New for 2022

State Information

The Wyoming Draw System

Wyoming's 2022 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

Managing points and expectations

Wyoming's 2022 Shiras Moose Breakdown

Wyoming's 2022 Rocky Mountain Goat Breakdown

Wyoming's 2022 Bison Breakdown

Wyoming's 2022 Bighorn Sheep, Moose, Mountain Goat and Bison Application Overview

Note: The application deadline to apply for Wyoming moose, bighorn sheep and mountain goat is Feb. 28, 2022 by 11:59 p.m. MST. The deadline to apply for bison is March 31, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. MST. You may apply online here.

IMPORTANT: In 2022, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) will not publish tentative season information in the application packet for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and bison. Instead, hunters can reference the 2021 regulations and refer to their online hunt planner where there is some tentative 2022 information. Final season information will be published in early May after the April commission meeting, which determines permits and seasons.

INSIDER feature: GOHUNT displays the number of applicants at each point level below the cut-off draw line for each hunt. This gives applicants a much greater understanding of point creep for each hunt and allows them to apply with a much better understanding of their chances. Refer to the detailed Draw Odds pages for hunts you are considering to see the point breakdown.

Your GOHUNT INSIDER account also has the NEW Point Tracker feature. This allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species and, as you research through Filtering and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted.

View important information and an overview of the Wyoming rules/regulations, the draw system, preference points, SuperTag and SuperTag Trifecta, tag and license fees and an interactive boundary line map on our State Profile. You can also view the Wyoming moose, bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain goat and bison profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find trophy areas.

Important Dates and Information

*$15 nonrefundable application fee included**$5 nonrefundable application fee included

Beginning in 2021, nonresidents are no longer required to purchase the $150 preference point if they apply for bighorn sheep and moose. After the draw, nonresidents can buy a preference point from July 1 to Oct 31, 2022 if they choose to.

Designated Wilderness Areas (dwa)

A nonresident cannot legally hunt a DWA on their own; they must be accompanied by a licensed Wyoming outfitter or licensed Wyoming resident. A DWA is a United States Forest Service (USFS) designation.

A Wilderness Study Area (WSA) is a BLM designation and a nonresident can hunt those areas without a guide.

The bulk of Wyoming’s bighorn sheep are found in the northwest part of the state and many inhabit the high country within DWAs. Areas 2, 3, 4 and 5, which have typically been the areas that have had random licenses for nonresidents, all have large portions of wilderness. If you are planning on applying for one of these or another of the units in the western portion of the state, it’s worth doing some research to plan accordingly.

The bulk of mountain goat Area 3 is within a wilderness area. Area 1 has some wilderness as well, but mountain goats inhabit terrain both inside and outside of the wilderness area. Area 2 is a good choice also for do-it-yourself (DIY) hunters; it contains limited wilderness with mountain goats inhabiting both wilderness and non-wilderness.

Generally, wilderness is less of a concern for many of the moose areas, but there are still some that have a good portion of wilderness. Moose also inhabit a wide variety of habitat that ranges from the backcountry river drainages and high country to the rolling sage and high desert terrain through the southwest and south-central portions of the state. Wilderness may or may not be an issue. Some research may be required before picking a hunt area. Areas 5, 24, 25, 26 and 38/41 are often the only areas that offer random licenses that are available to nonresidents and, out of those areas, 5 and 38/41 have some wilderness, but very little overall.

Understanding the Draw

Wyoming has a variety of draw systems and they differ slightly between species. There is no regular and special draw for nonresidents applying for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison. With that, let's get the easy ones out of the way first.

Mountain goat and bison licenses are all randomly allocated, which means that there is no point system and every applicant has an equal chance of drawing. The bison license split offers 80% to residents and 20% to nonresidents. The mountain goat license split offers 75% to residents and 25% to nonresidents. Wyoming offers one of the best opportunities to draw a free-range bison and mountain goat license.

Moose and bighorn sheep licenses are offered through a modified preference point system for residents and nonresidents. Under this system, 75% of the licenses are offered to the applicants with the most preference points for each hunt and 25% are randomly allocated. Very few moose and bighorn sheep areas offer enough nonresident licenses that there are both preference point licenses and random licenses available.

The Points System

The maximum number of moose and bighorn sheep preference points going into the 2022 draw is 27. Resident applicants are still required to participate in the preference point system and will be awarded a point if they are unsuccessful in the draw. Nonresidents no longer are required to pay the preference point fee if they apply.

This is an important consideration for nonresidents because point creep is a real issue for those species. In 2021, the easiest to draw moose and bighorn sheep hunts required 21 points and seven points. Applicants should consider their position. If you have fewer points than what is required in 2021, only apply for a hunt that has a random permit available. We will identify those in the tables below. Also, depending on the number of points you currently have and your age, it may not make sense to purchase preference points at all.

If you just started applying for moose and bighorn sheep in Wyoming, you should only apply for hunts that have a random tag available. Every applicant in the random draw is on an equal playing field. There is no weight given to the number of points you have in the random draw.

In 2021, there were a total of 202 bighorn sheep licenses in Wyoming. Nonresidents were allocated 45 of those.

2022 maximum preference points for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep:

In the 2021 application period, there was an increase in resident point holders of 5.6% and 5.9% among nonresident point holders. During the 2021 application period, WGFD made a change abolishing the prerequisite that nonresident applicants had to purchase the $150 preference point while submitting their application. This opened the door for more potential applicants. In the end, there were 533 more applicants for a total change of 20%!

I Have 0 to 18 Bighorn Sheep Preference Points. What Can I Expect?

ResidentsFor residents, Areas 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, and 19 had random permits available in 2021. Areas 3 and 5 had six random permits each with Area 3 having the best random draw odds at 0.99%. Every hunt area required 18 or more preference points to be considered for a preference point permit. If you have 18 or fewer points going into 2022, review the random odds and unit profiles and apply accordingly.Nonresidents

The only areas that you should consider are 2, 3, 4 and 5. Those areas have historically all had at least one random permit available. Review the Draw Odds and Unit Profiles and apply accordingly. Areas 3 and 5 have the best trophy potential of those while Area 4 had the best random odds at 0.34%.

What Can I Expect with 19 to 26 Bighorn Sheep Preference Points?

If you have this many points, you should explore the preference point options. By using the Draw Odds detailed view, you will be able to find what areas you have the best chance to draw.

Be sure to check the “detailed Draw Odds pages” for the units you are considering to see the number of applicants at each point level. This can help you further determine your chances by evaluating how many applicants are at your same point level going into the 2022 draw.

In 2021, there were a total of 305 antlered moose licenses in Wyoming. Nonresidents were allocated 61 of those.

Managing Points and Expectations

2022 maximum points for moose:

I Have 0 to 13 Shiras Moose Preference Points. What Can I Expect?

Resident

During the 2021 draw cycle, there were no hunts drawn with preference points in this point range so applicants here will want to focus on hunts with random tags available. Hunts in Areas 9, 21, 33, and 40 did not have random tags available.

Nonresident

Nonresident applicants in this point range should consider Areas 5, 24, 25, 26, and 38 as these units have historically had random tags available.

What Can I Do with 14 to 17 Shiras Moose Preference Points?

Resident

At this point level, residents will begin seeing a few hunts with preference tags available. By using the Draw Odds detailed view, you will be able to find what areas you have the best chance to draw.

Nonresident

At this point level range, the only viable option for a preference point tag is Area 36. Historically, this unit is available at or around the 18 point level. During the 2021 draw cycle, there was a mass dump-off of applicants for this hunt and it was actually drawn at the seven point level. This was most definitely an anomaly and the hunt will likely jump for 2022. At this point level, our suggestion is to still focus on hunts with random tags available.

I Have 18 to 27 Shiras Moose Preference Points. What Can I Expect?

Resident/Nonresident

Applicants at this point level will have some options and some viable research into available hunts will be warranted. Use our detailed Draw Odds pages to explore application numbers if you are on the edge of drawing your hunt. Pay close attention to the number of applicants at your respective point level to determine your general chances for a tag in 2022.

In 2022, there will again be five areas to apply for Rocky Mountain goat. Areas 4 and 5 will feature Type A hunts. The intent is to rid those areas of all mountain goats altogether. Under the Type A license, hunters can and are encouraged to harvest any mountain goat they see. If you harvest on a Type A, it does not count as your once-in-a-lifetime mountain goat. If you have already drawn another area and harvested a mountain goat in Wyoming, you can still apply and hunt the Type A options.

*At the time of writing, 2021 harvest stats have not been publishedThe Type A hunts in Areas 4 and 5 can be very difficult as seen in the table below. Generally, it is not advisable for nonresidents to apply for these hunts unless they have plans to hunt with an outfitter or have some great intel going into the hunt. The smaller population of mountain goats can be widely distributed throughout these areas with many being found in DWAs.

Managing Expectations for Mountain Goat

The Wyoming mountain goat draw system has no point system; it’s completely random. Wyoming offers a great opportunity to apply and possibly draw a mountain goat license. Research the Draw Odds and accessibility before applying. Keep in mind that you are required to float the entire cost of the license until the draw is completed. After the results are published, unsuccessful applicants will be refunded the cost of the permit minus the application fee.

In 2022, applicants will only be able to apply for the bison Type 1 or the cow bison Type 4 license in Area 2. Applicants cannot apply for both. The draw for bison is completely random with no point system and licenses are extremely expensive for nonresidents.Applicants have to front the entire cost of the license that they apply for plus a 2.5% processing fee and a $15 application fee. For a nonresident to apply for the Type 1 any bison license, they will need to float $4,527. The Type 4 cow license costs upfront are $2,836. If you can afford the cost of the permit, Wyoming still offers a good opportunity to hunt free-range bison even though harvest rates have been slipping in recent years.

With Wyoming utilizing a random draw process for the bison hunts, there really isn’t any strategy to be put in place when it comes to applying. Simply cross your fingers and hit submit!

Find your draw odds