Utah's 2020 sheep, moose, goat and bison application overview

Jump to: NEW FOR 2020 State Info. Draw System R. Bighorn Breakdown D. Bighorn Breakdown Moose Breakdown Goat Breakdown Bison Breakdown

Note: The application deadline for all Utah species is March 5, 2020 at 11 p.m. MST. Applicants who want to purchase bonus points only have until March 19, 2020 at 11 p.m. MST. You may apply online here.

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New for 2020

• Utah has changed their draw system slightly. Previously, if there were an odd number of permits for a hunt, then the bulk of those permits was allocated through the random draw. Now, the bulk will be given to the maximum point pool. For example, if there are seven permits, four will go to maximum point holders and three will be randomly allocated. If there is only one permit, it will still be randomly allocated.
• Starting in 2020, if you want to surrender your big game permit you MUST do so at least 30 days before the start of the season; otherwise your points will be purged. If you return it at least 30 days before season opener, then you’ll get all of your previously accrued bonus or preference points for that species/permit back, but you will not earn a point for the current year.
• Season dates change every year, so please check them carefully before applying for hunts. 
• New bison hunts: Book Cliffs archery hunters choice (resident only), Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/South cow only, Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/South hunter’s choice (resident only), Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless cow only.
• New desert bighorn Sheep hunts: Pine Valley, Virgin River (resident only), Pine Valley, Beaver Dam (resident only), San Juan, North (resident only), San Juan, San Juan River (resident only).
• New Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts: Central Mtns, Nebo (residents only), Fillmore, Oak Creek, North Slope, Three Corners-Bare Top (residents only), North Slope, West Daggett (residents only), Wasatch Mtns, West (residents only).

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State information

To view important information and an overview of Utah’s rules/regulations, the draw system and bonus points, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map, check out our State Profile. You can also view the Species Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy areas.

Utah State Profile Rocky Bighorn Profile Desert Bighorn Profile Shiras Moose Profile Mountain Goat Profile Bison Profile Draw Odds Filtering 2.0

Important dates and information

• The deadline to apply is March 5, 2020 at 11 p.m. MST.
• Apply online here.
• The bonus point/preference point only purchase and application withdrawal deadline is March 19, 2020 at 11 p.m. MST.
• Results will be emailed or available online on or shortly before May 29, 2020.
• Hunters must have a valid hunting or combination hunting/fishing license to apply.
• Hunting licenses are valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. If you time it correctly you can apply for two consecutive years on one license. You do not need an active hunting license to hunt, just to apply.
• Applicants must be 12 years old by Dec 31, 2020 to apply and hunt in Utah.
• Hunters born after Dec 31, 1965, must have taken an approved hunter’s education course.
• Withdrawing or correcting an application is allowed before the application deadline. Corrections are made by withdrawing an application and submitting a new one. Be aware: you will be charged the $10 application fee again to make adjustments and reapply.
• Moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison draws utilize a bonus point system.
• Nonresidents may apply and build bonus points for all available species.
• Residents may only apply for one limited entry species: elk, antelope or deer. They may also apply for one once-in-a-lifetime species: moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison. 
• If you draw a permit and hunt for bull moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison, you can no longer apply for that species again. Those are once-in-a-lifetime permits whether you harvest or not. 
• a hunt on any of the once-in-a-lifetime permits, you cannot apply or draw another one for the same species in your life.

Fees and permit costs

Utah once-in-a-lifetime fees for 2020
Item	Resident fees	Nonresident fees
365-day hunting license	$11 youth (13 and under) $16 youth (14 to 17) $34 adult (18 to 64) $25 adult (65 and older)	$25 youth (17 and under) $65 adult (18 and older)
365-day hunt/fish combo license	$20 youth (14 to 17) $38 adult (18 to 64) $29 adult (65 and older)	$29 youth (17 and under) $85 adult (18 and older)
Application fee per species	$10	$10
Desert and Rocky bighorn sheep	$513	$1,518
Shiras moose	$413	$1,518
Rocky Mountain goat	$413	$1,518
Bison	$413 $1,110 (Antelope Island)	$1,518 $2,615 (Antelope Island)

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The draw system 

Understanding the draw

Utah issues 10% of their draw permits to nonresidents.

UDWR utilizes a bonus point system for once-in-a-lifetime species. For every year that you apply for a once-in-a-lifetime species and do not draw, you will be given a bonus point for that species. You may also buy a bonus point only. Every bonus point you have is, essentially, the number of chances you have in the draw. Utah gives 50% of the permits for any given hunt to the applicants with the most bonus points. The other 50% are randomly drawn. Statistically, the more points you have, the better your odds for those random permits. 

If there is only one permit available for a hunt, it will be randomly allocated. If there is an odd number, for example, three permits, the bulk will be allocated to maximum point holders and the one permit will be randomly allocated.

We advise applicants to apply for a hunt rather than just build points. The only reason you should not apply is if you cannot afford the time to hunt or the cost of the permit should you draw.

Hunt choices

Utah allows applicants to enter one hunt choice for once-in-a-lifetime species. If you draw a permit and hunt, then your accumulated points will be purged. Residents can only apply for one of the following: moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison. Nonresidents can apply for all of those species. 

Group applications

Group applications are not permitted for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison.

Utah’s draw goes in the following order from first to last:

1. Buck deer (multi-season premium limited entry, premium limited entry, multi-season limited entry, limited entry, CWMU, and management buck deer)
2. Bull elk (multi-season limited entry, limited entry, and CWMU)
3. Buck antelope (limited entry and CWMU)
4. Once-in-a-lifetime species (sheep, moose, mountain goat and bison)
5. General buck deer (lifetime license holders)
6. General buck deer (dedicated hunters)
7. General buck deer (youth)
8. General buck deer
9. Youth any bull elk

Note that if you draw a limited entry deer, elk or antelope permit, your moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and/or bison application will not be considered in the draw. You cannot draw both a limited entry permit and a once-in-a-lifetime permit in the same year.

Bonus point system

For all species, the maximum point amount is 27 for 2020; however, there are some species that no longer have applicants at that level. Below are the high point holders for applicants that either purchased a point or applied.

Bonus point system
Species	Resident	Nonresident
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep	27	23
Desert bighorn sheep	25	27
Moose	26	26
Mountain goat	25	22
Bison	26	27

 

Once-in-a-lifetime permits in 2019*
Species	Residents	Nonresidents	Total permits
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep	51	3	54
Desert bighorn sheep	65	4	69
Shiras moose	89	6	95
Rocky mountain goat	112	10	122
Bison	216	26	242

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Utah's 2020 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep breakdown

The largest populations occur in the Nine Mile, Box Elder/Newfoundland Mountains and the Book Cliffs units. Populations are generally stable in these areas while trophy potential is average. Utah isn’t known to produce book rams, but any unit can provide a high success hunt and a chance at a mature ram.

All Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts 2020
Unit	Trophy Potential	Harvest success	Resident permits (2019)	Nonresident permits (2019)
Book Cliffs, South	175"+	83%	5	1
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (early)	155"+	89%	8	0
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (late)	155"+	100%	7	1
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (archery)	155"+	75%	4	0
Box Elder, Pilot Mtn	150"+	100%	0	0
Central Mtns, Nebo	170"+	NA	New hunt (resident only)	NA
Fillmore, Oak Creek (early)	155"+	100%	4	0
Fillmore, Oak Creek (late)	155"+	NA	New hunt	New hunt
Nine Mile & Gray Canyon	175"+	100%	8	1
Nine Mile, Jack Creek	175"+	100%	3	0
North Slope, Three Corners-Bare Top	160”+	NA	New hunt (resident only)	NA
North Slope, West Daggett	160”+	NA	New hunt (resident only)	NA
Oquirrh-Stansbury, West	150”+	100%	3	0
Wasatch Mtns, West	170”+	NA	New hunt (resident only)	NA

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Boone & Crockett (B&C) entry trends for Utah Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep

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Managing points and expectations

2020 maximum points for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep

Residents: 27
Nonresidents: 23

Utah Limited Entry Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep points going into the 2020 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	1,272	2,557
2	923	1,938
3	905	1,616
4	616	1,207
5	626	1,099
6	530	1,014
7	444	926
8	423	966
9	379	973
10	322	1,122
11	305	2,249
12	280	367
13	234	206
14	211	115
15	166	69
16	142	81
17	130	165
18	99	13
19	77	6
20	59	3
21	32	4
22	20	2
23	6	1
24	3	0
25	1	0
26	0	0
27	1	0

Residents can apply for one the 14 hunts. Nonresidents can apply for one of four hunts, which are indicated in the table above. It’s unlikely that there will be a bonus point permit for nonresidents. If there is, it’s most likely going to be in the Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn unit.

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 19 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep points. What can I expect?

Residents

The Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn archery hunt and the Oquirrh-Stansbury, West had had 100% odds at the 17 point level. 

Nonresidents 

Nonresident applicants can choose from the Book Cliffs, South, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn, Nine Mile & Gray Canyon or the new hunt on the Fillmore, Oak Creek. One permit is likely available for each one of those hunts. The Box Elder hunt had the best odds, but even it was less than .5% through the entire point range. The Book Cliffs and Nine Mile units have the best qualities of those units.

Find your resident Rocky bighorn sheep draw odds with 0 points here

Find your nonresident Rocky bighorn sheep draw odds with 0 points here

I have 20 to 26 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep points. What can I expect?

Residents

Every hunt had 100% odds at 23 points in the last draw. At 22 points, every hunt also had 100% odds except for the Book Cliffs, South hunt. At 21 points, every hunt had 100% success except for the Book Cliffs, South and the Nine Mile & Gray Canyon. With 20 points, you could also consider the Oquirrh-Stansbury, West or the Fillmore, Oak Creek. 

Nonresidents 

Once again, nonresident applicants can choose from the Book Cliffs, South, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn, Nine Mile & Gray Canyon or the new hunt on the Fillmore, Oak Creek. Odds will be less than 1% across all hunts. The Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn hunt could possibly have a bonus point permit, but it’s not likely. 

Find your resident Rocky bighorn sheep draw odds with 20 points here

Find your nonresident Rocky bighorn sheep draw odds with 20 points here

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Utah's 2020 desert bighorn sheep breakdown

The largest herds exist within the Zion, Kaiparowits, East and West and the San Rafael, North and South. The other herds are smaller and hunting opportunities are managed accordingly.

All Desert bighorn sheep hunts 2020
Unit	Trophy Potential	Harvest success	Resident permits (2019)	Nonresident permits (2019)
Henry Mountains	150"+	100%	4	0
Kaiparowits, East	160"+	100%	8	1
Kaiparowits, Escalante	155"+	100%	4	0
Kaiparowits, West	160"+	100%	10	1
La Sal, Potash/South Cisco	150"+	100%	4	0
Pine Valley, Virgin River	165"+	New hunt	New hunt (resident only)	NA
Pine Valley, Beaver Dam	165"+	100%	4	0
San Juan, Lockhart	150"+	100%	2	0
San Juan, North	150"+	New hunt	New hunt (resident only)	NA
San Juan, San Juan River	150"+	New hunt	New hunt (resident only)	NA
San Juan, South	150"+	33%	3	0
San Rafael, Dirty Devil	160"+	100%	2	0
San Rafael, North	150"+	100%	5	0
San Rafael, South	145"+	100%	7	1
Zion (early)	170”+	100%	3	1
Zion (late)	170”+	100%	6	0
Zion (archery)	170”+	100%	3	0

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Boone & Crockett (B&C) entry trends for Utah desert bighorn sheep

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Managing points and expectations

2020 max points for Desert bighorn sheep

Residents: 25
Nonresidents: 27

Utah Limited Entry Desert bighorn sheep points going into the 2020 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	1,328	2,452
2	1,006	1,883
3	962	1,597
4	589	1,172
5	537	1,034
6	520	914
7	451	834
8	398	849
9	410	898
10	363	962
11	350	1,526
12	340	457
13	332	418
14	363	358
15	305	386
16	282	339
17	245	261
18	216	241
19	178	210
20	189	173
21	129	100
22	111	56
23	55	56
24	32	50
25	8	38
26	0	29
27	0	3

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 19 desert bighorn points. What can I expect?

Residents

With 19 points and fewer, applicants should review the odds and apply for the unit that best meets your objective. The odds for the best trophy units range from less than 1% to 2%. The best odds were 2.4% for the San Juan, Lockhart unit. 

Nonresidents

Nonresidents can apply for one of the four hunts that will each have one permit a piece. Those units are the Kaiparowits, East, Kaiparowits, West, Zion and the San Rafael, South. Odds were less than .2% for all four hunts across the entire point range. The Zion and the Kaiparowits have the best trophy potential. 

Find your resident Desert bighorn sheep draw odds with 0 points here

Find your nonresident Desert bighorn sheep draw odds with 0 points here

I have 20 to 26 desert bighorn points. What can I expect?

Residents

The Zion archery hunt had 100% odds at 20 points. The Kaiparowits, Escalante had 100% odds at 21 points. There were five hunts that had 100% odds at 22 points, including the San Rafael units and the La Sal, Potash/South Cisco and the Henry Mtns. Moving into the 23 point level, Kaiparowits, East and the San Juan units had 100% odds. Every hunt had 100% odds in the past draw with 24 points. Make sure you visit the detailed Draw Odds page for the hunts you are considering in order to gauge how many applicants are at your same point level and what your chances might be moving into 2020. 

Nonresidents 

Adopt the same strategy as every nonresident applicant. Pick a unit and hope for some real luck.

Find your resident Desert bighorn sheep draw odds with 20 points here

Find your nonresident Desert bighorn sheep draw odds with 20 points here

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Utah's 2020 Shiras moose breakdown

The largest herds in the state occur along the Wasatch Front, the Cache and the North Slope, Summit in the Uintas.

All Utah moose hunts for 2020
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits (2019)	Nonresident permits (2019)
Cache	100%	9	1
Chalk Creek*	100%	3	0
East Canyon*	100%	3	0
East Canyon, Morgan-Summit*	100%	3	0
Kamas	67%	3	0
Morgan-South Rich*	50%	3	0
North Slope, Summit	100%	13	1
North Slope, Three Corners/West Daggett	100%	5	0
Ogden*	86%	7	1
South Slope, Diamond Mountain/Vernal	100%	2	0
South Slope, Yellowstone	75%	4	0
Wasatch Mountains/Central Mountains	90%	34	3

Many are not aware that there are many CWMU hunts with permits available for residents to draw. Nonresidents may not apply for CWMU permits, but it’s likely that there are bull moose landowner tags available for purchase on some of these properties. See the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) guidebook for more information on CWMU hunts.

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Boone & Crocket (B&C) entry trends for Utah Shiras moose

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Managing points and expectations

2020 max points for Shiras moose

Residents: 26
Nonresidents: 26

Utah Limited Entry moose points going into the 2020 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	3,844	2,274
2	2,930	1,639
3	2,932	1,403
4	2,089	995
5	1,827	884
6	1,704	824
7	1,546	774
8	1,386	818
9	1,335	770
10	1,301	890
11	1,297	1,776
12	1,230	337
13	1,161	309
14	1,140	222
15	1,096	183
16	1,039	153
17	1,032	149
18	980	143
19	878	122
20	726	113
21	643	60
22	489	37
23	339	20
24	113	4
25	17	3
26	3	1

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 22 moose points. What can I expect?

Residents

Unfortunately, from zero to 21 points, the odds of drawing a permit were less than 1% for every hunt except one: East Canyon, Morgan-Summit, which had 34% odds. With 22 points, applicants are still likely to be a year behind the bottom end of the curve; however, they should review these units: East Canyon, Kamas, Morgan-South Rich, and the South Slope, Diamond Mt/Vernal.

Nonresidents

The Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns had 17% odds at 22 points. That is, once again, likely to creep, but it is worth a longer look. The other hunts all had odds of less than 1% through the entire point range.

Find your resident moose draw odds with 0 points here

Find your nonresident moose draw odds with 0 points here

I have 23 to 26 moose points. What can I expect?

Residents

Seven of the twelve hunts had 100% odds with 23 points. At 24 points, every hunt had 100% odds. Review the odds and unit profiles to find the hunt that best meets your needs. 

Nonresidents

The Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns had 100% odds at 23 points. That is likely to creep, but it is worth a longer look. The other hunts all had odds of less than 1% through the entire point range.

FIND YOUR RESIDENT MOOSE DRAW ODDS WITH 23 POINTS HERE

FIND YOUR NONRESIDENT MOOSE DRAW ODDS WITH 23 POINTS HERE

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Utah's 2020 Rocky Mountain goat breakdown

The highest populations of mountain goats occur on the Uintas, West and Central Units and the Beaver unit. Trophy potential is decent throughout the state, but has slipped some in recent years. Beaver and Ogden, Willard Peak have been the standout trophy units, but, once again, trophy potential is not what it was and we would not recommend looking solely at those units for the absolute best trophy potential. The Uintas Units also have older age class billies available for those willing to put in the time and effort. The Beaver, Ogden, Willard Peak, Mt Dutton and La Sal area have easier access; the Uintas units are more of your traditional backpack wilderness style mountain goat hunt. There will be no nanny only permits available for any unit going into 2020. 

All Utah mountain goat hunts for 2020
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits (2019)	Nonresident permits (2019)
Beaver (early)	90%	8	2
Beaver (late)	100%	10	0
Central Mountains, Nebo (archery)	78%	9	1
Central Mountains, Nebo	90%	9	1
Chalk Creek/Kamas, Uintas	91%	11	1
La Sal, La Sal Mtns*	100%	3	0
Mt Dutton	100%	2	0
North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Central (archery)	75%	4	0
North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Central	90%	9	1
North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas East	67%	3	0
North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Leidy Peak	100%	3	0
North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas West	91%	19	1
Ogden, Willard Peak	57%	4	1
Ogden, Willard Peak	100%	2	0
Wasatch Mountains, Lone Peak	100%	3	0
Wasatch Mountains, Provo Peak	100%	3	0
Wasatch Mountains, Timpanogos	100%	4	0

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Boone & Crockett (B&C) entry trends for Utah mountain goats

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Managing points and expectations

2020 max points for mountain goat

Residents: 25
Nonresidents: 22

Utah Limited Entry mountain goat points going into the 2020 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	1,328	1,986
2	997	1,532
3	1,107	1,348
4	787	952
5	703	873
6	709	834
7	517	752
8	458	758
9	419	777
10	426	898
11	345	1,644
12	324	168
13	325	136
14	254	140
15	179	85
16	188	54
17	144	32
18	67	45
19	62	42
20	54	30
21	20	14
22	5	1
23	3	0
24	1	0
25	2	0

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 14 mountain goat points. What can I expect?

Residents

With 14 points, residents could have drawn either of the archery only hunts on the North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Central, or the Central Mtns, Nebo. That may still be the case in 2020, but it could creep some. Below the 14-point level, odds are less than 1% up to approximately 3%. The Beaver and Ogden, Willard Peak have the best access and trophy potential and, thus, the worst odds. Use the draw odds and unit profile to find hunts that best meet your ability and objectives and apply accordingly.

Nonresidents 

Every hunt had less than 1% odds from zero to 14 points. The Central Mtns, Nebo had the best odds at a staggering .53% at 14 points. If you fall within this range and are applying for other species in Utah as well, you might as well apply for the minimal $10 application fee. 

Find your resident mountain goat draw odds with 0 points here

Find your nonresident mountain goat draw odds with 0 points here

I have 15 to 25 mountain goat points. What can I expect?

Residents

At 15 points, residents should consider the two archery hunts and, perhaps, the North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Leidy Peak hunt, which also had 100% odds at that level. With 16 points, applicants can look at those hunts as well as the hunts on North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas East, North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas Central, North Slope/South Slope, High Uintas West. Jumping into 17 and 18 points, applicants can consider the Chalk Creek/Kamas, Uintas, Ogden, Willard Peak, Central Mtns, Nebo and, perhaps, Wasatch Mtns, Provo Peak. 

The Beaver hunts required 21 points. An intriguing option at the 19 or 20 point level is Mt Dutton. There are still some older age class billies that were the original migrants from the neighboring Beaver unit. 

Nonresidents 

The only hunt that has had a bonus permit available and is likely to again is the Beaver. That hunt required 20 points last year to be in the running for that permit. It will require 21 or more this year and, even still, odds are likely to be 20% with 21 points. The rest of the hunts are randomly allocated and odds were less than 1% through the entire range. 

FIND YOUR RESIDENT MOUNTAIN GOAT DRAW ODDS WITH 20 POINTS HERE

FIND YOUR NONRESIDENT MOUNTAIN GOAT DRAW ODDS WITH 20 POINTS HERE

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Utah's 2020 bison breakdown

Utah is among the very few states that offer hunts for free-range bison. Bison inhabit the Henry Mountains, Book Cliffs and Antelope Island. Herds are generally healthy and hunting opportunities are good for lucky permit holders. Considering that bison hunts in other states largely occur in “park like” settings, Utah offers a unique opportunity to actually hunt the icon of the American West.

There are hunts for cow only or hunter’s choice as well as a few archery only hunts. The hunts also vary by date. Typically, the later the hunt, the more challenging it can be due to weather and hunting pressure.

All Utah bison hunts for 2020
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits (2019)	Nonresident permits (2019)
Antelope Island	100%	2	0
Book Cliffs (archery)	NA	New hunt	NA
Book Cliffs	100%	14	2
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/South (cow only)	NA	New hunt	New hunt
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/South	NA	New hunt	NA
Book Cliffs (cow only)	50%	22	3
Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless	100%	9	1
Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless (cow only)	NA	New hunt	New hunt
Book Cliffs, Wild Horse Bench/Nine Mile, Anthro	100%	9	1
Henry Mtns (archery)	78%	7	1
Henry Mtns (archery, cow only)	64%	12	1
Henry Mtns (early)	77%	16	2
Henry Mtns (mid)	44%	16	2
Henry Mtns (late)	60%	17	1
Henry Mtns (cow only/early)	50%	25	3
Henry Mtns (cow only/late)	88%	24	3

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Boone & Crockett (B&C) entry trends for Utah bison

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Managing points and expectations

2020 maximum points for bison

Residents: 26
Nonresidents: 27

Utah Limited Entry bison points going into the 2020 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	3,184	2,285
2	2,303	1,487
3	1,971	1,330
4	1,302	899
5	990	806
6	834	696
7	734	641
8	614	596
9	526	591
10	536	680
11	523	1,273
12	424	131
13	364	100
14	324	81
15	291	69
16	273	68
17	299	83
18	260	53
19	244	39
20	237	38
21	216	50
22	144	21
23	89	15
24	39	8
25	14	1
26	1	0
27	0	1

Find your draw odds

I have 0 to 15 bison points. What can I expect?

Residents

Applicants within this point range have very low odds of drawing an “any bison” permit, meaning the bull bison permits are very tough to draw. The Book Cliff, Little Creek Roadless unit had the best odds at 6.6% with 15 points. Within this range, odds range from less than 1% to about 3% for all other hunts. 

The better odds and opportunities within this range are for cow bison. It’s important to note that a cow bison meets the once-in-a-lifetime criteria and you cannot apply for or hunt bison in Utah again if you draw and hunt a cow. The archery Henry Mtns cow bison hunt had 100% odds with nine points. The rifle Henry Mtns cow hunts had 100% odds at 10 and 14 points. The Book Cliffs cow bison hunts had 100% odds at nine and 15 points. There is also a new cow bison hunt in the roadless area that applicants should consider if they have a guide or packstock.

Nonresidents

Unfortunately, odds for all “any bison” hunts were less than 1% throughout the entire point range. The Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless had the best odds, creeping up on almost 1% with 15 points. There is also a new cow only hunt available to nonresidents in that same unit in 2020.

Cow bison hunts have much better odds. The Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek/South hunt is new for 2020, but, in the past year, the regular cow hunt required 13 to 16 points for 100% odds. The Henry Mtns rifle cow hunts required 11 and 14 points to draw and are worth some research if you find yourself within this point range.

Find your resident bison draw odds with 0 points here

Find your nonresident bison draw odds with 0 points here

I have 16 to 26 bison points. What can I expect?

Residents

First, all cow bison hunts that were available in the last draw could have been drawn with 15 points. Going into this draw with 16 points, the cow hunts are worth looking into if that type of hunt meets your objectives. 

The “any bull” bison hunts takes a couple decades worth of points to draw. Within 20 points, the Book Cliffs, Little Creek Roadless hunt had 100% odds. The Henrys’ archery permits required 21 points. With 22 points, the other Book Cliffs hunts had 100% odds as did the Henrys’ late hunt. With 24 points, all hunts had 100% odds, except for Antelope Island, which had 14% odds. 

Nonresidents

There were a few “any bison” hunts that offered enough nonresident permits to have some allocated in the bonus point draw. Those were the Henry Mtns hunts and the Book Cliffs. Those hunts that had a bonus point permit(s) requiring 20 for the Book Cliffs and 22 and 24 points. 

The rifle cow bison hunts all had 100% odds at the 16 point level. Moving into 2020, 17 points should allow you to draw any of those cow hunts that have a bonus point permit(s). 

FIND YOUR RESIDENT BISON DRAW ODDS WITH 20 POINTS HERE

FIND YOUR NONRESIDENT BISON DRAW ODDS WITH 20 POINTS HERE