Wyoming Preference Points: Window Closes Nov 2

Bull elk with large antlers standing in golden sagebrush — Photo: National Park Service (GrandTetonNPS) via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Credits

Window Jul 1 to Nov 2
Online only
One point per species per year

Which day is the last day?

WGFD’s application dates table lists the preference point window as Jul 1 to Nov 2, without a year. WGFD’s preference points page says Jul 1 to Oct 31. Buy by Oct 31 and you are inside both. Confirm on WGFD before you count on Nov 2.

Points only vs applying for a license

A point-only purchase adds one preference point for one species to your WGFD sportsperson ID. It is not an application: you are not in any drawing and you get no license. Points belong to the species, not a hunt area, so you can pick any area when you do apply.

A license application is the January draw. For nonresident elk it runs Jan 2 to Feb 2; for deer and antelope, Jan 2 to Jun 1 on WGFD’s table. Per WGFD, nonresidents can no longer buy an elk, deer or antelope point inside that initial draw (since 2019), so the summer and fall window is the only way to add one. Your points count only for your first choice.

Per WGFD, 75 percent of licenses in each hunt area and type go to the preference point drawing and 25 percent to a random drawing open to every applicant. See how the nonresident elk draw works.

Point fees (WGFD)

Preference point fees from WGFD’s preference points page, checked Oct 26, 2026. No application fee; card fee applies.
Point	Fee
Nonresident elk	$52
Nonresident deer	$41
Nonresident antelope	$31
Nonresident youth elk, deer or antelope	$10 each
Nonresident moose or bighorn sheep	$150
Resident moose or bighorn sheep	$7

Before the window closes: checklist

Open WGFD’s online license system from the preference points page and sign in with your sportsperson ID. Use the same name, birth date and SSN digits as before, or WGFD may create a second record and your old points will not carry over.
Choose a point-only purchase for each species you want (one point per species per year).
Pay the point fee plus the card fee and save the confirmation.
Skipped last year too? Per WGFD, two consecutive years without a point wipes your elk, deer or antelope points. This year counts.

Deadline reminder: Wyoming preference point window

Deadline Nov 2, 2026. Per WGFD's current dates table (Jul 1 to Nov 2).

Add to calendar (.ics) Includes an alert 7 days before.

Next: Wyoming draw odds, points tool to see where your points draw, how to apply in Wyoming and the 2027 deadline calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When does the Wyoming preference point window close?

WGFD's dates table lists the preference point only window as Jul 1 to Nov 2. WGFD's preference points page says Jul 1 to Oct 31, so buying by Oct 31 covers both. Confirm on WGFD before you rely on the last day.

What does a Wyoming preference point cost?

Per WGFD: nonresident elk $52, deer $41, antelope $31 (youth $10 each), nonresident moose and bighorn sheep $150, resident moose and bighorn sheep $7. There is no application fee, but you pay the card fee.

Is buying a point the same as applying for a license?

No. A point-only purchase adds one point for that species and puts you in no drawing. License applications for elk, deer and antelope open Jan 2, and nonresidents can no longer buy an elk, deer or antelope point in that initial draw (WGFD, since 2019).

Can I lose my points?

Yes. Per WGFD, nonresidents lose all elk, deer or antelope points if they draw their first choice in the initial drawing, or if they go two consecutive years without buying a point.

Sources: Wyoming Game and Fish Department application dates and deadlines and preference points, checked Oct 26, 2026.

Bull elk bugling beside golden autumn aspens at Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone — Photo: National Park Service (Neal Herbert) via Wikimedia Commons, public domain. Credits