Wyoming Nonresident Hunting Guide: Licenses, Draw System, and Tag Strategy

Wyoming is one of the most rewarding states a nonresident can hunt — and one of the most frustrating to navigate. The wildlife is world-class. The public land is vast. But the application system is unforgiving, the deadlines are early, and if you don’t understand how points stack up against other applicants, you’ll spend years spinning your wheels without a tag.

This guide cuts through the noise. Here’s how the Wyoming system actually works, which species are worth chasing as a nonresident, and how to build a tag portfolio that pays off over years rather than decades.

How Wyoming’s Preference Point System Works

Wyoming uses a pure preference point system — no bonus points, no squared odds, no lottery weighting. The highest point holder draws first. Period. When two applicants tie on points, the system breaks the tie randomly. But the core mechanic is simple: accumulate more points than the competition, and you draw.

Points cost money. For most big game species, the nonresident preference point fee runs $52–$153 depending on the species. You can apply for a point without applying for a license, which is useful when you know you won’t draw but want to keep building.

One important rule: you can only apply for one hunt type per species per year. If you put in for elk, you’re locked in to that application — you don’t get a second shot at a different elk unit.

There’s also a party application option. Groups of up to four can apply together, and the system uses the lowest point total in the party. If you’re hunting with someone who has fewer points, you’re pulling yourself down. Hunt with point parity or go solo.

Nonresident Quotas: The 20% Cap

Wyoming law caps nonresident tags at 20% of the total allocation for most big game species in limited quota areas. That cap applies after resident applications are filled, which means nonresidents are always competing in a smaller pool against each other — not against residents.

For elk, deer, and pronghorn, that’s typically 20% of already-limited quota hunts. For sheep, moose, and goat, nonresident allocation can be as low as 10–16% depending on the unit. The practical effect is that nonresidents need significantly more points than residents to draw the same tag in a popular unit.

License Costs: What You’re Actually Paying

Wyoming doesn’t bundle points into a cheap application fee. Here’s what nonresidents pay per species:

Species	Preference Point Fee	License Fee (if drawn)
Elk	$52	$622
Mule Deer	$52	$301
Pronghorn	$52	$226
Bighorn Sheep	$153	$2,352
Moose	$153	$1,352
Mountain Goat	$153	$2,352

Plan your budget before you apply. Drawing a premium elk tag costs over $600 before you buy a single piece of gear.

Elk: Realistic Draw Odds by Point Level

Wyoming elk hunting is where most nonresidents start, and it’s a reasonable entry point. The state has over 100,000 elk and strong public land access across the western half.

Type 1 (any elk) general licenses in areas like Area 1 (northwest Wyoming) offer over-the-counter options for nonresidents in some seasons — archery especially. These don’t require points but come with tradeoffs in pressure and access.

For limited quota elk hunts, here’s how points stack up:

• 0–2 points: You’re a lottery player. A few units with genuinely low odds might be worth trying (Unit 7, Unit 14), but don’t expect to draw.
• 3–5 points: Realistic shots at mid-tier units. Unit 2 (Yellowstone corridor) and Unit 30 (Wyoming Range) sometimes draw in this range, though odds fluctuate year to year.
• 6–9 points: You’re getting competitive. Unit 2 draws regularly here. Premium archery units in the Absaroka become possible.
• 10+ points: The top-tier limited quota hunts open up. Unit 100 (northwest corner) and some of the premium rut hunts in the Bridger Teton start drawing at this level.

Mule Deer: More Accessible Than Elk

Wyoming mule deer hunting is arguably better than elk for nonresidents looking for a realistic draw timeline. Several units produce quality bucks and draw in 3–5 years.

• Unit 100 (Sublette County): One of Wyoming’s marquee mule deer units. Expect 6–9 points for nonresidents. Late season hunts here produce 200-inch-class bucks regularly.
• Unit 54 (Wind River Range east): A solid mid-tier unit that draws in the 4–6 point range. Rugged terrain, great public land access.
• Unit 134 (Thunder Basin): A prairie/sage unit that sometimes draws in the 0–2 range. Not trophy caliber, but a great first Wyoming mule deer experience.
• Unit 85 (Big Horn Basin): Known for mature bucks, draws in the 5–8 point range. Archery tags are slightly easier to draw than rifle.

For mule deer, Wyoming offers some general (limited quota) tags that draw with 0 points in lower-demand units. Search for any unit with “General Type 1 or 2 licenses” — these are your zero-point shots.

Pronghorn: The Best Value in Wyoming

Pronghorn might be Wyoming’s best-kept secret for nonresidents. The state has the largest pronghorn population in North America — over 400,000 animals — and draw odds are dramatically better than elk or deer.

• Unit 42 (Red Desert): The Red Desert is Wyoming’s pronghorn heartland. This unit draws with 0–1 points most years for general licenses. It’s a rifle hunter’s dream — flat, open country, 50+ inch bucks not uncommon.
• Unit 65 (Sweetwater County): Another zero-to-two-point draw, with quality bucks and vast BLM access.
• Unit 80 (Carbon County): Slightly higher demand (2–4 points) but produces exceptional trophy bucks. Archery tags here are worth targeting specifically.
• Premium trophy units (Units 13, 16): These are the 5–8 point draws that produce 80-inch-class goats. Worth building toward if pronghorn is a priority.

The practical tip: apply for pronghorn from year one. It’s cheap, odds are realistic, and Wyoming is one of the best states in the country to take your first pronghorn on public land.

Bighorn Sheep: The Dream Tag

There’s no sugarcoating it — Wyoming bighorn sheep tags for nonresidents are nearly impossible. Most premium sheep units draw in the 15–25 point range for nonresidents, and the allocation is tiny. Unit 1 (Yellowstone boundary) and Unit 7 (Absaroka Range) are world-class but might require 20+ points to draw.

A few lower-tier sheep units draw in the 8–14 point range, but they’re less productive and still represent a decade-long commitment. If you’re serious about Wyoming sheep, start accumulating points immediately — and plan to wait.

The honest math: if you apply for sheep points at age 25 and draw at 45, you’ll have spent around $3,000 in point fees before you buy the $2,352 tag. Budget accordingly.

Building a Multi-Species Wyoming Portfolio from Year One

The smartest Wyoming strategy for a nonresident isn’t picking one species — it’s stacking points across multiple species simultaneously. Here’s a framework:

Year 1–2: Apply for a pronghorn tag (try to draw, not just accumulate points). Start elk and mule deer point banking. Buy sheep and moose points if you’re playing a long game.

Year 3–5: You should have drawn pronghorn at least once. Elk points are building toward mid-tier units. Mule deer points are entering competitive range for solid units like Unit 54 or Unit 85.

Year 6–9: Serious elk draws become realistic. Look at Unit 2, Unit 30, and archery options in the Bridger Teton. Unit 100 mule deer enters range.

Year 10+: If you’ve been consistent, premium elk and mule deer options open. Sheep is still a stretch, but not impossible in lower-allocation units.

The key is consistency. Missing a single year doesn’t just cost you a point — it costs you position relative to everyone else who kept applying.

Quick-Reference: Wyoming Nonresident at a Glance

Species	App Deadline	Point Fee	License (if drawn)	Realistic NR Draw Range	Best Units
Elk	~Jan 31	$52	$622	5–10 pts (premium)	Unit 2, Unit 30, Unit 100
Mule Deer	~Jan 31	$52	$301	3–8 pts	Unit 100, Unit 54, Unit 85
Pronghorn	~Jan 31	$52	$226	0–4 pts	Unit 42, Unit 65, Unit 80
Bighorn Sheep	~Feb 28	$153	$2,352	15–25 pts	Unit 1, Unit 7
Moose	~Feb 28	$153	$1,352	10–18 pts	Unit 16, Unit 68
Mountain Goat	~Feb 28	$153	$2,352	10–20 pts	Unit 1, Unit 5

Deadlines and fees change annually — verify at wgfd.wyo.gov before applying.

Wyoming rewards hunters who plan ahead and stay consistent. The nonresident cap limits your access, but with the right multi-species strategy and realistic expectations for each point tier, you can be hunting Wyoming elk, deer, and pronghorn across a span of years rather than a single dream tag that never comes. Start the clock running.