Wyoming Draw Odds & Application Guide

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Wyoming’s elk draw odds make it one of the most strategically interesting states in the West. Unlike Colorado’s weighted system or Montana’s pure random draw, Wyoming runs a 75/25 hybrid — 75% of tags go to applicants in the highest preference point pool, and 25% go to a random draw across all applicants regardless of points. That random 25% means a first-time applicant can draw a trophy unit. It also means point holders aren’t guaranteed anything.

If you’re building a multi-year western hunting application strategy, Wyoming deserves a spot in your portfolio. The state holds roughly 100,000 elk across some of the most spectacular public-land habitat in North America — the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, the Wind River Range, the Bighorn Mountains, and the Red Desert. Tag numbers are managed conservatively, success rates run high, and bull quality in premium areas rivals anywhere on the continent.

Here’s how the system works and where the odds actually favor you.

Quick Facts: Wyoming Big Game Application

Detail	Info
Application Deadline	June 1 (resident elk/deer/pronghorn); April 30 (sheep/moose/goat/bison)
Draw System	75% preference / 25% random
Draw Results	Mid-May
Point System	Preference points (one earned per unsuccessful application or point purchase)
Point Cost	$50 (NR elk), $50 (NR deer), $15 (NR pronghorn), $100 (NR moose/sheep/goat)
NR Elk License Cost	$587 (general) / $1,128 (special)
NR Deer License Cost	$352
NR Pronghorn License Cost	$252
NR Moose License Cost	$1,803
Refund Policy	Full refund if unsuccessful (minus $15 application fee)
Special Tag Quota	Limited — type varies by area
NR Quota	Varies by species; roughly 16% of elk, roughly 20% of deer and pronghorn

Data Disclaimer: The tag counts, applicant counts, and odds in this article come from the WGFD demand reports we ingest, last verified 2026-08-10. Every figure is labeled with its residency and its year, because Wyoming’s resident and nonresident numbers are nowhere near each other. Numbers shift annually with quotas and applicant pools — verify current data at the official WGFD website before you apply.

ProHunt Doesn't Publish Wyoming Point Thresholds

The WGFD report our Wyoming data comes from is the random-draw demand report. It carries tags, applicants, and odds — it does not carry a “points required to draw” figure for any hunt area. So you won’t find one here. Anybody quoting you a hard number like “area 100 takes 11 points” is estimating, not reading it off an agency table. For point-level detail, pull the WGFD draw summary reports directly.

How Wyoming’s 75/25 System Works

Wyoming’s preference point system is straightforward once you understand the split.

The 75% Pool: Three-quarters of available tags go to applicants with the most preference points. If a unit has 20 tags for nonresidents, 15 go to the highest-point applicants. Within that top-point pool, selection is random. So if the top pool has 30 applicants for 15 tags, it’s a coin flip among those 30 — but you must be in the top pool to have a shot at those 15 tags.

The 25% Pool: The remaining 5 tags go to a random draw that includes every applicant — zero points through max points. Your preference points don’t help you here. A first-time applicant has the same chance as a 15-point holder.

Point Accumulation: You earn one preference point each year you apply unsuccessfully or purchase a point-only application. Points are species-specific (elk points don’t help with deer). If you draw, your points for that species reset to zero.

Key Strategic Implications:

Unlike a pure preference system, maximum-point holders don’t draw first. They share the top pool with everyone at their point level.
The 25% random pool keeps hope alive for low-point applicants and makes “point creep” slower than in states like Colorado.
Buying points without applying is valid, but you miss the 25% random chance each year you do it.

Always apply, don’t just buy points. Every application gives you a shot at the 25% random pool. Point-only purchases build preference but sacrifice that annual random chance.

Understand how all western point systems compare

Apply Every Year — Never Buy Points-Only in Wyoming

Wyoming’s 25% random pool means every application gives you a real shot regardless of your point balance. If you buy a point-only application instead of applying for a tag, you earn the same preference point but give up your annual entry to the random pool. Over a 10-year building period, that’s 10 random chances you’ve thrown away. The only valid reason to buy point-only is if you literally cannot afford the license fee hold on your credit card during the application period. Otherwise, always apply.

Wyoming Elk Draw Odds by Area

Wyoming divides elk hunting into hunt areas, each with specific tag types. The main tag types you need to know:

Type 1: Any elk — bull or cow, any legal weapon. The premium tag.
Type 6: Cow/calf only. Management tags for population control.
Type 7: Antlerless elk. Similar to Type 6 but with different area restrictions.
Type 9: Any elk — archery only. Available in limited areas.

Type 1 (Any Elk) Tags — What the 2026 Numbers Look Like

Every row below is the Type 1 “any elk” general rifle hunt, 2026, straight from the WGFD demand reports. Nonresident figures come from the nonresident random report — that’s the pool a nonresident actually sits in. Read the two residency columns side by side and the real story of Wyoming elk shows up fast.

Hunt Area	Region	NR tags, 2026	NR odds, 2026	Res tags, 2026	Res odds, 2026
100	Shirley Mountains	3	0.3%	138	3.5%
16	Rawlins / Encampment	3	0.5%	207	10.2%
7	Dubois / East Fork	23	2.3%	1,024	32.5%
108	Frannie / Deaver	2	4.1%	120	27.4%
47	Big Piney / Marbleton	2	6.7%	104	100%
98	Wamsutter / Red Desert	8	7.3%	294	87%

Look at area 47. A resident drew that hunt at 100% in 2026 — 104 tags against 61 applicants, more tags than takers. A nonresident in the same hunt area, same season, same year, faced 2 tags and 30 applicants for 6.7%. That’s the single most expensive mistake you can make reading Wyoming draw data: quoting yourself a resident number.

Area 7 carries the largest nonresident Type 1 quota of the group at 23 tags, and it still only paid out 2.3% against 1,006 applicants. Wyoming nonresident elk is tight almost everywhere. Across all Wyoming elk hunts in our 2026 data, the median nonresident random-pool odds are 2.9%, and 79 of 121 hunts came in under 5%.

Where the Nonresident Odds Are Actually Better

Type 4 and Type 5 antlerless elk hunts are the honest answer for a hunter who wants to hunt Wyoming this fall rather than in a decade. In 2026, a long list of antlerless hunt areas — 19, 23, 36, 41, 48 and more — carried nonresident tags with zero applicants in the random report. Undersubscribed, not competitive.

That’s the trade. You’re shooting a cow instead of a bull, and you’re learning the country on a tag nobody else wanted. Meat quality is often better than a rutted September bull, and the hunt teaches you the terrain for the day a Type 1 comes through.

Check real-time draw odds for any Wyoming unit

Wyoming Mule Deer Draw Odds

Wyoming’s mule deer draw is tighter than elk. The state manages mule deer conservatively, and nonresident tag allocation is limited. Trophy potential, though, is among the best anywhere — Unit-wide 170+ class bucks are realistic in the top areas.

Mule Deer Areas — 2026 Numbers

Wyoming runs a separate hunt-area system for deer than it does for elk. The numbers don’t line up between species, and the boundaries don’t either — area 47 elk and area 47 deer are not the same ground. Never carry an elk area number over to a deer application.

Hunt Area	Region	Season	NR tags, 2026	NR odds, 2026	Res odds, 2026
128	Trout Creek / Wapiti	Type 1 antlered	1	0.1%	1.6%
130	Yellowstone / Thorofare	Type 1 antlered	0	0%	0.8%
89	Black Butte	Type 1 antlered	3	1.9%	9.5%
66	Star Valley / Alpine	Type 3 either sex	3	50%	30.8%
23	Kaycee / Powder River	Type 3 either sex	69	undersubscribed	100%

Area 130 is the one to sit with. In 2026 the nonresident random report showed zero tags against 49 applicants — a 0% draw. Residents didn’t do much better at 0.8%. Area 128 issued exactly one nonresident tag against 1,443 applicants.

Then look at 66 and 23. The Type 3 either-sex hunts in those areas paid 50% and full subscription for nonresidents in the same year. Same state, same species, wildly different math. Season type and hunt type matter as much as the area number.

Mule deer strategy tip: Wyoming nonresident deer runs a 4.3% median across our 2026 data, with 28 of 50 hunts under 5%. If a big buck is the goal, apply every year and treat the Type 3 and either-sex hunts as your near-term way into the state.

Wyoming Pronghorn Draw Odds

Wyoming holds more pronghorn than any other state, and it runs more antelope hunt areas than any other species — 101 of them in our data. Pronghorn is still the most realistic Wyoming tag for a nonresident. It just isn’t the gimme it gets described as.

Pronghorn at a Glance

Category	Details
Hunt areas in our data	101
Median NR odds, 2026	3.3%
Best NR odds, 2026	Area 29 (Wheatland / Platte River) at 57.1%
License Cost (NR)	$252
NR allocation	Roughly 20%

Here’s the correction to the folklore. Across our 2026 antelope data, 81 of the 122 nonresident hunts came in under 5%, and exactly one cleared 50%. The much-repeated “areas 60, 64 and 55 draw at two to four points” line doesn’t survive contact with the numbers: in 2026, nonresident odds ran 0.5% in area 60 (3 tags, 645 applicants), 2.1% in area 64, and 1.8% in area 55. Residents drew those same three areas at 23%, 28.9%, and 30.5%.

Where a nonresident genuinely has a shot in 2026:

Hunt Area	Region	Hunt type	NR tags, 2026	NR odds, 2026	Res odds, 2026
29	Wheatland / Platte River	Type 2	48	57.1%	100%
26	Southeast Wyoming / Chugwater	Type 1	159	28.2%	100%
37	Lance Creek	Type 1	22	24.7%	100%
10	South Wind River	Type 1	18	22.5%	100%
20	Bighorn Mountains Central	Type 1	32	17.5%	100%

Note the hunt type on area 29. The Type 2 hunt there paid 57.1% for nonresidents in 2026; the Type 1 hunt in the very same area paid 1.3%. Pull the hunt type, not just the area.

The pattern is worth internalizing: the drawable nonresident antelope hunts sit in eastern and southeastern Wyoming, not in the famous southwestern trophy country. That’s the trade you’re making.

If you’ve never hunted Wyoming, start with pronghorn. It’s the fastest way to get boots on the ground, learn the terrain, and build toward future elk and deer hunts. A hunting planner helps you track your Wyoming preference points alongside your other state applications — with WY deadlines spread across the year — June 1 for resident elk/deer/pronghorn, April 30 for special species, and February 2 was the 2026 nonresident elk close — you need to be organized early.

Stack Pronghorn, Elk, and Deer Applications Simultaneously

Wyoming application costs are structured so that applying for all three species simultaneously is the smartest approach. You pay the refundable license fee only if you draw. If you don’t draw elk and deer (which is likely your first few years), those fees come back and you earn preference points toward future draws. Meanwhile, you’ll likely draw pronghorn with zero points and actually get to hunt. Start all three species at once — don’t wait until you “build enough elk points” before applying for deer and pronghorn.

Wyoming Moose Draw Odds

Let’s be straight: drawing a Wyoming moose tag as a nonresident is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Tag numbers are tiny, demand is massive, and draw odds are brutal.

Moose Quick Facts

Detail	Info (2026 data)
NR tags, all areas	3
NR applicants, all areas	1,678
NR odds, statewide	0.18%
Res tags / applicants	71 / 11,492 (0.62%)
Hunt areas in our data	28
License Cost (NR)	$1,803

Three nonresident moose tags across the whole state in 2026, against 1,678 applicants in the random report. That’s the number. Residents fared better in absolute terms — 71 tags — but at 0.62% they’re barely ahead in percentage terms.

Area 1 is worth calling out because it’s the one everybody applies for: zero nonresident tags against 40 applicants in 2026, and 2 resident tags against 1,388. The only nonresident moose hunt in our 2026 data that broke 1% was an antlerless hunt in area 38 at 8.3%, on a single tag.

Note that area 4 doesn’t appear in our Wyoming moose data at all — if you’ve seen it recommended as a top moose area, check the current WGFD regulations before you build an application around it.

Strategy: Buy moose points every year regardless. It costs $100 per year. After 20 years, that’s $2,000 for a shot at a $1,803 tag in some of the best moose habitat in the Lower 48. Worth it.

Application Strategy: Making Wyoming Work

For the New Applicant (0-2 Points)

Apply for pronghorn immediately. Target the eastern and southeastern areas — 29, 26, 37, 10, 20 all paid nonresidents between 17% and 57% in 2026. Get to Wyoming, hunt, and learn the state.
Apply for elk Type 4/5 antlerless tags. Plenty of areas showed zero nonresident applicants in the 2026 random report. You’ll fill the freezer.
Apply rather than buying point-only. Same preference point either way, but applying keeps you in the 25% random pool every year.
Pick your elk area on the published odds, not on a point rumor. Area 98 paid 7.3% for nonresidents in 2026 and area 47 paid 6.7% — both better than area 100’s 0.3%. Those are the numbers to plan against.

For the Mid-Point Holder

Nonresident Type 1 elk stays tight regardless of your point bank. Areas 98, 47, and 108 sat between 4% and 7.3% for nonresidents in 2026 — the best of the Type 1 group, not a formality.
Consider burning points strategically. Holding indefinitely for a marquee area is romantic, but hunting more often in solid areas produces more memories and more meat.
Stack mule deer points, and read the hunt type. Area 66’s Type 3 hunt paid nonresidents 50% in 2026 while area 128’s Type 1 paid 0.1%. The hunt type moved the odds by a factor of 500.

For the Long-Term Applicant

Match the area to what you can actually execute. A backcountry area you can’t reach is a wasted tag. Sort by access and terrain before you sort by reputation.
Check residency on every number you read. Area 47 elk was a 100% resident draw and a 6.7% nonresident draw in the same 2026 season. Forum posts rarely say which one they’re quoting.
Pull the WGFD draw summary reports for point-level detail. Our data gives you tags, applicants, and odds. It doesn’t give you point thresholds, and neither does anyone reading the same demand reports.

Build your multi-year Wyoming strategy

Application Costs and Budgeting

Applying in Wyoming isn’t cheap for nonresidents. Here’s the annual cost to maintain applications across all species:

Species	Application Fee	Point-Only Cost	License Cost (if drawn)
Elk	$15 + refundable license fee	$50	$587 (general) / $1,128 (special)
Mule Deer	$15 + refundable license fee	$50	$352
Pronghorn	$15 + refundable license fee	$15	$252
Moose	$15 + refundable license fee	$100	$1,803
Annual Total (all 4, point-only)		$215

At $215 per year for all four species, Wyoming is one of the more affordable states to build points in — especially considering the 25% random chance you get by applying rather than buying point-only.

Important: Wyoming charges your credit card for the full license fee at application time and refunds it if you don’t draw. Make sure your card can handle the hold. Failed payment = failed application.

Wyoming Charges Your Card Upfront — Make Sure Your Card Can Handle the Hold

When you apply for a Wyoming elk license, the full nonresident fee ($587+) is charged to your card immediately, then refunded if you don’t draw. If you’re applying for multiple species, those holds stack up fast. A hunter applying for elk, mule deer, pronghorn, and moose simultaneously needs roughly $2,800 available on one card. Plan ahead. A declined payment means a failed application and a wasted year of point accumulation. Use a card with a high limit specifically for hunting applications.

Key Dates for Wyoming Applicants

Date	Action
October 1	Application period opens (online)
June 1	Resident elk/deer/pronghorn deadline (Special species closed April 30; nonresident elk closed February 2, 2026)
Mid-May	Draw results posted on WGFD website
Late May	Refunds processed for unsuccessful applicants
August	Leftover tags available (limited)
September	Most elk/deer seasons begin

Wyoming spreads its deadlines across the year: nonresident elk closed February 2, 2026; moose/sheep/goat/bison closed April 30; resident elk/deer/pronghorn closes June 1. Set calendar reminders for each window you’re applying in — many hunters miss species because the dates aren’t all in the same month.

See all western state deadlines on one calendar

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Wyoming’s 75/25 draw system work?

Seventy-five percent of available tags go to applicants in the highest preference point pool, drawn randomly within that pool. The remaining 25% go to a random draw that includes all applicants regardless of points. This means zero-point applicants always have a small chance at any unit, and maximum-point holders aren’t guaranteed a tag.

When is the Wyoming hunting application deadline?

Wyoming runs multiple application windows: nonresident elk closed February 2, 2026; special species (moose/sheep/goat/bison) closed April 30; resident elk/deer/pronghorn closes June 1. Most applications open early January. There is no late application period.

How many preference points do I need for Wyoming elk?

We can’t tell you, and we won’t guess. The WGFD demand reports behind our Wyoming data publish tags, applicants, and odds — they carry no point-threshold column, so ProHunt doesn’t publish Wyoming point requirements for any species. What we can tell you is what the draw actually paid: in 2026, nonresident Type 1 elk ran from 0.3% in area 100 to 7.3% in area 98, with a 2.9% median statewide. For point-level detail, go to the WGFD draw summary reports. Check specific area odds in our Draw Odds Engine.

Can I draw a Wyoming elk tag with zero points?

Yes. The 25% random pool means zero-point applicants draw tags every year, even in premium units. The odds are low (often under 1% for top areas), but it happens. Cow/calf tags draw with zero points at much higher rates.

What’s the difference between Type 1 and Type 6 elk tags in Wyoming?

Type 1 is an “any elk” tag — you can harvest a bull or cow with any legal weapon. Type 6 is cow/calf only. Type 7 is antlerless only. Type 9 is any elk, archery only. Type 1 is the most sought-after and hardest to draw. Type 6/7 tags are management tools with much better draw odds.

Is Wyoming better than Colorado for elk hunting?

Different strengths. Wyoming has higher success rates in premium units, better bull quality in top areas, and a fairer draw system (the 25% random component). Colorado has OTC archery tags (no draw needed), a larger elk herd, and more total opportunity. Most serious elk hunters apply in both states. Compare Wyoming elk hunting to other states.

How much does a Wyoming elk hunt cost for non-residents?

A nonresident elk license runs $587 for a general tag or $1,128 for a special tag, plus the $15 application fee. Add travel, lodging, food, and meat processing and a DIY hunt runs $2,000-4,000. Guided hunts in premium areas cost $6,000-15,000 depending on outfitter and area.

Should I apply for Wyoming or just buy preference points?

Always apply rather than buying point-only. Applying costs the same in preference points earned, but you get the 25% random draw chance. The only reason to buy point-only is if you absolutely cannot afford the license fee hold on your credit card during the application period.

Plan Your Wyoming Application

Draw Odds Engine — Check real-time draw odds for any Wyoming area and species
Application Timeline Planner — Build a multi-year strategy across all western states
Wyoming Elk Hunting Complete Guide — Unit breakdowns, tactics, and gear for WY elk
Draw Odds & Preference Points Explained — How every western state’s system works
Hunt Cost Calculator — Budget your Wyoming elk hunt down to the dollar

Sources & verification

Seasons, license fees, application windows, and draw structure for Wyoming change every year. Always verify the current details against the official Wyoming agency before applying or hunting.

Wyoming Game & Fish Department — wgfd.wyo.gov