guidebook, page 18). 2027 result dates come with the 2027 guidebooks.
When is the Utah antlerless draw?
In 2026 the antlerless application period ran June 9 (8 a.m. MDT) to June 23 (11 p.m. MDT), with results July 8 (DWR 2026 Antlerless Application Guidebook, page 18). The 2027 dates come with the next antlerless guidebook.
When do Utah general season elk permits go on sale?
In 2026 they went on sale over the counter in July: archery July 7, any bull July 9 and spike July 16 (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 13). No draw is needed, except for the draw-only youth any bull/hunter's choice hunt.
When is the Utah general deer hunt?
The 2026 general-season any legal weapon (rifle) buck deer hunt runs Oct. 17 to 25 on all general-season units (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 8). Archery and muzzleloader dates are on our dates page.
When will the 2027 Utah draw dates be announced?
Not yet. DWR publishes them in the 2027 Big Game Application Guidebook, and we add them here and on our dates page when it is out. The exception is the 2027 sportsman permit drawing: applications (residents only) open Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026 at 8 a.m. MDT and close Nov. 10, 2026, and DWR emails the results on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026 (DWR sportsman permits page, updated Oct. 8, 2026).
Nonresidents
Can nonresidents hunt in Utah?
Yes. Nonresidents may apply for all limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime species plus one general-season species, drawing from separate nonresident permits (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). In the 2026 draw, 101,333 nonresident first-choice applications went for 5,639 nonresident permits across the 662 public-draw hunts on this site (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026).
How much is a Utah hunting license for nonresidents?
$144 for a 365-day nonresident hunting license (age 18 and older) in 2026, or $190 for a hunting and fishing combination license (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 14). You need the license before you can apply for permits or points.
How much is a Utah elk tag for nonresidents?
A limited-entry bull elk permit is $1,950 for nonresidents and a general-season any bull or spike elk permit is $849 in 2026 (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook, page 15). Residents pay $314 and $56. The license and application fee come on top.
Can nonresidents apply for CWMU permits in Utah?
Not in the drawing. Nonresidents can obtain a CWMU permit voucher directly from the landowner or operator instead (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook).
Species, units and odds
What are the odds of drawing a Utah elk tag?
About 1 in 16.7 for residents on limited-entry bull elk overall in 2026: 50,869 first-choice applications for 3,043 permits on 145 hunts. Nonresidents: 18,370 for 328, about 1 in 56.0 (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026). Odds vary widely by hunt and point level, and general-season elk permits need no draw.
What are the odds of drawing a Utah general deer tag?
About 1 in 1.8 for residents overall in 2026: 99,159 first-choice applications for 55,188 permits on 106 general-season unit and weapon hunts (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026). Odds differ a lot by unit, and preference points improve your chances after a year you miss.
How many people apply for the Utah big game draw?
In 2026, 310,973 resident and 101,333 nonresident first-choice applications went to the 662 public-draw hunts on this site, for 72,427 resident and 5,639 nonresident permits (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026). These count applications, not people.
What are the once-in-a-lifetime hunts in Utah?
Bull moose, bison, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goat (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). Once you obtain one of these permits you may not apply for that species again. In 2026, 65,446 resident first-choice applications went for 438 resident permits (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026).
What is a CWMU in Utah?
A Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit: private land where some permits are offered in the public draw. The 2026 DWR guidebook says hunters should expect at least five days, generally between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31, and must contact the CWMU operator to confirm dates.
What is the Utah Dedicated Hunter program?
A program that lets you hunt the same general-season deer unit for up to three consecutive years in exchange for at least 32 hours of volunteer service on DWR-approved projects and a conservation ethics course (DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook). The 2026 fee was $215 for resident adults and $1,248 for nonresident adults (same guidebook, page 16).
Using this site
Is Utah Draw Guide the official Utah DWR site?
No. Utah Draw Guide is an independent site, not affiliated with Utah DWR or utahdraws.com. We show DWR's own numbers and link to the sources; you apply only at utahdraws.com.
Where do the draw odds on this site come from?
From Utah DWR: its drawing odds report PDFs for 2018 to 2025 and its draw odds at utahdraws.com/drawodds for 2026, first-choice applicants and permits by point level. Dates, fees and rules come from DWR's 2026 guidebooks, with page numbers.
How do I find which Utah hunts my points can draw?
Use the points lookup: pick a species, residency and point level, and it lists every hunt where someone at exactly your points drew in the 2026 draw (Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026). It shows what happened, not a prediction.
Utah DWR 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook and 2026 Antlerless Application Guidebook (dates, fees, rules, with page numbers). Utah Admin. Rule R657-62-8, wildlife.utah.gov/rules. Odds: Utah DWR draw odds, utahdraws.com/drawodds, 2026, utahdraws.com/drawodds; earlier years from DWR's drawing odds reports.
Verify all dates and rules with DWR before applying. Found an error? Tell us.