Deer draws by state: hunts and applications
Utah had the most first-choice deer applications of the 13 state draws on file: 175,881 in its 2025 draw (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources), ahead of Colorado (127,810, 2026) and Oregon (114,632, 2026).
Data updated October 2026. From each state agency's latest draw report on file, fetched October 2026.
This table lists every state FilledTag has deer draw results for, counting mule deer and white-tailed deer hunts together, as the agencies file them. Applications are counted on first choice, the way each agency prints them; a hunter who applies in two pools, or for two hunts, is counted twice. For Nevada and Washington, the report on file lists the hunts but not applicants per hunt.
Which states hold a deer draw, and how many applied?
| State | Draw year | Points | Hunts in the draw | First-choice applications | Drew on first choice | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 2025 | Bonus points | 321 | 175,881 | 63,768 (36%) | Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (4 reports) |
| Colorado | 2026 | Preference points | 991 | 127,810 | 64,119 (50%) | Colorado Parks and Wildlife |
| Oregon | 2026 | Hybrid: preference and random | 232 | 114,632 | 46,112 (40%) | Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (2 reports) |
| Arizona | 2025 | Bonus points | 217 | 113,772 | not printed for every pool | Arizona Game and Fish Department |
| North Dakota | 2026 | Bonus points | 94 | 87,012 | not printed for every pool | North Dakota Game and Fish Department (2 reports) |
| Idaho | 2026 | No points | 147 | 79,747 | 16,384 (21%) | Idaho Department of Fish and Game |
| New Mexico | 2026 | No points | 337 | 77,901 | 15,961 (20%) | New Mexico Department of Wildlife |
| Wyoming | 2026 | Preference points | 165 | 70,996 | not printed for every pool | Wyoming Game and Fish Department (7 reports) |
| California | 2026 | Preference points | 82 | 62,329 | not printed for every pool | California Department of Fish and Wildlife (5 reports) |
| Montana | 2026 | Squared bonus points | 137 | 62,250 | 17,123 (28%) | Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (2 reports) |
| South Dakota | 2025 | Preference points | 174 | 43,910 | 35,674 (81%) | South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (2 reports) |
| Nevada | 2025 | Squared bonus points | 408 | not printed | not printed | Nevada Department of Wildlife |
| Washington | 2025 | Bonus points | 469 | not printed | not printed | Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife |
Questions about deer draws
Which state had the most deer draw applications?
Utah, with 175,881 first-choice applications across 321 deer hunts in its 2025 draw, as Utah Division of Wildlife Resources reported it.
Where did the largest share of first-choice deer applications draw?
Among states that print who drew for every pool, South Dakota: 35,674 of 43,910 first-choice applications drew in 2025 (81%). The smallest share was New Mexico's, 15,961 of 77,901 in 2026 (20%). These are past results, not the chance of drawing next year.
Which states draw deer tags with no points?
Idaho and New Mexico: no applicant gains an edge from earlier years in those draws, by the agency's own rules. Utah, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, North Dakota, Wyoming, California, Montana, South Dakota, Nevada and Washington give an edge to applicants who have built points.
Do nonresidents apply for deer in large numbers?
In Wyoming's 2026 draw, 39,625 of the 70,996 first-choice deer applications were from nonresidents (56%), the largest nonresident share among the states that split applications by residency. Wyoming counts a nonresident who misses its preference point drawing again in its random drawing, so some are counted twice.
Read each state's draw in full
Each state name in the table opens that state's own page on FilledTag, with the draw by hunt, the points it took where the agency prints them, and the units on the map. The draw rules by state page explains how each state uses points. To see where your own points could draw, use the tag draw planner.
Every number is the agency's, copied from its published report; FilledTag adds nothing to it. The share that drew is a past result for that year.