Western Big Game Hunting Application Open Dates and Deadlines for the 2027 Season

State Profile Links

Hunting application deadlines are extremely important — see every application deadline

We're already knocking on the door for the 2027 application season! Researching for hunts on Insider is one of my favorite times of the year. For me, the next seven months will be spent diving into data, research papers, books, and putting in homework on maps of potential areas I'd love to check out.

What follows is an early look at the upcoming 2027 Western hunting application open dates, deadlines, tag purchase dates, and points-only purchase deadlines. Note: I have adjusted this article and removed the 2026 deadlines since they have passed; it now shows the states where we have CONFIRMED 2027 dates and the remaining 2026-type deadlines.

This article will be updated very frequently starting in early December 2026 with all of the states and their tentative dates. Then, once states release more concrete dates, more opportunities will be added once final regulations are published for each state.

Dates already approved for 2027 are marked "Approved."

The tables below show the current approved 2027 state application open dates and deadlines for hunting opportunities.

If you'd like to see a different view of these application dates and deadline table, be sure to check out our "Dates & Deadlines" section of GOHUNT. That page has all of this information in a way that you can sort by state or species. This is also a much better view if on a mobile device and reading this article.

You can even access the mobile-friendly application deadline view on the GOHUNT mobile app.

GOHUNT Insider Research Tools

Throughout GOHUNT Insider, we have research tools that will enable you to find the perfect hunt quickly and easily. Whether you’re looking for your first Western hunt or want to see the best way to use your points, Insider is your ticket to unlocking the West.

Each research tool on GOHUNT will allow you to find a hunting opportunity. Combining Draw Odds with Filtering, plus our Application Strategy articles and GOHUNT's 3D maps, those tools are everything you need to gain an edge and become more successful.

Don't forget that all of our hunting research tools are also available on the GOHUNT mobile app under the "Research" tab.

If you want more information about each state, dive into our State and Species Profiles. Below are links to each State Profile.

How to look up your bonus points and preference points in every state

Below are links to look up all of your bonus points and preference points in every state.

Other Items Worth Noting

You can also see the important Western hunting deadlines on our Dates and Deadlines page. This view I highly recommend checking out as it allows you to sort and filter deadlines by State and/or Species. I keep that page updated with all the latest dates, deadlines, and essential Insider information.

If you're new to GOHUNT, we release state-by-state Insider Application Strategy Articles three to four weeks before each state deadline. We feel this is the perfect amount of time for you to check out the new 2027 regulations, unit boundary changes, herd die-off information, and tag allocation changes before you try to draw your dream tag. Remember that you can always research for your upcoming season by utilizing Filtering, Draw Odds, and GOHUNT Maps well before we release each state's application strategy article.

Application season can be very overwhelming, and we try to keep it simple with an easy-to-follow schedule of article release dates. Some of the Application Strategy articles are released within a small window, but that is done to ensure we are providing the best possible information to our users. Different states release their regulations and herd information at tight windows to the application deadline. We always strive to release these articles with all the information possible.

Best of luck in the upcoming 2027 draws! This article has been updated to reflect the current approved 2027 deadlines, and we will have more of the 2027 tentative deadlines added to this article later this fall.