New Or Noteworthy For This Year

Utah Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

Utah Desert Bighorn Sheep Breakdown

Utah Shiras Moose Breakdown

Utah Rocky Mountain Goat Breakdown

Utah Bison Breakdown

Utah's 2026 bighorn sheep, moose, mountain goat, and bison application overview

Note: The application timeframe for all Utah species is March 19 to April 23, 2026, at 11 p.m. MT. Applicants wishing to purchase preference and/or bonus points can do so prior to the April 23 deadline or, if they miss that deadline, they can apply for points only during the antlerless application timeframe from June 9 to 26, 2026. You may apply online here.

Insider Features

Hunt Planner

To aid in your research and planning efforts, we have a tool for Insiders called Hunt Planner. This tool will help you be more efficient at planning for hunts and also keep 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?

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 and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted.

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 Utah Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Bison Profiles to access historical and statistical data to help you find hunts.

Important dates and information

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

The Utah Draw System

Hunting license to apply

Every applicant will need a valid hunting license to apply for hunts, or for 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, allocating 50% of the permits for each hunt to applicants with the most bonus points and 50% randomly. 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 only one permit, it will be drawn at random. 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 its 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 or 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:

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 a limited-entry hunt in the same year.

Bonus point system

For all species, the maximum point amount is 33 for 2026; 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.

*Note: Utah will publish its proposed 2026 permit allocations tentatively in the second week of April. You can check out that list in the link below. These totals do not include resident CWMU moose permits.

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Book Cliff/South, Box Elder/Newfoundland Mtn late, Fillmore/Oak Creek late, and Nine Mile/Gray Canyon. The only true Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep that nonresidents can apply for is in the Book Cliff, South and Book Cliffs/Gray Canyon. The other options are all California bighorn sheep species. 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 consider applying if you are already buying the hunting license to apply for other species in Utah. As you can see, Utah manages for nearly 100% harvest success, and, for the lucky permit holders, there is ample opportunity to hunt DIY on public lands and harvest a nice ram. 

*In 2026, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Book Cliff/South, Box Elder/Newfoundland Mtn late, Fillmore/Oak Creek late. Nine Mile/Gray Canyon.

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Managing points and expectations

2026 maximum bonus points for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep:

Most noteworthy for desert bighorn sheep nonresident applicants is that one nonresident permit will be available to draw in the Escalante/East unit in 2026. This unit is quite a bit more remote and rugged than its counterpart to the west. Nonresidents will also have one permit in each of the following units: Kaiparowits/East, Kaiparowits/West, San Rafael/Dirty Devil, and San Rafael/South. Trophy quality is average, with the potential for a slightly better ram in the Kaiparowits/East and the Escalante/East units. Generally speaking, herds are stable, and the applicants that do draw should have the opportunity to see and harvest a ram. The archery hunt in the San Rafael is an intriguing option for residents, given the odds are somewhat better, but this can be an extremely difficult hunt and has had lower harvest success since its inception. Odds of drawing a desert sheep tag in Utah are tough, as they are with all Once-In-A-Lifetime species, but for the minimal application fee, I’d suggest getting your application in the draw for the random chance.

* In 2026, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Escalante/East, Kaiparowits/East, Kaiparowits/West, San Rafael/Dirty Devil, and San Rafael/South.

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Managing points and expectations

2026 maximum bonus points for desert bighorn sheep:

Nonresidents will be allocated permits in each of the following units: Cache, North Slope/Summit, North Slope/Three Corner/West Daggett, and Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns. 

In recent years, the Cache and North Slope/Summit units have offered at least two nonresident permits which has allowed for one or more permits in each unit to be allocated in the bonus point draw. In 2025, the other two units also offered two nonresident permits, meaning one of them was allocated to a max-point holder. The permit numbers have not yet been released at the time of publishing this article, but if you are a high point holder, you should take a look at those numbers before applying. The recommendations should be out within the next two weeks, in advance of the draw deadline. 

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Utah’s moose populations are generally stable, and trophy quality is average when compared to Colorado to the east. The odds of drawing a moose permit in Utah are extremely low, but it may be worth the application fee to apply for the random chance.

* Units are mostly private land. * In 2026, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Cache, North Slope/Summit, North Slope/Three Corner/West Daggett, and Wasatch Mtns/Central Mtns.

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 because they are available only to residents and are valid only on the private land(s) for which the permit is valid.

Managing points and expectations

2026 maximum points for Shiras moose

The mountain goat populations in Utah have fluctuated in recent years; some populations are stable, and others have declined. The most notable being Willard Peak, where the herd still has not rebounded. There are still good opportunities to harvest a goat, should you be lucky enough to draw a permit. Many of Utah's goat hunts can be done on long day hikes. The exceptions are hunts occurring in Unitas units in the northeastern portion of the state, which will require backpacking or pack-stock. Nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Beaver early, Nebo, La Sal/La Sal Mtns, High Uintas West, and Wasatch Mtns/Timpanogos. In 2025, three of those four hunts available to nonresidents allocated two permits, meaning one was guaranteed to a max point holder. If you have max points for mountain goat, you should look at the permit numbers for each hunt before applying this year to see which hunt will have bonus point permits available. For the $21 application fee for nonresidents, I still believe it’s worth applying to have a random chance in the draw. Trophy potential in Utah is average, but there are ample amounts of public land, and some hunts offer relatively easy access when compared to a more traditional mountain goat hunt. Primarily, the easiest, most accessible units are the Beaver, La Sal, and Mount Dutton.

*In 2026, nonresidents will have at least one permit in each of the following units: Beaver early, Nebo, La Sal/La Sal Mtns, High Uintas West, and Wasatch Mtns/Timpanogos.

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Managing points and expectations

2026 maximum points for mountain goat

Utah offers one of the very few chances to hunt free-ranging wild bison in the world. The Book cliffs and Henry’s units are almost entirely public land, the seasons are long, and the lucky applicants that draw a tag should have a good opportunity to harvest. That’s the good news, the bad news is that populations are much lower than they were in the early 2000's. The table below provides information going into 2026 where there will only be four hunts offering a permit to nonresidents. Nonresidents will have at least one permit for the Book Cliffs/Little Creek South late, Henry Mountains early, Henry Mountains late, and the Henry Mountains early cow hunt. In 2025, every hunt offered had enough permits that some were allocated to nonresident applicants with maximum bonus points. If you have 30 points as a nonresident I'd suggest reviewing the proposed permit numbers when the UDWR releases them in April. This can give you a better understanding of what hunts are likely to have bonus point permits allocated and how many.

In 2020, the UDWR created an OTC bison opportunity in the Nine Mile unit in 2020. This hunt was created to reduce the number of bison that would drift onto public lands from the neighboring reservation lands. Access was extremely limited, and hunters who purchased an OTC permit would forfeit their future opportunity to apply for a bison permit in the big game drawing. In recent years, the harvest has declined drastically due to improved road access along the Green River corridor, equating to more pressure, and likely, bison have learned how to avoid the pressure by remaining on lands that are inaccessible. The OTC permit is still available, but I would caution hunters from buying it unless they have a lot of time to put into scouting and to hunt and have a deep understanding of the area and herd movements.

All in all, bison numbers have declined, permits have declined, and it’s tougher to draw a permit and harvest than ever before. Utah still represents one of the best options to hunt a true free-range bison, and because of that, I think it's worth applying for the additional $21 application fee.

*In 2026, nonresidents will have at least one permit for the Book Cliffs/Little Creek South late, Henry Mountains early, Henry Mountains late, and the Henry Mountains early cow hunts.

The April 7 update to this article includes a link to the 2026 permit recommendations.

Managing points and expectations

2026 maximum points for bison

In conclusion 

Nonresidents should consider applying for all once-in-a-lifetime species. For the most part, it's a $10 or $21 raffle ticket per species in hopes that you draw a random permit. You never know when you might get lucky in the draw, even if the odds are very tough. Every hunt offers the DIY hunter the chance to have a fantastic adventure-style hunt should you draw. 

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. Good luck in the draws this year!