Wyoming Hunting License: Cost & Special Draws (2026)

Wyoming does not issue a traditional base hunting license. Instead, all hunters — resident and non-resident — purchase a Conservation Stamp ($21.50) which serves as the entry credential before buying any species-specific tags. The Conservation Stamp is required for all hunting and is valid for the calendar year. Each species (deer, elk, antelope, moose, sheep, goat) requires a separate license obtained through the annual draw. The regular deer license is $42 resident / $374 non-resident; this page's $47 / $389 deer planning entry adds the nonrefundable $5 / $15 draw application fee. The same distinction matters for antelope, where the regular license is $37 / $326 before application fees.

Wyoming offers two license tiers for deer, elk, and antelope: Regular and Special. Regular licenses are less expensive but have worse drawing odds. Special licenses cost significantly more but offer substantially better odds — approximately 75% of Special licenses go to the highest preference point holders, while Regular licenses allocate 75% to highest-point holders and 25% via random draw. For 2026, Special non-resident licenses cost: deer $1,215, antelope $1,215, elk $1,965 (up from $1,950 in 2025). Non-resident elk Regular licenses ($692) include fishing privileges as a unique perk not found in most western states.

The Wyoming draw application period opens January 2 each year. Non-residents can accumulate preference points by purchasing points without applying for a tag: deer $41, elk $52, antelope $31 per point per year. Application fees are $5 resident / $15 NR per species, non-refundable. For species where NR hunters are uncertain about drawing success, buying preference points only (without applying for a tag) preserves points without risking drawing a less desirable unit. Archery permits are separate add-on purchases ($16 res / $72 NR) required for archery season hunting on top of the draw tag.

Wyoming holds over 50% of all pronghorn antelope in North America — more pronghorn than all other states combined. The state's open basin-and-range terrain and sagebrush grasslands provide ideal antelope habitat across much of central, southeastern, and western Wyoming. The Wind River Basin, Bighorn Basin, and Carbon County units are among the most productive. Resident antelope tags ($42 in 2026) are relatively affordable; NR Regular tags are $341 and NR Special are $1,215. Draw odds for antelope are generally better than elk or deer, making Wyoming antelope a reasonable NR target with a few years of preference points in most units.

Wyoming's elk hunting centers on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem — the largest intact temperate ecosystem in the lower 48. The Jackson Hole area, Thorofare wilderness, and Wind River Range units hold significant bull populations. Wyoming elk are among the most expensive NR tags in the West at $692 (Regular) and $1,965 (Special). The draw is competitive for premium units. The archery season opens September 1 for both deer and elk, providing a month of archery hunting before the general October 1 opener. General seasons run October 1–November 30 for both mule deer and elk.

Wyoming's National Forest and BLM lands provide vast public hunting access. The Bridger-Teton, Shoshone, Bighorn, Medicine Bow, and Thunder Basin National Forests together comprise millions of acres of public hunting ground. Wyoming's wilderness areas (Teton, Bridger, Fitzpatrick, Washakie, North Absaroka) require non-motorized access and offer some of the most remote elk and mule deer hunting in the US. Non-resident hunters booking guided wilderness elk hunts should budget $8,000–15,000+ for outfitter fees in addition to the Special license fee.

Moose, bighorn sheep, and mountain goat tags in Wyoming are effectively once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. All three cost $125 resident / $2,575 non-resident. Wyoming manages Shiras (Wyoming) moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain mountain goat across the Greater Yellowstone and Wind River ranges. The draw for these species is extremely competitive — NR applicants may wait 20+ years to draw a tag in a quality unit. Preference points for moose cost $31 per year; bighorn sheep $52; mountain goat $52.

Wyoming's Shiras moose season runs September 15–November 30 in designated wilderness and national forest units. Bulls are the primary target, with some cow/calf licenses available in select management areas. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep hunting takes place in the Wind River, Absaroka, and Teton ranges. Mountain goat hunting is concentrated in the Beartooth and Wind River ranges. The limited nature of these draws makes Wyoming one of the few states where a non-resident can realistically ever hold a moose or sheep tag — if willing to accumulate preference points for an extended period.

Turkey hunting in Wyoming is available through a spring (April 1–May 31) and fall season with tags that do not require a draw. Turkey tags are considerably less expensive and more accessible than big game draw tags. Wyoming's Rio Grande and Merriam's turkeys are found primarily in the eastern Powder River Basin counties (Crook, Weston, Campbell, Niobrara) and in the Black Hills National Forest of northeast Wyoming. Spring turkey success rates are high in the pine-oak draws of the Black Hills, where birds are concentrated and responsive to calling.