![]() So here is a walk through of how a guy or gal with 1 preference point would fair in a nonresident drawing for Unit 34-1 to hunt elk. If a unit you are thinking about burning bonus points on offers a reduced price option for cow/calf or doe/fawn, you might consider doing so to scout the unit and fill your freezer. All reduced price licenses can be applied for as a 1st choice and they will not use up an applicants bonus points. Reduced price licenses also offer an opportunity to hunt and not burn bonus points. It can be near impossible to find hunts for trophy class animals but if you just want to fill the freezer and build points, that strategy is entirely doable. However, if you were to draw as a 2nd or 3rd choice then your preference points would be maintained! So point building strategies exist that can allow you to hunt every year and build points. So next year you start over at zero because you also cannot purchase a preference point the same year you draw. If you draw your 1st choice, in either the preference point or random draw, your preference points will be used and zeroed out. In the preference point phase of the drawing, all 1st Choice selections are considered 1st. It is not necessary to select 3 but is an option. ![]() When applying, you’ll also be presented with the ability to select up to 3 huntcodes you’d like to apply for. Then 30 of those 75 (40% of 75) would be available in the special preference point draw. So if the quota was 100 tags for nonresidents, 75 would be available for the preference point draw. ![]() Of the 75% of tags allocated for preference points, typically 40% of these will go toward the special preference point draw. Basically, if you have the means to pay double the tag price.you are special and get to put in a pool separate from the general preference point draw. Wyoming also has what they call a Special Preference Point draw for nonresidents. HuntScore owner, Matt Habiger, was lucky enough to draw a 1 in 200 odds tag for unit 64-1 Antelope in 2019 with 0 preference points! You can see a short clip of his 2019 Western Hunting season here. Meaning the guy who has 12 preference points and the guy who just applied this year have equal odds in the random drawing. While some states give extra weight to those with more preference points, Wyoming’s random draw is unweighted. The random draw is just that, a random draw where every individual has an opportunity to draw. Below is a breakdown of accumulations across species. So accumulating points gives you the best opportunity to hunt. One final point is that 75% of tags go to preference point drawings while 25% go to random draw. The graph below shows accumulated preference points across different species. Once you start accumulating or “building points” it's important to know details about how they are used, when you can lose them, etc… We’ll explore that in another article, but for now, know that we’ll stick to the basics. Wyoming awards preference points for deer, elk, antelope, sheep and moose. The more preference points one has the more likely one is to draw a tag in the preference point draw. Preference points can be purchased every year and accumulate over time. Wyoming Game and Fish allocates tags through two types of draws: a preference point draw and a random draw. In addition to OTC tags, residents also do not have a preference point system for deer, elk and antelope seasons. This means they do not have to apply for a limited number of tags. Wyoming residents also have access to more over-the-counter tag options. ![]() Typically up to 75% or 80% of available tags go to residents in the initial draw depending on the species. Residents are afforded the most opportunity. Wyoming, like most states, has different rules for residents vs. Luckily, we here at HuntScore love this stuff! We’ll break down the state’s tag allocation process so you can draw the tag you’ve been waiting for! However, like many western states Wyoming’s regulations can be a little overwhelming to the uninitiated. Wyoming preference points have been around for 25 years. So like many western states, a draw system was devised to allocate hunting opportunities. The demand for hunting opportunities from residents and nonresidents alike is greater than the population of animals in the state can sustain if everyone got to hunt. The state's terrain affords an opportunity to chase antelope and mule deer in sage brush flats or go after high mountain elk and goats. Wyoming provides a plethora of hunting opportunities for residents and nonresidents alike. ![]()
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