Home to bountiful public land, fewer than 600,000 residents, and productive hunting for many sought-after Western big game species, Wyoming is on most hunters’ bucket lists. Whether you’re after mule deer, elk, moose, Bighorn sheep, mountain goat, or antelope, Wyoming is a state worth building points in as a hunter. In Wyoming’s draw, preference point drawing accounts for 75 percent of available licenses in each hunt area. The remaining 25 percent go to a random draw, so it’s worth applying even if you haven’t been building points for years.
Application deadlines for non-resident elk close early on January 31, 2024, and the remaining tags for resident elk as well as other big game species are drawn in April and May (more detailed information below). Wyoming only accepts online applications, you may apply here.
New In 2024 From Huntin’ Fool
Wyoming is facing a few changes for 2024 and beyond.
The statewide general elk license for non-residents has been broken into three regions with separate license quotas for each region.
License fees for special elk and all trophy species have increased for all non-residents.
The deadline has been moved back even later for sheep, moose, goat, and bison to April 30, 2024.
Deer and Antelope Updates
The special license price for deer and antelope has been increased substantially for 2024. The special license will now cost non-resident applicants $1,215 each.
With further survey data being collected regarding the winter loss impact of the 2022/2023 winter, non-resident deer license quotas have been reduced for regions G, H, L, R, and X.
You can find more discussion on the topic in this YouTube video, a Hunt Masterclass with Huntin’ Fool about Wyoming Elk Draw Changes for 2024.
Huntin’ Fool’s Wyoming page is an excellent, updated resource for ongoing Wyoming draw changes.
Wyoming Draw Process Basics
Application Dates and Deadlines: Huntin’ Fool lines out Wyoming dates and deadlines.
Free for onX Elite members, Hunt Reminder’s Wyoming page is also an excellent resource for timely application season reminders.
Application and Tag Costs (Resident and Non-Resident)
Hunting license and species costs for tags usually include:
- Application Fee
- Hunting License Fee to apply (usually need a qualifying license before you can apply)
- Species Fee (This is what you pay for the animal you want to hunt. Some you pay upfront at application, some you pay for once you get the tag.)
- Points-Only fee (fees for people just buying points and not actually applying for a hunt)
Useful Links
- Access the onX Complete Package for Western Application Research.
- Log Into onX Hunt Research Tools To Start Your 2024 Application Season.
Your One-Stop Application Season Stop
To maximize your time spent researching and applying—and to help you build your strategy to successfully draw in 2024 and beyond—we’re providing onX Hunt Elite Members with FREE services in one comprehensive package:
- Hunt Research Tools: In-Depth Draw Odds and Application Tools
- Huntin’ Fool: Boots-on-the-Ground Research and Insight
- HuntReminder: Worry-Free Text and Email Reminder Service
- onX Hunt: Map Your Hunt With Research Layers
