Wyoming uses a preference point system for nonresidents only, with a random draw on the side. In each hunt area and license type, 75% of nonresident licenses go to the applicants with the most points and 25% are drawn at random. Residents don’t use points for elk or deer. Their limited quota licenses are drawn at random, and resident general licenses are sold over the counter. For a nonresident, that means points are the reliable route to a good tag, but the random pool gives anyone a real chance any year, even with zero points.

How you get points

This is where Wyoming differs from most states: nonresidents build elk and deer points by buying them. WGFD’s rules say points are accumulated by purchasing a preference point during the point purchase period. Don’t count on getting a point just for applying and missing.

• When: July 1 to November 2, 2026, through WGFD’s online license system.
• Cost (2026): $52 for elk and $41 for deer ($10 for youth).
• Cost from 2027: The Game and Fish Commission voted in April 2026 to raise nonresident points to $75 each for elk and deer, effective January 1, 2027. Points bought during the July to November 2026 window are listed at the 2026 prices.
• Limit: One point per species per year.
• Who can buy: You can’t buy a point for a species in a year you drew your first choice in the initial draw.
• Youth: Must be at least 11 when buying and turn 12 by December 31 that year.
• No license required first. Wyoming has no qualifying license. The point is a stand-alone purchase.

How points are used in the draw

Only your first choice uses points. You can list three choices. Your points count only for your first choice in the preference draw.

The 75/25 split. For each hunt area and license type:

1. 75% of licenses go through the preference point draw. Applicants are ranked by points, highest first. Everyone takes part, including people with zero points.
2. 25% go to a random draw. Everyone who missed in the preference draw is entered, regardless of points. Points don’t add any extra chances in the random draw.

Regular vs. special price. Wyoming holds back 40% of nonresident elk and deer licenses for special price applicants, who pay an extra fee:

Nonresident license (2026)	Regular	Special
Elk (includes fishing and $15 application fee)	$707	$1,965
Deer (includes $15 application fee)	$389	$1,215

Special and regular applicants draw in completely separate pools. Each has its own 75% preference draw and 25% random draw. Fewer people pay the special price, so the same hunt often takes fewer points at special price. Your points work in either pool.

Parties. Up to six hunters can apply together. They must all pick the same draw (regular or special), hunt area, and license type. For nonresident elk and deer, the party’s points are averaged (to four decimal places). The party shares one random number, so applying together doesn’t improve your odds. Residents and nonresidents can’t apply together.

Doe/fawn and cow/calf licenses don’t use or earn points.

Residents vs. nonresidents

2026	Resident	Nonresident
Preference points (elk/deer)	None	Yes, must be bought
Point cost	n/a	Elk $52, deer $41 ($75 each from 2027)
Application fee	$5	$15 (included in license price)
License prerequisite	None	None
Elk license	$62	$707 regular / $1,965 special
Deer license	$47	$389 regular / $1,215 special
Draw method	Random draw for limited quota	75% preference / 25% random, regular and special pools
Elk deadline	June 1	February 2
Deer deadline	June 1	June 1
General license	Over the counter	Region general license through the draw

Nonresident share. In a 2021 explainer, WGFD described limited quota elk licenses as split 84% resident and 16% nonresident; check the current regulations for this year’s split. Nonresident licenses are allocated first, with 40% to special and 60% to regular, and any nonresident licenses that go unused go to the resident draw. Nonresident region general elk licenses fall under a statewide nonresident elk cap set by Commission rule.

WGFD charges the full license fee when you apply and refunds it if you don’t draw. The application fee isn’t refunded.

Keeping and losing points

• Drawing your first choice in the initial draw wipes out all your points for that species.
• Drawing a second or third choice doesn’t cost your points.
• Two-year rule: You lose all your points for a species if you don’t buy a point for two consecutive years. Applying alone isn’t enough to protect them.
• No waiting period after drawing elk or deer.
• Separate by species. Elk and deer points are separate, and so are the prices and deadlines.

Elk vs. deer: the differences that matter

• Deadlines: Nonresident elk closes in early winter (February 2 in 2026). Deer closes June 1, the same as residents.
• Point price: $52 elk vs. $41 deer in 2026. Both go to $75 in 2027.
• Regions: Nonresident elk has three region general licenses (Eastern, Southern, Western). Deer has many lettered regions with very different demand.
• Point levels: Elk region general licenses took a few points in 2026. Deer ranges from zero-point regions to Region G and H, which take as many points as many limited quota elk areas.

Point creep and “points to draw”

WGFD’s demand reports show how many applicants at each point level drew each hunt. “Points to draw” is the lowest level that drew in the preference pool. As nonresidents keep buying points, popular hunts drift upward. That’s point creep. The top point level in 2026 was 20.

Elk example (2026 nonresident draw). Regular price Western Region general took 6 points to draw for certain. At special price, it was 100% at 5 points, and some applicants drew at 4. A regular applicant with 3 points was really relying on the 25% random draw.

Deer example (2026 nonresident draw). Region G at regular price took 12 points for certain, and Region H took 9. At special price, G took 10 and H took 7. Several other regions drew at 0 to 3 points.

Tier (2026 nonresident)	Examples	Regular	Special
Easy	Many deer regions; antlerless elk areas	0–3	0–2
Moderate	Elk region general; deer Regions G and H	4–12	3–10
Premium	Elk Areas 100 and 124; deer Areas 102 and 128	19–20, and some areas don’t draw everyone even at 20	18–20

These tiers are our summary of WGFD’s 2026 demand reports, not official WGFD categories, and next year’s numbers will differ.

Strategy

• Buy points every year you might want to hunt. Since points come only by purchase and lapse after two missed years, set a reminder for July.
• Use the random pool. With 25% of licenses drawn at random, a zero-point application for a premium area is a long-shot lottery ticket.
• Weigh special price. Paying the special price can save you two or three years of points on a region general license. On easy deer regions it often isn’t needed.
• Don’t burn points on an easy first choice. If your first choice draws at zero points, you lose everything you’ve built.
• Add doe/fawn or cow/calf licenses. These don’t touch your points.
• Outfitters and private land. Nonresidents hunting federal wilderness need a licensed outfitter or a resident guide. Private-land access is worth a look too: see hunting leases and discount guided hunts.

Key numbers for 2026

Item	2026
Nonresident elk deadline	February 2
Deer deadline (all) and resident elk	June 1
Point purchase window	July 1 – November 2
Elk / deer point	$52 / $41 (youth $10)
Point price from Jan. 1, 2027	$75 elk and deer
Preference / random split	75% / 25%
Special price share	40% of nonresident licenses
Lose points after	2 years without buying a point
Max points in 2026 reports	20

FAQ

Do I get a point if I apply and don’t draw? Plan on buying it. WGFD’s rules say nonresident elk and deer points come from buying a point between July 1 and November 2.

Do my points carry between regular and special? Yes. Points belong to the species, not the price type. You use them in whichever draw you apply for.

Do residents need points? No. Wyoming residents have no elk or deer preference points. Limited quota licenses are drawn at random.

Related: Wyoming Elk Hunting · Wyoming Deer Hunting · How to apply for the Wyoming elk draw · How to apply for the Wyoming deer draw · Preference points by state

Rules and fees are from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the 2026 draw (2026–27 license year where noted). Confirm in the current regulations before you apply.