The Western Big Game Draw Calendar

Application seasons across five states don't line up neatly. Wyoming's NR elk deadline is in February. Colorado's primary closes in April. Utah closes a week later. Nevada's main draw runs through May. Arizona runs two completely separate draw cycles in different parts of the year. If you're managing applications across multiple states, which you should be, missing a single deadline means losing a full year of accumulation you can't recover.

This calendar covers every key date for the 2026 draw season: application opens and closes, draw results, leftover and secondary draws, and OTC sale windows. Bookmark it. Set calendar alerts. Treat these deadlines like they matter, because they do.

Note: Dates marked with ✓ have passed for the 2026 season. Remaining open windows are highlighted. Always verify directly with the state agency before applying. Dates shift year to year.

The short answer: western draw deadlines run from February through June 2026. Wyoming nonresident elk closed February 2 and deer and pronghorn closed June 1; Utah closed April 23; Colorado's primary closed April 7 with a secondary draw June 18 to 30; Nevada's main draw closed around May 13 with a second draw June 16; and Arizona elk and pronghorn closed February 3 with mule deer in early June. Miss a deadline and you lose a full year of point accumulation, so set alerts about two weeks ahead of each.

When Are the 2026 Western Draw Deadlines?

* Date not yet formally confirmed. Verify at state agency website before applying.

What's the Month-by-Month 2026 Draw Timeline?

The full draw season runs January through August. Here's every significant date across all five states, in order.

What Are the 2026 Draw Deadlines by State?

How Do You Avoid Missing a Draw Deadline?

Five states. Overlapping windows. Two of them with dates that aren't finalized until spring. The simplest way to manage it: set four calendar alerts right now, timed two weeks before each major deadline. Two weeks gives you enough runway to gather materials, verify your license is current, and submit without rushing.

The deadlines that move or get announced late, Nevada's main draw and Arizona's mule deer draw, both have history of landing in the same general window each year. Follow both state agencies on their official channels and check their sites in April. Don't assume the date held over from last year.

For hunters managing multiple states simultaneously, the Western Big Game Draw Odds 2026 guide and the Western Draw Strategy Guide are the context layer that turns these deadlines into an actual plan. Know when to apply. Know what to apply for. Both matter.

Western Draw Calendar Questions, Answered

When is the 2026 Wyoming draw deadline?

Wyoming's nonresident elk deadline already passed on February 2, 2026. The deer, antelope, and resident elk deadline was June 1, 2026. Applications opened January 2, and leftover draw applications ran June 22 to 26.

When are the 2026 Colorado draw deadlines?

Colorado's primary draw closed April 7, 2026, with results May 26 to 29. The secondary draw, open to everyone, ran June 18 to 30 with results July 7. Leftover and OTC licenses go on sale August 4.

When is the 2026 Nevada draw deadline?

Nevada's main big game draw deadline was approximately May 13, 2026, which you should confirm at ndowlicensing.com, with results by May 29. The second draw deadline was June 16, with results by June 26.

Can I still get a tag if I miss the primary draw?

Often yes. Colorado runs a secondary draw open to all in late June, Nevada holds a second draw in June, and several states sell leftover or OTC tags in July and August. Wyoming sells its remaining leftover licenses first-come, first-served starting July 16, and Colorado nonresident rifle elk go on sale August 4.

Do western draw deadlines change every year?

Yes. Dates shift annually, and Nevada's main draw and Arizona's mule deer draw are often not finalized until spring. Always verify with the state agency before applying, and set alerts about two weeks ahead of each deadline.