Application Strategy 2023: Utah sheep, moose, mountain goat, & bison

Utah's 2023 bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat and bison application overview

Jump to: NEW FOR 2023 State Information Draw System Rocky Breakdown Desert Breakdown Moose Breakdown Mountain Goat Breakdown Bison Breakdown

Note: The application deadline for all Utah species is April 27, 2023 at 11 p.m. MST. Applicants who wish to purchase preference and/or bonus points only can do so prior to the April 27 deadline or if they miss that deadline they can apply for points only during the antlerless application timeframe from June 7 to 22. You may apply online here.

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Insider features

HUNT PLANNER

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we created a brand new tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keeps all your research data organized. No more notepads getting lost or headaches when trying to remember what units caught your eye during your research! Everything you need is always in one place at GOHUNT.

What can you do in Hunt Planner?

• Save unit seasons in Filtering 2.0; 
• Never lose track of units you want to further research;
• Rank seasons;
• Can help decide what unit to apply for or what order to place your units when applying on a state's website;
• Compare seasons (up to three at a time);
• Save the filter settings you used in Filtering 2.0 to find a great hunt;
• Add notes to your research folder under season level or hunt folder level; and
• Much more!

Learn more about Hunt Planner here

POINT TRACKER

Point Tracker allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering 2.0 and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted. Learn more about Point Tracker here.

Access Point Tracker here

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New for 2023

• Nonresident owners of ATVs, off-highway motorcycles or snowmobiles who bring them to Utah to use must obtain a permit for their machine. 
• Applicants will be able to view the proposed permit numbers for each hunt prior to applying. Release for permit numbers was April 4, 2023.
• Applicants can edit their application free of charge at any time prior to the deadline.
• Applicants who miss the deadline can now apply for bonus or preference points only during the antlerless application timeframe from June 7 to 22.
• Nonresidents will not have a permit available for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the Gray’s Canyon Unit. 
• Nonresidents will have a permit allocated for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep in the Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtns Unit for the late hunt. 
• Nonresidents will not have a permit available for desert bighorn sheep in the Zion Unit.
• Nonresidents will have a permit allocated for desert bighorn sheep in the Kaiparowits, Escalante Unit. 
• Nonresidents will have a permit allocated for moose in the Morgan-South Rich Unit.
• Nonresidents will have a permit(s) allocated for every bison hunt except for the Antelope Island Unit.

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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 Moose Profile Mountain Goat Profile Bison Profile GOHUNT Maps Draw Odds Filtering 2.0

Important dates and information

• The deadline to apply is April 27, 2023 at 11 p.m. MST. Apply online here.
• Applicants can also apply via telephone by calling any Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) office.
• Apply for bonus points/preference points only prior to the April 27, 2023, 11 p.m. MST deadline.
• Applicants who miss the initial deadline can apply for bonus/preference points only during the June 7 to 22 antlerless application period. 
• Applicants can modify their applications free of charge during the application timeframe.
• Applicants can withdraw their application free of charge prior to the April 27 deadline.
• Results will be emailed or available online on or shortly before May 31, 2023.
• 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, 2023 to apply.
• Hunters must be 12 years old to hunt.
• Hunters born after Dec. 31, 1965 must have taken an approved hunter’s education course.
• Group applications are not allowed for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison. 
• Nonresidents may apply and build bonus points for all available species, including both desert bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. 
• Bull moose, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, bison, Rocky Mountain goat and bison are once-in-a-lifetime permits.
• 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. They can also apply for general season deer and the dedicated hunter program if they are not already enrolled.
• Applicants can surrender a limited entry deer permit that they drew. If you surrender the permit 30 days prior to opening day you will have your accrued bonus point(s) back, but you will not receive a point for the current year. You will also receive a refund when surrendering limited entry permits.
• Applicants cannot draw both a limited permit and once-in-a-lifetime species permit in the same year. If you draw a limited entry permit, your once-in-a-lifetime application will not be considered in the draw, but you will receive a bonus point. 
• If you draw a once-in-a-lifetime species permit, you may not apply for that species again in your lifetime.

Utah limited entry and general season deer fees 2023
Item	Resident	Nonresident
365-day hunting license	$34	$72
365-day hunting license (youth 14 to 17)	$16	$29
365-day hunting license (youth 13 under)	$11	N/A
365-day hunt/fish combination license	$38	$98
365-day hunt/fish combination license (youth 14 to 17)	$20	$33
Application fee per species	$10	$15
Moose	$413	$2,200
Desert bighorn sheep	$513	$2,200
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep	$513	$2,200
Rocky Mountain goat	$413	$2,200
Bison	$413	$2,200
Bison (Antelope Island)	$1,100	$2,615

Note: Applicants need to buy either a hunting license or combination hunting/fishing license to apply. Applicants will not be charged the cost of the permit unless they are successful in the draw.

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The Utah Draw System

Hunting license to apply

Every applicant will need to have a valid hunting license to apply for hunts or even bonus and preference points only. That hunting license is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase. Applicants can buy one hunting license every two years and apply if they time it correctly. For example, if you purchase a hunting license and apply on the last day of this application period and then apply early in next year's application period, you could apply for two years on one hunting license. You do not need a valid hunting license to actually hunt; you only need it to apply in the draw.

The permit split offers 90% to residents and 10% to nonresidents.

Once-in-a-lifetime species draw system

Utah has a hybrid draw system for once-in-a-lifetime permits where they allocate 50% of the permits for each hunt to the applicants with the most bonus points and 50% are randomly allocated. The random draw takes into consideration the number of points each applicant has, meaning you get more chances in the random draw with each point you have. 

If there is an odd number of permits, for example, three, the bulk goes to high point holders and only one will be randomly allocated. If there is one permit only, it will be randomly drawn. In most cases, there is only one nonresident permit for once-in-a-lifetime hunts, meaning that permit will be randomly allocated. 

Bonus points are given for each year an applicant applies for a once-in-a-lifetime species and is unsuccessful in the draw. Bonus points are species specific, meaning you cannot apply bonus points for desert bighorn sheep toward a bison hunt. We highly recommend that nonresident applicants apply for all once-in-a-lifetime hunts and not for bonus points only. Building bonus points only at this point in time is unlikely to significantly increase your chances of drawing a bonus point permit. Your random chances get better with every bonus point you gain, but with Utah offering half of their permits through a random draw, applicants should apply for hunts. They will receive a bonus point if they are unsuccessful in the draw. 

Residents can apply for general season deer, dedicated hunter deer, one limited entry species and one once-in-a-lifetime species. Residents must pick one once-in-a-lifetime species to apply for; they cannot apply for all. We recommend applicants select the one once-in-a-lifetime species they most want to hunt and stick with it until they draw before starting to apply for others. If residents do not feel passionately about hunting one species more than the other, pick the species that has the best draw odds and continue to apply until they have drawn a permit.

Hunt choices

Utah allows applicants to enter one hunt choice for once-in-a-lifetime species. If you draw a permit and hunt, your accumulated points will be purged.

Group applications

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

Draw order

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, Cooperative Wildlife Management Unit (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 (bighorn 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. This is an important consideration if you potentially have enough points to draw both a once-in-a-lifetime and limited entry hunt in the same year.

Bonus point system

For all species, the maximum point amount is 30 for 2023; however, there are some species that no longer have applicants at that level. Below are the high point holders for applicants who either purchased a point or applied.

Bonus point system
Species	Resident	Nonresident
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep	30 (1 applicant)	26 (1 applicant)
Desert bighorn sheep	28 (7 applicants)	30 (14 applicants)
Moose	29 (2 applicants)	29 (1 applicant)
Rocky Mountain goat	28 (2 applicants)	25 (1 applicant)
Bison	29 (1 applicant)	30 (1 applicant)

 

Once-in-a-lifetime permits in 2022*
Species	Resident	Nonresident
Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep	51	4
Desert bighorn sheep	64	5
Moose	131	7
Rocky Mountain goat	92	7
Bison	136	18

*Note: Utah published their proposed 2023 permit allocations on April 4, but were not available at the time of writing this article. See those proposals here. These totals do not include resident CWMU moose permits.

Utilize the standalone Draw Odds and unit profiles to select the best option for you to apply. The majority of applicants do not have the points to guarantee that they draw a bonus point permit; therefore, the best bet is to use the draw odds within your INSIDER account to select a hunt. After you apply, cross your fingers and rub your lucky rabbit's foot because draw odds for once-in-a-lifetime species are almost all less than 1% throughout the entire point range.

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Utah's 2023 Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep breakdown

Utah offers residents the opportunity to apply for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep or desert bighorn sheep. Nonresidents can apply for both species. Nonresidents will have four hunts they can apply for in 2023. The only true Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that nonresidents can apply for is in the Book Cliff, South Unit. The other three options are all California bighorn sheep species. As previously noted, the draw odds for bighorn sheep are extremely long, but for the $15 application fee, I think it’s worth the random chance at drawing the tag of a lifetime. Trophy potential is generally average in Utah. Very few record book rams are available; those that are will come from the true Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep units. Overall, populations are stable and with random chances to draw, you should apply if you are already buying the hunting license to apply for other species in Utah.

All Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunts
Unit	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident permits/points (2022)	Nonresident permits (2022)
Book Cliffs, South	175”+	100%	4 permits  100% with 25	1
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (early)	155”+	100%	5 permits  50% with 20	1
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (late)	155”+	100%	5 permits  100% with 21	0
Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn (archery)	155”+	100%	3 permits  100% with 17	0
Central Mtns, Nebo	170”+	100%	2 permits 100% with 23	0
Fillmore, Oak Creek (early)	165”+	100%	6 permits 75% with 22	0
Fillmore, Oak Creek (late)	165”+	100%	6 permits 100% with 20	1
Fillmore, Oak Creek (archery)	165”+	100%	3 permits 100% with 16	0
Nine Mile, Gray Canyon	170”+	75%	3 permits  34% with 23	1
Nine Mile, Jack Creek	175”+	100%	2 permits 100% with 23	0
North Slope, Three Corners	160”+	100%	2 permits 100% with 21	0
North Slope, Summit, West Daggett	160”+	100%	3 permits  50% with 22	0
Oquirrh-Stansbury, West	165”+	100%	4 permits  100% with 20	0
Wasatch Mtns, West	170”+	100%	3 permits  100% with 23	0

*In 2023, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Book Cliff,South, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn early, Box Elder, Newfoundland Mtn late, Fillmore, Oak Creek late

**Final permit numbers will be set at the May big game board meeting. UDWR put out a permit proposal document on April 4 that outlined the total number of permits available for each hunt.

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Managing points and expectations

2023 maximum bonus points for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep:

• Residents: 30
• Nonresidents: 26

Utah Rocky mountain bighorn sheep bonus points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	1,459	2,094
2	1,234	1,753
3	900	1,681
4	778	1,560
5	701	1,362
6	727	1,257
7	531	982
8	513	918
9	452	866
10	392	808
11	388	862
12	333	873
13	288	1,001
14	271	2,001
15	238	340
16	205	181
17	193	102
18	154	67
19	135	74
20	112	141
21	89	12
22	54	6
23	33	4
24	13	4
25	5	0
26	3	1
27	2	0
28	1	0
29	0	0
30	1	0

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Utah's 2023 Desert bighorn sheep breakdown

Utah offers 16 hunts available to residents. Nonresidents can apply for five hunts. The units with the largest population and best trophy potential are the Kaiparowits, East and West. The Zion Unit has struggled over the past several years and is not what it once was in terms of trophy potential or population and it will not have a nonresident permit in 2023. The Escalante Unit has had an increase in population and will offer a nonresident a chance to hunt in 2023. A few other areas worth researching are the San Rafael Units. Populations are stable and increasing although the trophy potential is not quite as good as it is in the Kaiparowits. Once again, it’s worth the $15 application fee to have a chance to draw a permit of a lifetime.

All Desert bighorn sheep hunts
Unit	Trophy potential	Harvest success	Resident permits/points (2022)	Nonresident permits/points (2022)
Henry Mtns	150”+	75%	4 permits 51% with 22	0
Kaiparowits, East	165”+	100%	7 permits  100% with 25	1
Kaiparowits, West	165”+	100%	3 permits 100% with 26	1
Kaiparowits, Escalante	160”+	88%	8 permits  14% with 22	0
La Sal, Potash, South Cisco	150”+	100%	4 permits  51% with 23	0
Pine Valley, Beaver Dam	165”+	100%	4 permits  100% with 26	0
Pine Valley, Virgin River	165”+	100%	2 permits  100% with 26	0
San Juan, Lockhart	150”+	100%	3 permits  67% with 24	0
San Juan, North	150”+	67%	3 permits  27% with 22	0
San Juan, San Juan River	150”+	100%	1 permit Random only	0
San Juan, South	150”+	100%	2 permits  100% with 25	0
San Rafael, Dirty Devil	160”+	100%	5 permits  100% with 23	1
San Rafael, Dirty Devil (archery)	160”+	50%	2 permits  51% with 19	0
San Rafael, North	150”+	100%	4 permits 21% with 24	0
San Rafael, South	150”+	100%	11 permits  13% with 23	1
Zion	170”+	100%	1 permit  Random only	1

* In 2023, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Kaiparowits, East, Kaiparowits, Escalante, Kaiparowits, West, San Rafael, Dirty Devil, San Rafael, South 

**Final permit numbers will be set at the May big game board meeting. UDWR put out a permit proposal document on April 4 that outlined the total number of permits available for each hunt.

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Managing points and expectations

2023 maximum points for desert bighorn sheep:

• Residents: 28
• Nonresidents: 30

Utah Desert bighorn sheep bonus points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Residents	Nonresidents
1	1,380	2,005
2	1,055	1,693
3	915	1,599
4	738	1,520
5	762	1,329
6	785	1,280
7	493	923
8	471	868
9	420	799
10	383	731
11	347	763
12	379	807
13	326	857
14	309	1,373
15	317	407
16	304	379
17	318	336
18	274	352
19	259	314
20	221	233
21	208	206
22	165	186
23	166	151
24	96	91
25	71	47
26	37	45
27	6	44
28	7	34
29	0	27
30	0	14

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Utah's 2023 Shiras moose breakdown

The bulk of the moose populations occur throughout northern Utah. In many cases, the units are hampered somewhat by private land and access, but in almost every case, the public land DIY hunter will have the chance for success if they are willing to do some research and are savvy in the field with GOHUNT maps. The trophy potential is average, especially when compared to Colorado. A 40” bull is possible, but there are no bulls being harvested regularly that are in excess. In 2023, moose survival should not be as impacted as it is for mule deer and elk, but the delayed green up this year is probably going to delay and reduce good antler growth throughout northern Utah. Populations seem to be leveling out and stable throughout Utah. Again, moose tags are hard to draw, but it’s worth applying for the random chance.

All Utah bull moose hunts
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits (2022)	Nonresident permits (2022)
Cache	100%	13 permits 64% with 26	1
Chalk Creek	100%	2 permits 50% with 26	0
East Canyon*	100%	3 permits  67% with 25	0
East Canyon, Morgan-Summit*	100%	3 permits  100% with 24	0
Kamas	100%	4 permits 17% with 24	0
Morgan-South Rich*	80%	5 permits 100% with 25	0
North Slope, Summit	95%	17 permits  23% with 25	2 permits  33% with 25
North Slope, Three Corners/ West Daggett	100%	7 permits  45% with 25	1
Ogden*	100%	9 permits  15% with 25	1
South Slope, Diamond Mtn/ Vernal	100%	2 permits 21% with 24	0
South Slope/Yellowstone	100%	4 permits  13% with 24	0
Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns	95%	32 permits 21% with 25	2 permits 100% with 27

* Units are mostly private land.

* In 2023, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Cache, Morgan-South Rich, North Slope, Summit, North Slope, Three Corner/West Daggett, Ogden, Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns 

**Final permit numbers will be set at the May big game board meeting. UDWR put out a permit proposal document on April 4 that outlined the total number of permits available for each hunt. 

Most 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 UDWR guidebook for more information on CWMU hunts. We do not provide draw odds for CWMU hunts due to the fact that they are only available to residents and are only valid on the private land(s) for which the permit is valid.

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Managing points and expectations

2023 maximum points for Shiras moose

• Residents: 29
• Nonresidents: 29

Utah Moose bonus points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Residents	Nonresident
1	4,735	2,155
2	3,732	1,662
3	2,782	1,446
4	2,514	1,421
5	2,194	1,165
6	2,309	1,075
7	1,634	787
8	1,508	749
9	1,452	714
10	1,264	651
11	1,230	749
12	1,143	710
13	1,128	806
14	1,137	1,585
15	1,110	298
16	1,039	286
17	964	207
18	1,010	152
19	939	129
20	915	140
21	877	123
22	798	104
23	657	107
24	580	58
25	436	27
26	210	14
27	38	5
28	11	2
29	2	1

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Utah's 2023 Rocky Mountain goat breakdown

Nonresidents have seven hunts they will be able to apply for in 2023. Mountain goats are readily available in the units you can apply for and harvest success is generally very high. Hunters will have the opportunity to look over a good number of goats and harvest a mature billy. In the past, there have been several record book billies taken, but that is no longer the case. Trophy potential is good, but not great. Utah also offers mountain goat areas that are more accessible when compared to other states. The Beaver Unit is the most accessible and lucky hunters can often drive to areas where they can glass mountain goats and day hunt on foot. The Unita Units in northeastern Utah are the most remote and will require backpacking or packstock. Odds of drawing are very tough, but it is worth applying for the random chance in the draw. The Beaver Unit for nonresidents has two permits, making one available in the bonus point draw. That bonus point permit will require 24 or more points and there are eight nonresidents with 24 plus points. 

All Utah Rocky Mountain goat hunts
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits/points (2022)	Nonresident permits/points (2022)
Beaver (early)	91%	8 permits 13% with 22	2 permits 33% with 23
Beaver (late)	80%	10 permits  34% with 22	0
Beaver (archery)	New hunt	New hunt	0
Central Mtns, Nebo	100%	11 permits  72% with 19	1
Central Mtns, Nebo (archery)	90%	8 permits  62% with 16	1
Chalk Creek, Kamas, Uintas	100%	3 permits  50% with 18	0
La Sal, La Sal Mtns	89%	8 permits  53% with 18	1
Mt Dutton	100%	2 permits  100% with 22	0
North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas Central	86%	5 permits  26% with 17	1
North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas East	75%	5 permits  61% with 17	0
North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas Leidy Peak	100%	2 permits  100% with 18	0
North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas West	88%	13 permits  35% with 18	1
Ogden, Willard Peak	50%	3 permits  50% with 20	0
Wasatch Mtns, Box Elder Peak	100%	2 permits  51% with 21	0
Wasatch Mtns, Lone Peak	100%	3 permits  100% with 20	0
Wasatch Mtns, Provo Peak	67%	3 permits  34% with 19	0
Wasatch Mtns, Timpanogos	67%	4 permits  100% with 21	0

*In 2023, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Beaver early, Central Mtns, Nebo, Central Mtns, Nebo archery, La Sal, La Sal Mtns, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas Central, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas East, North Slope, South Slope, High Uintas West.

**Final permit numbers will be set at the May big game board meeting. UDWR put out a permit proposal document on April 4 that outlined the total number of permits available for each hunt.

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Managing points and expectations

2023 maximum points for mountain goat

• Residents: 28
• Nonresidents: 25

Utah Mountain Goat Bonus Points Going into the 2023 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	1,169	1,774
2	933	1,349
3	835	1,260
4	791	1,281
5	729	1,085
6	847	1,045
7	623	750
8	560	742
9	598	737
10	458	630
11	357	669
12	373	688
13	366	815
14	316	1,431
15	285	154
16	277	121
17	213	117
18	151	77
19	133	50
20	96	27
21	46	41
22	41	42
23	33	23
24	5	7
25	4	1
26	2	0
27	0	0
28	2	0

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Utah's 2023 bison breakdown

Utah offers very good bison hunting opportunities for those lucky applicants who draw a permit. The herds are stable and Utah represents one of only a few chances in the world to hunt free-ranging wild bison. Nonresidents can apply and there will be permit(s) available to draw for every hunt except for Antelope Island. It should be noted that applicants can choose to apply for “hunter’s choice” hunts where they can harvest a bull or cow only. The cow only hunts do have better odds of drawing. There are also archery only hunts for bison on the Henry Mtns and Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek and Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South Units. Those hunts have had better odds; however, the harvest success is slightly lower than the rifle hunts. Utah represents one of the only opportunities in the world to hunt free-range wild bison and I would highly recommend you apply for the minimal application fee.

All Utah bison hunts
Unit	Harvest success	Resident permits/points (2022)	Nonresident permits (2022)
Antelope Island	100%	2 permits 20% with 27	0
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek (archery)	80%	4 permits  52% with 22	1
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (archery)	86%	7 permits  100% with 17	1
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek (early)	80%	3 permits  50% with 26	1
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (early)	86%	13 permits 47% with 23	2 permits 100% with 27
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (muzzleloader/cow)	65%	18 permits  100% with 9	2 permits  51% with 16
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (late)	84%	18 permits  100% with 22	2 permits  100% with 24
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek (late)	80%	4 permits  51% with 24	1
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (cow)	65%	18 permits  46% with 9	2 permits 52% with 19
Book Cliffs, Little Creek/South (late)	New hunt	New hunt	New hunt
Book Cliffs, Bitter Creek (cow)	50%	3 permits 67% with 20	1
Henry Mtns (early)	91%	7 permits  57% with 26	1
Henry Mtns (cow/early)	67%	8 permits 52% with 17	1
Henry Mtns (cow/late)	39%	9 permits  100% with 16	1
Henry Mtns (late)	71%	9 permits  72% with 24	1
Henry Mtns (late)	82%	8 permits  26% with 22	1
Henry Mtns (archery)	67%	5 permits  100% with 20	0

*In 2023, nonresidents will have at least one permit for every hunt except for Antelope Island.

**Final permit numbers will be set at the May big game board meeting. UDWR put out a permit proposal document on April 4 that outlined the total number of permits available for each hunt.

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Managing points and expectations

2023 maximum points for bison

• Residents: 29
• Nonresidents: 30

Utah Bison bonus points going into the 2023 draw
Points	Resident	Nonresident
1	3,272	1,963
2	2,567	1,560
3	2,206	1,414
4	1,911	1,407
5	1,610	1,079
6	1,479	999
7	960	715
8	796	664
9	674	582
10	593	556
11	522	547
12	437	517
13	442	630
14	461	1,109
15	370	116
16	311	88
17	278	83
18	245	64
19	238	59
20	259	71
21	234	48
22	219	34
23	204	36
24	158	45
25	107	17
26	69	13
27	15	9
28	7	0
29	1	0
30	0	1

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Conclusion

Nonresidents should consider applying for all once-in-a-lifetime species. The total cost after the hunting license will be $75 for the random chance to draw either moose, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain, goat or bison. You never know when you might get lucky in the draw. Every hunt offers the ability for the DIY hunter to have a fantastic adventure style hunt. 

Residents will need to pick one of the once-in-a-lifetime species to apply for. I recommend picking one and sticking with it until you are successful in the draw. I should note that the hardest species to draw is moose, followed by desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison. If you are just getting started, I would recommend applying for bison or mountain goat.

Find your draw odds