Every western draw state has a built-in way for hunters with few or zero points to draw a tag, and most applicants never factor it into their strategy. Random draws, leftover pools, and minimum-point allocations keep the door cracked open no matter where you stand in the points game. This post breaks down how that relief valve works in Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada, and how to put it to work for you.
I'm going to tell you about a hunter I know. Smart fella. Been putting in for a Colorado elk tag for eleven years, watching his preference points stack up, doing everything right. In the same period, his buddy applied for a Nevada elk tag with zero points (just to see what would happen) and drew one on his first try.
The first hunter couldn't believe it. "How is that even possible?" he asked me.
That's the question this post answers.
Every western draw state has some version of a mechanism that gives applicants with few or zero points a real chance to draw a tag. The terms are different in every state. The percentages are different. The mechanics are different. But the core idea is the same: the draw is never fully closed to you, no matter where you are in the points game.
Most hunters either don't know this, or they know it vaguely but never actually factor it into their strategy. That's pay dirt sitting right there in the creek bed, partner, and most folks are walking right over it.
Why States Do This
Before we dig into the mechanics, it helps to understand why states built these systems in the first place. Arizona Game & Fish put it plainly in their own documentation: in a pure preference point system (where tags go strictly to the highest point holders), the draw eventually becomes effectively closed to anyone with few or no points. New hunters get locked out. The system stops being a draw and becomes a waiting list.
States didn't want that. So each one designed some kind of relief valve: a portion of tags, or a draw structure, that keeps the door cracked open for everyone in the pool.
The five states The Tag Prospector covers each solved this problem differently. Here's how each one works.
State by State: Your Zero-Point Shot
Wyoming runs what they call a preference point system for nonresident deer, elk, antelope, and bighorn sheep. The starting point most hunters miss: Wyoming reserves 84% of elk tags and 80% of deer and antelope tags for residents, leaving 16% and 20% respectively for nonresidents. Within that nonresident allocation, 75% of the NR tags go to the applicants with the most preference points, drawn from the top down. That part most hunters understand.
The part they miss is the other 25% of the NR allocation. After the preference point licenses are distributed, all unsuccessful applicants, every last one of them, get an equal shot at the remaining 25% in a straight random draw. Wyoming uses that exact term. And here's the kicker: an applicant with 10 preference points and an applicant with zero preference points have identical odds in that random draw. Points carry no weight whatsoever once you're in the random pool.
There's also a detail most nonresident applicants miss entirely: Wyoming offers two separate license pools: Regular and Special. The Special license carries a higher price tag, but it runs its own separate drawing process. On certain units, the Special pool has been notably easier to draw than the Regular pool, including for hunters with zero preference points. If you're applying in Wyoming as a nonresident, it's worth running the numbers on both pools before you commit to one.
Wyoming residents have it even simpler: there's no preference point system for resident deer, elk, and antelope at all. All resident drawings are fully random.
Utah actually runs two parallel point systems, which confuses a lot of hunters. Here's the split: bonus points apply to limited-entry and once-in-a-lifetime hunts (limited-entry mule deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, bison). Preference points apply to general-season hunts (general-season buck deer, antlerless deer, antlerless elk, doe pronghorn). Different systems, different species, different mechanics.
For limited-entry hunts (the ones most serious hunters are chasing), Utah uses a 50/50 split draw. Half the permits go to the highest bonus point holders. The other half go into a random draw among all remaining applicants, including those with zero points. And bonus points still help you in the random half too: each bonus point earns you an additional random number entry, so more points means more chances even in the open pool.
For general-season hunts, Utah uses pure preference points: highest holders win, no random component.
Colorado has historically run the strictest point system of the five states covered here: a pure preference point system where tags are awarded top-down by point total. Under that system, if you don't have enough points, you simply don't draw. No random relief valve for most hunts.
There is one exception: the Hybrid Draw. On hunt codes that have required 10 or more resident preference points to draw (based on a three-year rolling average), Colorado allocates up to 20% of tags through a random drawing. To be eligible, you need at least 5 preference points and must enter the hybrid draw code as your first choice. It's not available to zero-point hunters, but it's a meaningful opportunity for mid-tier applicants who might otherwise wait another decade.
Here's the important news: Colorado is changing its system starting in 2028. The state has approved a full overhaul that moves all deer, elk, bear, pronghorn, and turkey draws to a 50/50 Split Draw: half the tags to preference point holders, half into a random draw open to all applicants. This is a major shift, and it means the Colorado draw landscape for lower-point hunters is about to look very different. For a full breakdown of what that change means for your points right now, see our Colorado 2028 draw overhaul guide.
Arizona chose the bonus point system specifically to avoid locking hunters out. AZGFD's own documentation explains the reasoning directly: a pure preference point system would eventually make the draw effectively closed to anyone with few points. The bonus point system keeps everyone in the game.
Here's how it works. Arizona runs the big game draw in three passes. The first pass, the Bonus Point Pass, issues up to 20% of each hunt's tags in descending bonus point order: the highest point tier is looked at first, then the next tier down, and so on until that 20% is used up. The lowest tier it reaches is that hunt's bonus pass floor. Applications with zero bonus points are not included in this pass at all. The second pass handles first and second hunt choices for all applicants. The third pass handles third, fourth, and fifth hunt choices.
Before each pass, every application gets fresh random numbers: one for the application itself, plus one additional random number for each bonus point accumulated. The lowest random number drawn wins. More bonus points means more chances to pull a low number, but a zero-point hunter always has one entry in the second and third passes of every draw they enter.
Arizona also awards extra points for Hunter Education certification and for loyalty (earned after five consecutive years of applying for the same species), which stack on top of your regular bonus points.
Nevada has the most democratic draw structure of the five states. There are no reserved pools, no separate preference tiers, no guaranteed allocations for high-point holders. It's one fully random draw, and everyone is in it.
The way points work in Nevada is distinctive: bonus points are squared. If you have 5 bonus points, you receive 26 entries in the draw (5 × 5 = 25, plus 1 for your current application). With 10 points, you get 101 entries. Points compound fast, which rewards persistence. But a hunter with zero points still gets 1 entry, and in a draw where the tag quota is small and the applicant pool isn't massive, that single entry is a real ticket.
One important Nevada rule: if you fail to apply for a species for two consecutive years, your bonus points for that species are wiped out entirely. Apply every year, or lose your investment.
Quick Reference: All 5 States
| State | Their Term | Zero-Point Opportunity | Random Pool Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Preference Points + Random Draw | Yes — equal odds in random pool | 25% of tags |
| Utah | Bonus Point System | Yes — open random draw on LE hunts | 50% of LE tags |
| Colorado | Preference Points + Hybrid Draw | Limited — Hybrid requires 5+ points | Up to 20% (select hunts); 50% post-2028 |
| Arizona | Bonus Point System | Yes — 1 entry in Passes 2 & 3 | All tags (Bonus Pass fills from the top point tier down; Passes 2 & 3 open to all) |
| Nevada | Bonus Point System | Yes — 1 entry in fully random draw | All tags (no reserved pool) |
How to Actually Use This
Knowing these mechanisms exist is one thing. Building them into your strategy is another. Here's how Percival thinks about it.
Stack your random-pool applications in Utah and Nevada
Utah's 50% open random draw and Nevada's fully random structure mean that applying consistently, even with no points, is never wasted. You're always in the game. Build points in both states and apply every year. The compounding effect of both the points and the annual random entries adds up over time. If you're wondering when those accumulated points are actually worth burning, the point creep framework covers exactly that decision.
In Wyoming, identify units where the 25% pool is meaningful
On highly pressured Wyoming units, 25% of a small tag quota might be two or three tags spread across thousands of applicants. On a unit with a larger quota and less competition, that same 25% could mean real odds. The units where the math works in your favor are the ones worth targeting as a low-point applicant.
In Arizona, apply every year even at zero points
Every year you apply in Arizona and don't draw, you bank a bonus point. Those points compound your future odds while your single annual entry keeps you in the current draw. There's no good reason to sit out a year in Arizona.
In Colorado, watch 2028 closely
If you've been discouraged from applying in Colorado because your preference points can't compete, the 2028 system change is worth monitoring. A 50/50 split draw fundamentally changes the math for lower-point applicants. Start building points now if you haven't. You'll want to be in the pool when that change takes effect.
Here's what Percival wants you to take away from all this, partner: these draw systems are not a locked vault with one key. They're more like a creek bed with pay dirt spread across a wide stretch. The experienced miners know where to pan. The ones who don't: they walk past the color every single year.
Most hunters spend all their attention on the point game: the high-point sure draws, the once-in-a-lifetime units. That's fine. Those are real opportunities. But if you're not also factoring in where your zero-point entries have genuine odds, you're leaving real chances on the table.
The draw results Percival works with every year show hunters drawing tags they "shouldn't" have been able to draw, because they understood the random pool and applied in the right places. It happens more than you'd think. And now you know how to look for it.
One More Thing Worth Knowing
The draw odds data that actually tells you how many people drew at each point level (and what the zero-point draw odds were) is exactly what The Tag Prospector's reports are built around. Each state publishes post-draw data showing how many applicants at each point level applied and drew for every unit and species. That data is what Percival digs through so you don't have to.
If you want to know whether the zero-point odds on a specific Wyoming elk unit or a Nevada pronghorn hunt are worth your application fee, that's precisely what the western big game draw odds reports are built to tell you. New to the western draw game? The free western draw strategy guide covers the five most common mistakes hunters make in their first few application seasons. And if you want a single map of how all five states fit together (including where the random floor strategy slots into a full multi-state plan), the western draw strategy guide is the place to start.
Where To Find Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you draw a western hunting tag with zero points?
Yes, in several states. Wyoming routes 25 percent of its nonresident tags to a random draw where every applicant has equal odds regardless of points. Utah sends half of every limited-entry hunt to an open random pool, Arizona keeps its second and third passes open to all applicants, and Nevada is fully random with entries based on points. Colorado is the exception today, though it adds a 50 percent random half starting in 2028.
Which states give zero-point hunters the best chance?
Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada all give low-point and zero-point hunters real odds every year through a random component, while Colorado currently does not for most hunts. Wyoming uses a 25 percent random pool, Utah a 50 percent random pool on limited-entry hunts, Arizona an open second and third pass, and Nevada a fully random draw. The best fit depends on the species and units you want.
Do points still help in a random draw?
Usually yes. In Nevada your entries equal your bonus points squared plus one, and in Utah and Arizona more points buy more random entries, so points improve your odds even in the random pools. The main exception is Wyoming's 25 percent random pool, where every applicant has identical odds regardless of point total.
Is it worth applying for a random draw with no points?
Yes. In states with a random pool a zero-point hunter has a genuine chance every year, and the odds on lower-demand units are often far better than the statewide average suggests. Applying also starts your point accumulation for future years, so a low-point application can win a tag now and build toward better odds later at the same time.
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