The ins and outs about Nevada's draw system for big game hunts to help you prepare to apply. If you're considering applying in Nevada, this article is for you
Nevada has long been a premier hunting destination in the West, renowned for its diverse and abundant wildlife. Hunters flock to the state for the chance to pursue species such as mule deer, elk, antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, and more. The state's varied terrain — from rugged mountains to expansive deserts — provides an ideal backdrop for a memorable hunting experience.
However, securing a hunting tag in Nevada requires navigating a lottery-based draw system. All hunting tags are allocated through a drawing, and understanding the intricacies of Nevada's draw and point system is crucial for increasing your chances of success.
Be sure to check out our Application Strategy articles to learn in-depth research and application tips when it comes time to apply in Nevada.
Nevada has a bonus point system where applicants will receive one bonus point for each year they apply and are unsuccessful in the draw. You must buy a hunting license when you apply if you wish to receive a bonus point after the draw. Applicants who don’t buy the hunting license won’t receive a bonus point. Bonus points are species-specific. For example, you can’t apply bonus points you have accrued for antelope towards an elk application. Applicants can apply for bonus points only if they don’t want to select hunts. We recommend that applicants apply for hunts and not points only. Remember that the draw is random, so you have a chance to draw, and you will receive a point if you are unsuccessful in the draw. The only reason not to apply for hunts is if you can’t afford the cost of the tag should you draw it or the time off of work.
Bonus points are squared in the draw. For example, if you have five bonus points, you will have 26 chances in the draw (5 x 5 + 1 (this year’s application) = 26). If an applicant draws a tag or fails to apply for two consecutive years, the bonus points will be purged.
At GOHUNT, we know keeping track of your points in one central place is vitally important. We have a feature called Point Tracker that allows you to enter the number of points you have for each state and species. Then, as you research through Filtering and Draw Odds, your point total will automatically be highlighted.
We have a great step-by-step article that showcases how to look up the Nevada points you have built up over the years. Check out that article below:
Nevada uses separate permit number pools for residents and nonresidents. Because of this, nonresidents are only competing against other nonresidents during the draw. The Nevada tag quota split for residents and nonresidents is approximately a 90/10 split.
Applicants can apply for up to five hunt choices per species. When an application is considered in the draw, the Nevada Department of Wildlife will attempt to allocate the first choice. If all permits are gone for that hunt, they will attempt to allocate the second choice. If all tags are gone for your second choice, they will attempt to award you a tag for your third choice. They continue through all five hunt choices before moving to the next applicant. Thus, applicants could draw any of their five hunt choices.
Due to this process, applicants should include hunts for all five choices to increase their chances of drawing a tag. Also, applicants should stagger their hunt choices from the best hunt (worst odds) to better odds (decent hunt). If you were to apply inversely (best odds to worst odds), you are essentially wasting your latter hunt choices.
Nevada allows hunters to apply on a group application for deer, antlerless elk, and antelope (horns shorter than ears). Residents and nonresidents can apply together on a group application. Doing so doesn’t increase the odds for a nonresident; the nonresident tags will still come from the nonresident quota. Applying as a group does have the potential to negatively impact odds slightly, as Nevada will not over-allocate tags to cover a group application if there aren’t enough tags to satisfy the size of the group. Bonus points for a group application are averaged and rounded to the nearest whole number.
Learn more information about hunting applications, draw systems, hunt regulations, tag allocations, and more in our State Profile sections:
