Utah's hunting permit drawings
What they are and how they work
Utah offers a variety of hunting opportunities. To learn more about the types of hunting permits available, visit our guidebooks page or contact any Division of Wildlife Resources office.
This page is your guide to how permit drawings work.
What types of drawings are held? And when?
The DWR publishes annual guidebooks that detail application dates, information about permit types, rules and regulations and more. You can download PDF versions of every guidebook. Printed versions of some guidebooks are available from license agents and DWR offices.
| Drawing | Species | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Bear | Black bear | Early February |
| Big game | Buck deer, bull elk, buck pronghorn, bull moose, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison | Late March/early April |
| Antlerless | Antlerless deer, elk, moose, doe pronghorn and ewe sheep | Early June |
| Crane, grouse and tundra swan | Sandhill crane, greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and tundra swan | Early July |
| Sportsman | Bear, bison, deer, desert bighorn sheep, elk, moose, pronghorn, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat and turkey (one permit for each species) | Late October/early November |
| Turkey | Wild turkey | Mid-December |
How do I apply for a permit from a drawing?
There are three ways to apply for permits that are offered in a drawing:
- During an application period, visit our online application website.
- Call or visit a DWR office during an application period. Our staff will be happy to help you with an application.
- Call our draw helpline at 855-883-7297 or 855-UTDRAWS
A few things that are helpful to know
There are two different point systems:
- Bonus points relate to limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts (bear, most big game animals, antlerless moose, ewe sheep and turkey)
- Preference points relate to general-season hunts (general-season deer, crane, grouse, tundra swan, Dedicated Hunter and most antlerless hunts)
There are two types of applications:
- An individual application is submitted by a single applicant.
- A group application is submitted by a group of applicants. In a group application, all of the group members will draw a permit or none of them will.
Before applying
Before you apply for a permit, you should make sure that you meet Utah’s hunter education, age and license requirements. You'll also need to know if you qualify as a resident. Read moreExpand submenu
Hunter Education: If you were born after Dec. 31, 1965, you must provide proof that you've passed a hunter education course approved by the DWR before you can apply for or obtain a hunting license or permit. Applicants that apply for a permit without having completed a Hunter Education course will be rejected in the drawing. If you become a Utah resident and you've completed a hunter education course in another state, province or country, you must obtain a Utah "blue card" before you can buy a resident hunting license. You can obtain a Utah blue card at any DWR office by providing proof that you've completed a hunter education course approved by the DWR. (More information about transferring your out-of-state certificate of completion.)
Age restrictions: Utah has different minimum age requirements for hunting. For details, please read the guidebook for the type of animal you want to hunt.
Hunting license: You must have a valid Utah hunting or combination license to apply for or obtain a big game, antlerless, black bear, sandhill crane, greater sage-grouse, sharp-tailed grouse, tundra swan or turkey permit or preference/bonus point.
Residency: To apply for or obtain a permit, you must select whether you are a Utah resident or a nonresident. To determine if you qualify as a resident, click to see the definition of resident.
Choosing a hunt: Research the area you want to hunt before you apply for it. Some hunting areas in Utah are made up of large amounts of public lands. Others are made up of mostly private lands, which require trespass permission. Researching before you apply will help you avoid drawing a permit that you might not be able to use. You can find maps and boundary descriptions on the DWR's website.
During the application
The online application process is easy to use. Detailed instructions walk you through each page, and you have multiple opportunities to review your hunt choices. There are also a few other things to keep in mind. Read moreExpand submenu
When to apply: You may apply online anytime (24 hours a day, seven days a week) during an open application period. There is not any advantage in applying early in the application period. However, we strongly recommend that you complete your application before the final hours of an application period (note: all applications end at 11 p.m. MT on the final day of the application period).
Group application: Some applications allow you to apply with other hunters in a group.
Hunt choices: Most hunts allow you to select more than one choice in the application. Please remember that if you apply as an individual and are hoping to hunt with your family or friends, you may want to select only one hunt choice or consider a group application instead.
Double-check your hunt selection: Make sure you select the hunt that you really want. Please double-check the hunt number, area, season and weapon type before completing the application. The application will give you several opportunities to review your hunt choice(s).
Application fees: The application fee for residents is $10 per application and $21 for nonresidents per application. Application fees must be paid by credit card, debit card or pre-paid credit cards. Cards must be valid at least 30 days after the date the results are posted.
Application confirmation: At the end of the application, you should see a confirmation screen. If you provided an email address, you will also receive an email confirmation. If you don't see a confirmation page or receive your confirmation email, you may visit utahdraws.com to view all communications sent to you regarding your application. Or you may call 855-883-7297 (855-UTDRAWS) to verify your application.
After the application
In the weeks after the application, some hunters may have additional questions. Those questions are often about credit card changes and drawing results. Read moreExpand submenu
Fee charges: After the application is submitted, you will be charged for application fees, hunting license fees, a 2.2% electronic transaction fee and donations. We won't charge you for the permit fee unless you are successful in the drawing. Charges for permits can happen anytime after the drawing is held. Draw results will be available at the same time as charges on your card.
Credit card changes: If your credit card number changes after you apply, you may go online to update your credit card information. Or you may call 855-883-7297 or 855-UTDRAWS.
Declined credit cards: If your credit card declines when the permit fee is charged, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will attempt to contact you by either email, SMS and/or phone. If the deadline passes without the fee being paid, the permit will be offered to someone else. If the permit can't be reissued, you will be held responsible for the fee and will not be able to apply in a drawing until the fee is paid.
Drawing results: Drawing results dates are listed in the guidebooks. On or before that date, you will be sent an email with your drawing results. If you didn't list an email in your application, you can check your results online, by calling 855-883-7297 or 855-UTDRAWS, or by contacting us after the result date.
How permit drawings work
Utah has developed a drawing system that favors hunters who have applied the longest, but that still gives new hunters a chance to obtain a permit.
The basic big game drawing sequence
The big game drawing offers multiple types of permits but limits an applicant to drawing one once-in-a-lifetime or one limited-entry permit per year. Because of this, the drawing order may be important to you and may alter your application strategy. The permit selection process follows the basic order listed in Utah Administrative Rule R657-62-18:
- Buck deer (all limited-entry permits, including premium limited-entry, CWMU and management buck deer)
- Bull elk (all limited-entry and CWMU permits)
- Buck pronghorn (all limited-entry and CWMU permits)
- Once-in-a-lifetime permits
- General-season buck deer (lifetime license holders)
- General-season buck deer (youth Dedicated Hunter)
- General-season buck deer (Dedicated Hunter)
- General-season buck deer (youth)
- General-season buck deer
- Draw-only youth any bull/hunter's choice elk
Limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime permits
When the drawing begins, 50% of the permits for each hunt are drawn by the applicants that have the most bonus points. Then, the remaining 50% of the permits for each hunt are drawn among all remaining applicants. Having bonus points will give you a better chance at drawing a permit in this part of the drawing also. Learn more about bonus points.
General-season deer hunts
- The drawing process allows lifetime license holders to pick their unit first.
- Then, up to 15% of the quota is available for participants enrolled in the Dedicated Hunter Program. Existing Dedicated Hunters are taken out of this 15%, and the remainder is available for new CORs. (Youth Dedicated Hunters get up to 20% of this remaining 15%, with the final remainder available for everyone else.)
- Next, after lifetime license holders and Dedicated Hunters, an up to 20% allotment of general-season buck deer permits are available for youth who are 17 years old or younger on July 31.
- Finally, the rest of the permits are issued as regular general-season buck deer permits to applicants that have the most preference points.
How preference points work in the general-season drawing: Starting with the highest point level, the drawing looks at the hunter's first choice. If a permit is available for the hunt, the permit is awarded. (In the case of a group application, permits are awarded if there are enough permits for the people in the group.) If permits are not available, the application is skipped, and the first choice of the next person is considered.
After all first choices have been considered at that preference point level, the drawing will look at the first choices of hunters at the next-highest preference point level. After all the applicants' first choices have been considered, the drawing will look at everyone’s second choices. This process continues in the same way for third, fourth and fifth choices. If you draw a general-season buck deer permit — regardless of whether it was your first, second, third, fourth or fifth choice — you will lose all your preference points. Learn more about preference points.
Want to learn more?
Listen to the DWR "Wild" podcast!
DWR Wildlife Licensing Coordinator Lindy Varney explains the Utah big game drawing and also walks listeners through some common misconceptions (and mistakes) that we see in the application process.