From Huntin’ Fool: As state agencies adapt to increased demand and a reduced supply of big game permits, it’s crucial for hunters to stay informed about ongoing changes and potential adjustments. Non-residents are seeing their quotas reduced while permit prices continue to climb in many states. Staying ahead of these developments is key to securing opportunities. The following information is designed to help you identify new prospects and refine your application strategies for the upcoming season.
Alaska
Dall sheep populations are seeing steady increases, and hope is on the horizon for this species that is chronically slow to recover. Moose populations in southwest Alaska remain at all-time highs. Many Special Action Closures on federal lands are still in full force, which keep access closed to non-locals for hunting purposes, so make sure to check ahead before you plan an unguided hunt on public lands.
Arizona
Most of Arizona’s draw tag opportunities remain unchanged thus far.
Non-Resident OTC Archery Deer Tags Sell Out in Minutes
The non-resident archery over-the-counter deer tags went on sale on November 3, 2025. There were 2,785 tags, and they sold out in three minutes. In 2024, they sold out in 17 minutes, and in 2023, they sold out in 48 hours. The trend isn’t getting any friendlier to non-residents, and if you aren’t quick on the computer, these tags are nearly impossible to get now.
If you were lucky and have an archery tag in-hand, keep in mind that you must also follow the harvest quota thresholds per unit, as it will close to all deer hunting once a certain number of buck deer have been harvested and reported, regardless of future season dates. This harvest quota resets with each regulatory year (August through January).
Improving Drought Conditions in Sight
Drought hit Arizona hard this year, affecting all stages of antler growth. The drought was especially intense over the summer, at the end of the antler growth season. Fall 2024 and Winter 2024-2025 were also among the driest, so the trend is compounding. Many tags were returned due to subpar quality across deer and elk. However, Fall 2025 and this winter have been great for moisture thus far—there’s been record-breaking rainfall in northern Arizona and near record-breaking rainfall in the Phoenix area. Elk and deer are on track to show great antler potential for the 2026 season.
Statewide Auction Permits Eliminated
Commissioner statewide auction permits are no longer available. The Conservation First organization will raffle off three permits per species for the 2026/2027 season. Entrants must be present in the state of Arizona to purchase raffle entries.
Colorado
Wolf News
On January 12, 2025, Colorado introduced 15 wolves from British Columbia to Eagle and Pitkin counties. This was the second of “three to five” releases, bringing the total number of wolves reintroduced in Colorado to 25. The first reintroduction occurred in 2023, when 10 wolves were relocated from Oregon. Of the wolves released in 2023, four have died. Of the 15 wolves released in 2025, six have died. Altogether, then, the wolves have experienced a 40% mortality rate.
There are also now three identified wolf packs in Colorado: One Ear Pack in Jackson County, Kind Mountain Pack in Routt County, and Three Creeks Pack in Rio Blanco County.
In January 2025, the Pet and Livestock Protection Act was introduced into the House of Representatives. The bill aims to delist gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states. In December 2025, the House of Representatives passed the bill, moving it to the Senate. If passed, wolf population management would then fall to the states.
Non-Resident Unlimited OTC Archery Licenses
Colorado’s unlimited over-the-counter archery licenses for non-residents were moved to a draw in 2025. Only one unit drew out completely during the primary draw, and even after the secondary draw, there were 3,899 non-resident archery licenses leftover. This gives hunters a fallback option if they’re looking to put an over-the-counter archery elk license in their pocket in 2026.
More To Chase in 2026?
A warm third and fourth season kept animals in the higher country and more dispersed. Expect fewer harvest numbers for 2025 and more game to chase for 2026.
Looking Ahead
Colorado will change its draw system in 2028, moving to a 50/50 draw where half of the licenses will go to the top preference point holders and the other half will go random. Having bonus points will increase your chances of drawing a random license. If you’re sitting on a lot of points but still below those max point units, you might consider burning your points on the next best units in 2026 or 2027 before the switch. Those top units will cut licenses in half for preference point holders, driving the amount of points it takes to draw even higher.
Idaho
Idaho finally changed the over-the-counter general tag sales that plagued each December to a full random draw for all non-resident elk and deer tags. The deadline for the first draw was December 15, 2025. Over 40,000 non-resident applications were submitted. Any unclaimed elk and deer tags will roll into a second draw in mid-January.
For those lucky enough to draw a 2026 general elk or deer tag, it’s important to note that season dates, weapon restrictions, and other regulations have not yet been finalized. Some tag holders may find that the season they planned to hunt has been modified or even eliminated. General tags can be returned or exchanged for a controlled hunt tag before the season begins. Returned tags will be made available for purchase on predetermined dates, approximately once a month.
Nevada
Nevada has had a few mild winters, and populations for most species are increasing and looking good for 2026. The state has completed a few transplants to augment the antelope, Desert sheep, California bighorn sheep, and mountain goat populations in the state. The bright spot is Nevada’s moose population, which is growing and expanding throughout the northeast portion of the state.
New Mexico
New Mexico finally hit all applicants with fee increases, with non-residents taking the brunt of the blow. The non-refundable Game Hunting License increased from $69 to $94. High-demand elk licenses went from $773 to $998, increasing the burden on the credit card for all applicants. Deer license fees saw the greatest increase, jumping from $368 to $623. It won’t be any easier to front the license fees this year in New Mexico, but the state continues to offer truly random draw opportunities with great trophy potential, so New Mexico will be on many lists.
Beginning in April 2027, and annually thereafter, the State Wildlife Commission may increase all fees in accordance with the consumer price index (CPI) to adjust for inflation.
Oregon
Big 2026 news for Oregon is that they have changed and renamed all the deer units in the eastern two-thirds of the state. The biologists wanted to better align hunting areas with actual deer herd movements. The state also increased costs for all hunting licenses, application fees, and tags. Non-resident hunting licenses went from $172 to $193. Application fees went from $8 to $10. Non-resident deer tags increased from $443.50 to $500, and elk tags went from $588 to $660.
Utah
Utah is in the second year of a three-year season date structure. All of the big game season dates were voted on and passed in 2024 for the 2025, 2026, and 2027 seasons. Permit recommendations have not been made yet by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR); those will be out in late March and voted on in May. At this point, all non-resident hunts will remain the same unless there is a drastic reduction in permits, which most likely will only pertain to moose, sheep, mountain goat, and bison.
Season Date Modifications
Utah has only made two modifications to season dates for 2026. A new January cow bison hunt on the Henry Mountains has been added, which will cause a slight shift in current seasons to add this hunt into the mix. Also, the West Cache extended archery unit will have its boundaries shifted a bit, and its dates will be extended to accommodate ongoing depredation issues within the region.
Fines for Failure To Report Harvests
While mandatory hunt reporting is not new in Utah, 2026 will be the first year that fines will be levied for all general season elk and deer hunters who do not report within 30 days of the close of the season. All limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts have already been subject to these fines.
Fee Increases
Non-resident fees across the board will see an increase this year for the big game application period. These fees were increased as of September 2025 and happened after the 2025 big game application draw results were posted. Hunting license and application fees were moderately increased, but actual permit fees increased substantially year over year. There is also room in the plan for additional increases going forward in future years.
New Application Interface + E-Tags
Utah also has a new vendor to handle the big game draw. This will not change the draw process at all, but the website will be different and will take getting used to if you’re accustomed to the old system. e-Tagging through the Utah DWR smartphone app now allows for all big game tags to be tagged electronically. This service began in December 2025 and is now available to all future tag holders.
Wyoming
Wyoming hasn’t made many changes for 2026 thus far (they have a Commission meeting in April). The draw results for moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and bison have been pushed back a couple of weeks to be released on May 21, 2026, which is the same day as the non-resident elk results.
Non-residents must apply before the February 2, 2026, deadline for all elk licenses. Applications can be modified before May 8, 2026, once the season dates, quotas, and license types have been set and finalized by the Commission.
onX and Huntin’ Fool’s Partnership
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Your Complete System for Securing Tags
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