2022 Western big game hunting application deadlines

Application season is officially here!

What follows is a very early look at the upcoming 2022 Western hunting application deadlines. Note: again like every year, this early version is mainly “tentative” dates at this time. It is sort of like sports and their way too early draft rankings of college sports teams. Only this is hunting and more important! This article will be updated very frequently once states release additional concrete dates. Dates that are already approved for 2022 are marked as such.

I like to think of this article as a living and breathing document, updates will be added as states release information and I'm always looking for feedback from INSIDERs on how they would best like to see this information presented.

It's hard to believe that application season is here and plans are already being made for the 2022 hunting season! Below is a look at upcoming state application deadlines (approved and tentative), other important tag dates and tentative draw result dates for each Western state.

New for 2022 in This Article

Each year I try to add some new features to this article, and this year I added in a clean view of point deadlines (points you need to purchase in the main draw and separate points only periods). Last year you had to filter out that information by searching for points, so to make it easier I just dropped in a point-only deadline table.

Once again you can filter out items you want to see (that was based on previous years’ INSIDER feedback - I read every single comment so thanks to those who drop comments on any article on GOHUNT).

You can filter out the information in the following tables by using the "search bar" in the tables. So if you only want to see Arizona deadlines, you can type in Arizona and instantly the table will adjust to only display Arizona information. Likewise, if you only want to have the table display draw deadlines, if you type in "draw" it will show you that. You can also search for "points" and instantly it will show you states that have a separate point only deadline after the main draw. And you can search for "leftover" and it will show you states with a leftover draw and dates when you can pick up a leftover tag. Plus you could search for species as well. Basically, anything in the table can be searched for and filtered to quickly display what you're interested in.

Western Big Game Hunting Dates and Deadlines for the 2022 Season

In the tables below you will find the approved and tentative 2022 state application deadlines, tentative draw result dates and point purchase dates. As mentioned earlier in this article, these dates will be modified as each state releases more information. Currently, they are based on previous years' deadlines/results by looking at what day of the week they are typically released or even the exact calendar date they tend to follow. And sometimes, unfortunately, there is no pattern, so I'm left to really analyze prior-year deadlines.

Note on draw result dates

Each year, waiting on draw results can seem to take forever! And I'm just like everyone else that waits for draw results all year and then I'm constantly pressing the refresh button. Currently, the draw result dates are based somewhat on when 2021 and earlier year results were released. Keep in mind that each year we get questions on why our draw result dates don't exactly match up with what you might find in the regulations. For the most part, our draw results dates listed are actually more accurate based on the trends of how some states release their draw odds early every year. Most states go on a typical trend in releasing draw results and a lot of times they release them well before their listed date in the regulations. For example, Nevada and New Mexico list their draw result date in their regulations, but they always release them earlier than that.

Insider research tools

Throughout GOHUNT Insider, we have research tools that will enable you to find the perfect hunt. Whether you’re looking for your first Western hunt, or you 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 the perfect hunt. When you combine Draw Odds, with Filtering and goHUNT's 3D maps... it is everything you need to gain an edge and become more successful.

State Profile links

If you're looking for more information about each individual state, be sure to dive into our State and Species Profiles. Below are links to each State Profile.

Alaska Arizona California Colorado Idaho Kansas Montana Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming

Other items worth noting

You can also see all of the important Western hunting deadlines on our INSIDER Basecamp page. I will be adding all those dates to that page shortly. That is sort of like your INSIDER "homepage." You can find a quick link to INSIDER Basecamp in the upper right-hand corner of the screen if you hover over your name on a computer or you can just click on the INSIDER button in the header. I keep that page updated with all the latest dates, deadlines and important 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 length of time for you to check out the new for 2022 regulations, unit boundary changes, herd dieoff information, and tag allocation changes before you try to draw your dream tag. Keep in mind, 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. So we strive to release these articles with all the information possible.

Best of luck in the upcoming 2022 draws! And as always, feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have questions.