April 2024 e-edition - 39

ALL ABOUT PREFERENCE POINTS
Are you a nonresident dreaming of an epic
hunting trip in Wyoming? Are you a Wyomingite
looking to chase a bull moose in the
Snowy Range? Even if you don't plan on hunting
soon, purchasing preference points now is
a great idea. Preference points make planning a
hunt easier and open more options for hunters
in the future.
In Wyoming, preference points `rank` applicants
based on how many points they have.
Hunters with more points have an increased
chance of successfully drawing. In the moose,
bighorn sheep and nonresident elk, deer and
antelope draw, 75 percent of available licenses
in each hunt area and license type are allocated
to the preference-point drawing. Everyone
who applies participates in the preference
point drawing, even if they have no points.
Allocation of licenses starts with those with
the highest number of preference points and
works down until all licenses are allocated.
Each applicant is assigned a random number
which determines the order of license allocation
for those with the same number of points.
For party applications, all applicants' preference
point totals will be averaged to determine
the preference point ranking.
After the preference point drawing is completed,
all unsuccessful applications participate
in the random drawing for the remaining 25
percent of licenses. This provides all hunters
the chance to draw, even without preference
points. The odds of being successful in the
random draw are much lower.
With the preference-point system, hunters
can use drawing odds provided by Game and
Fish to determine how many points it takes
to draw a license for a specific hunt area. If
planned correctly, hunters can almost guarantee
a high-quality hunt over the course of a few
years by purchasing preference points annually.
In Wyoming, hunters can buy points without
applying for a license from the first business
day of July through Oct. 31. Hunters
can apply for one preference point for each
species allowed per year. For residents, preference
points are available for moose and bighorn
sheep; for nonresidents, points are available for
moose, bighorn sheep, elk, deer and antelope.
Hunters must apply for a point at least every
two years to maintain their balance and avoid
losing their accumulated points.
The chance of drawing a bighorn sheep or moose license increases as applicants accumulate preference points, which are earned
from unsuccessful draws or can be purchased each year. (Photo by Mark Gocke/WGFD)
PLAN AHEAD FOR
YOUTH HUNTERS
Set up the youth in your life to be able
to draw a highly-coveted tag by purchasing
youth preference points. Youths can apply for
preference points when they are 11 years old
at the time of submitting a preference pointonly
application but must be 12 years old by
Dec. 31 of that year. In Wyoming, nonresident
youth can purchase preference points for
antelope, deer and elk at the reduced price of
$10 between the ages of 12-17.
APPLICATION STRATEGIES
There are some key things to remember
when utilizing preference points in Wyoming.
To maintain your preference points, do not
apply for an easy-to-draw area as your first
choice. Those successful in drawing their first
choice area will lose their accumulated points.
This will diminish the odds of drawing a
license in a hard-to-draw area for several years
until you build up more preference points. If
you want to hunt more often without using
your preference points, continue to apply for
your hard-to-draw hunt area as a first choice
and apply for an easy-to-draw hunt area as
your second choice. By reviewing the random
drawing odds from previous years, you can
Wyoming Wildlife | 39

April 2024 e-edition

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