Utah mule deer draw odds
Utah allocates its main buck deer opportunities through the spring draw, and you choose between three routes: general season, the Dedicated Hunter Program, or limited entry. Remaining permits and some youth opportunities may be available afterward. Here is how the 2026 draws went across the state, how the points work, and what it costs to apply.
Build your Utah mule deer application
Three things decide your Utah hunt: which route you take, how the draw is decided, and what you pay and when.
Choose your route
General-season buck deer normally requires a draw application. Remaining permits may be sold afterward, and some youth opportunities are offered separately. You choose between three routes, and you can apply for a general-season permit or the Dedicated Hunter Program, but not both.
- General season. Many permits across most of the state. Many units draw at zero points, but you still have to apply by the deadline. This draw uses preference points.
- Dedicated Hunter. A three-year program on one general-season unit, in exchange for volunteer work. You join by applying in the same draw.
- Limited entry. A small number of permits on units managed for bigger bucks. This draw uses bonus points and can take many years.
How the draw is decided
- Limited entry is a bonus-point draw. Each time you apply for a limited-entry permit and don't draw, you earn a bonus point for that species. Half of each hunt's permits go to the applicants with the most points. The other half are drawn at random, and each point you hold improves your chances in that half. An applicant with few points can still draw from the random half.
- General-season buck deer is a preference-point draw. Each time you apply and don't draw, you earn a preference point. Permits go to the highest point holders first, and chance only decides ties at the cutoff. Points are kept for deer as a whole, not for a unit. Applying for general-season deer doesn't affect your limited-entry bonus points.
- Residents and nonresidents are drawn separately. Nonresidents draw from their own pool, which holds a small share of each limited-entry hunt's permits. In 2026, nonresidents took 8.9% of the limited-entry mule deer permits.
- Residents pick one limited-entry species. A Utah resident can apply for only one of limited-entry buck deer, bull elk or buck pronghorn each year. Choose deer and the others are out that year. Residents also get one once-in-a-lifetime species, such as bull moose, bison or bighorn sheep.
- Nonresidents can apply for all of them, but draw only one. A nonresident can put in for deer, elk and pronghorn in the same year. Whoever you are, you can draw only one limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit a year.
- Drawing resets you. Draw a limited-entry buck deer permit and you lose your bonus points for that species and can't apply for it again for five years. General-season permits carry no waiting period, but drawing one costs you your preference points.
Up to four hunters, residents and nonresidents mixed, can apply together for general-season deer, limited-entry deer, elk or pronghorn. If a nonresident is in the group, every hunt you pick needs nonresident permits. Once-in-a-lifetime hunts don't take group applications.
Apply, pay, and claim your permit
- License first. You need a valid Utah hunting or combination license to apply. One license covers every species, so you buy it once and pay the application fee for each species.
- Pay for the permit only if you draw. The $21 nonresident ($10 resident) application fee is per species and isn't refunded. You are charged for the permit if you draw it. Results arrive by email on or by May 31, and permits are mailed in July.
- Points without a hunt. You can buy a bonus or preference point on its own for the same application fee, even if you won't hunt that year. If you miss the spring deadline there is a second chance in June.
Example: a resident with 1 preference point applies for the Fillmore B muzzleloader buck hunt
An illustration using 2026 results from Hunt Plan. Your hunt and odds will differ.
Find a hunt on the map
Choose your species, draw type and season, and Hunt Plan shades every general-season unit by how hard it has been to draw at your points, going by past draws. Green means you would have drawn this year and red means eleven or more years. It describes history, not when you will draw. Click a unit to open it.
Read the hunt's draw
Here is DB1566, the Fillmore B general-season muzzleloader buck hunt that runs September 23 to October 1. The panel shows your odds at your points, how many people applied and how many permits there were, plus the unit's public land and harvest rate: 70% of the unit is public land and the hunt's harvest rate is 34.4%.
What it shows
- Points decide it. Residents had 291 permits. All 105 people at 1 point drew. A few above that tier missed: 35 of 36 at 2 points and 9 of 10 at 3. Utah averages the points of people who apply as a group, rounded down, and a group draws together or not at all, so some applicants are drawn at a different tier from their own. That is the likely reason, and DWR's draw report doesn't list it.
- Chance only matters at the bottom. People with no points got 138 permits among 243 applicants, so 56.8% drew. Each year you apply and miss earns you a point.
- Nonresidents draw from their own pool. 39 nonresidents applied for the hunt's 32 nonresident permits.
These are 2026 results for one hunt. They change every year and aren't a promise about the next draw. Hunt Plan shows the same panel for every general-season hunt.
Example: general season or limited entry?
The same hunter, two routes, 2026 results from Hunt Plan. Your hunts and odds will differ.
General season: a point or two
The Fillmore B muzzleloader hunt above is a general-season hunt. All residents with 1 point drew, and people with none drew 56.8% of the time. Each miss earns a preference point, and many general units draw at zero points.
Limited entry: the long wait
Switch the draw type to limited entry and most of the map turns red, the map's mark for eleven or more years at your points in past draws. Here is San Juan, Elk Ridge archery (DB1014), which runs August 15 to September 11. 78% of the unit is public land, the hunt's harvest rate is 73.3% and the trophy rating is 180 inches.
Two separate planning decisions
- Half the permits go to the most points. Residents had 15 permits. Eight went to the top point holders: the one applicant at 22 points and seven of the eight at 21. Drawing reliably took 22 points.
- The other half is a lottery. Seven permits were drawn at random from 504 applicants. With 1 bonus point, two drawing chances, that is 0.2%.
- Nonresidents are a small pool. 272 nonresidents applied for the hunt's 2 nonresident permits.
- The points are separate. Preference points for general season and bonus points for limited entry are different banks. Applying for one doesn't affect the other, so they are two separate decisions.
You understand the system. Now compare the hunts available at your points. These are 2026 results and change every year.
Utah mule deer draw odds at a glance
Out of every 100 applicants, how many got a permit. These are statewide averages across many hunts, so your odds on a specific hunt will differ a lot.
| Draw | Who | Got a permit, 2026 | How it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited entry | Residents | 4.8% | Bonus-point draw, half by points and half random |
| Limited entry | Nonresidents | 1.0% | Their own pool, a small share of each hunt's permits |
| General season | Residents | 56% | Preference-point draw, most points first |
| General season | Nonresidents | 58% | Preference-point draw, most points first |
| Dedicated Hunter | Residents | 51% | Three-year program, drawn once |
| Dedicated Hunter | Nonresidents | 39% | Three-year program, drawn once |
Limited entry by year
Every adult limited-entry mule deer hunt together. A hunt with no nonresident permits has no nonresident draw, so nonresident hunts are fewer than resident ones.
| Year | Resident | Nonresident | Hunts drawn |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3.5%38,943 applications | 0.7%17,326 applications | 180 resident · 180 nonresident |
| 2022 | 3.5%37,554 applications | 0.7%17,388 applications | 187 resident · 187 nonresident |
| 2023 | 3.9%34,606 applications | 0.7%16,588 applications | 189 resident · 189 nonresident |
| 2024 | 3.9%34,678 applications | 0.7%17,239 applications | 187 resident · 187 nonresident |
| 2025 | 5.1%30,396 applications | 0.9%16,967 applications | 193 resident · 195 nonresident |
| 2026 | 4.8%35,162 applications | 1.0%16,515 applications | 192 resident · 71 nonresident |
Between 2021 and 2026, the share of nonresident applicants who drew went from 0.7% to 1.0%, and residents went from 3.5% to 4.8%. Averages hide a lot: a few hunts draw at low point levels, and the best units take many years of points.
General-season buck deer by year
| Year | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 40%114,606 applications | 33%10,870 applications |
| 2022 | 41%110,818 applications | 35%10,332 applications |
| 2023 | 38%104,528 applications | 39%9,146 applications |
| 2024 | 43%102,324 applications | 45%8,768 applications |
| 2025 | 51%94,835 applications | 46%8,133 applications |
| 2026 | 56%99,159 applications | 58%7,093 applications |
Application dates
Utah takes big game applications once a year, in the spring.
| 2026 season | When |
|---|---|
| Application opens | Mar 19, 2026 |
| Application deadline | Apr 23, 2026 |
| Draw results | May 31, 2026 |
The 2027 application opens Mar 18, 2027. Utah hasn't published the 2027 deadline or results date yet, so check the DWR before you plan around them.
You can edit your application free until the deadline. Limited-entry permits left after the draw go on sale in July, first come, first served. If you buy one, you lose your bonus points for that species and start the waiting period.
General-season deer
General-season buck deer is drawn, mostly by preference points.
- How many. In 2026, adults drew 59,298 general-season buck deer permits across 106 hunts.
- Weapon changes the odds. On the same unit, archery usually draws with fewer points than muzzleloader, and rifle takes the most.
- Zero points can still hunt. Many general units draw at zero points. Points buy you a better unit, not just a chance to hunt.
- Leftover permits. Any general permits left after the draw go on sale July 7 (2026), first come, first served. Buying one costs you your preference points.
Dedicated Hunter Program
A three-year deal on one general-season unit: you volunteer, and you get to hunt every general season there.
- What you get. A permit good for up to three years on the same general-season unit, for all three general seasons: archery, muzzleloader and any legal weapon (rifle).
- What you give. A wildlife conservation ethics course, and 32 volunteer hours on approved service projects over the three years. You may harvest a deer in two of the three years.
- How you join. By applying in the annual big game draw, in the same window as everything else. You apply for general season or the Dedicated Hunter Program, not both. It's drawn before the regular general-season draw.
- Points. Apply and aren't picked, and you earn a Dedicated Hunter preference point, a separate bank from your general-season deer points. You can also buy one on its own.
- What it costs. The same application fee, then the program fee only if you're picked: $215 for resident adults and $1,248 for nonresident adults (youth $120 and $915).
The volunteer hours, year by year
The hours add up over the program, and you have to meet each year's total before Utah prints your permit.
| Program year | Service hours needed | Also |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 hours | Finish the online Conservation and Ethics Course before your hunt. |
| Year 2 | 22 hours in total | Hold a valid hunting or combination license. |
| Year 3 | 32 hours in total | Hold a valid hunting or combination license. |
- Sign up first. Hours only count for projects you register for on the DWR volunteer webpage before you do the work.
- Finish before your permit prints. Permits are printed from mid-July to mid-October, and one can't be printed until your hours are met and recorded. Most projects run from April to late June, and DWR suggests finishing at least two weeks early.
- Miss the hours and you miss the permit. Your deer permit for that year isn't printed. Extensions are for specific reasons like military deployment, not for illness or injury.
- Paying instead. You can pay for service hours online. DWR's listed buyout rate is $40 an hour, set in July 2023, so check the current rate.
Dedicated Hunter by year
Adult applicants, every unit together. Nonresidents apply in much smaller numbers.
| Year | Resident | Nonresident |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 56%5,057 applications | 50%265 applications |
| 2026 | 51%4,879 applications | 39%208 applications |
Program fees are from the 2026 guidebook. Details and sign-up: Utah DWR Dedicated Hunter Program.
What it costs to apply
You need a Utah hunting license before you can apply. You only buy the permit if you draw.
2026 Utah fees for an adult 18 to 64. The application fee isn't refunded, so "to apply" is what you've spent if you're not drawn. A general-season mule deer permit costs $46 for residents and $599 for nonresidents. Card payments add 2.2%. Travel and gear cost extra. Fee schedule: Utah DWR fees.
FAQs
Quick answers about Utah mule deer draw odds.
Does Utah use points for mule deer?
Yes, two different kinds. Limited-entry buck deer uses bonus points. General-season buck deer uses preference points, a separate bank, and the draw hands out permits to the highest point holders first. General-season buck deer normally requires a draw application, and remaining permits may be sold afterward. Some general permits are left after the draw and go on sale in July.
How are the odds on this page figured?
Each number is permits divided by applicants for the 2026 draw, across every adult limited-entry mule deer hunt together, and the same for general-season hunts. They are averages, so they describe the state as a whole and not your chance on one hunt. Youth hunts are left out. The odds count applications, not people.
Do I have to apply every year to keep my points?
Utah's 2026 guidebook says you lose your points for a species when you draw or buy a permit for it, and doesn't set a yearly application rule. Applying each year, or buying a point on its own, is still the only way to keep building them. Points are kept by species, not by unit. If you draw a limited-entry permit you wait five years before you can apply for that species again. If you plan to skip a year, check the current rule with DWR first.
Can a nonresident hunt Utah?
Yes. Nonresidents can apply for limited-entry mule deer and draw from their own pool. General-season deer is drawn for nonresidents too. You can only draw one limited-entry permit a year, whether you are a resident or not.
Can I apply for deer, elk and pronghorn in the same year?
Not as a resident. A Utah resident can apply for only one limited-entry species a year: buck deer, bull elk or buck pronghorn. Bull moose, bison, bighorn sheep and mountain goat are once-in-a-lifetime permits, a separate pick. A nonresident can apply for all three limited-entry species, but anyone can draw only one limited-entry or once-in-a-lifetime permit a year. General-season buck deer is a separate application.
What do I pay if I don't draw?
The $21 nonresident application fee ($10 for residents) per species, which isn't refunded, plus your hunting license. You are only charged for the permit if you draw it. Applicants also pay a 2.2% card fee.
Sources: draw results through the 2026 draw from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, rules and fees from the 2026 Big Game Application Guidebook. The odds count applications, not people, and leave out youth hunts. Hunting guides for each unit are on the Utah mule deer hub.