ARIZONA Big Game Draw 2026 | How NON-RESIDENTS Apply for Elk, Mule Deer & Pronghorn

This is the next breakdown in a full series I’m putting together on how non-residents can apply for big game across the major Western states. This is all to the best of my knowledge, and as always, make sure you do your own research since regulations shift year to year. I’ll be going through Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, and Utah one at a time so you have a clean, easy-to-understand reference for each state.

Today, we’re diving into how Arizona’s big game draw works for non-residents applying for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. Arizona’s system is unique. It blends bonus points with a true random component, so even brand-new applicants still have a chance to pull a tag. If you’re building a multi-state application plan and want to understand when to apply, how points work, what tags are realistic, and how the non-resident cap affects your odds, this will walk you through everything step by step.

Before anything else, Arizona requires non-residents to purchase a combination hunting and fishing license to even enter the draw. It’s good for 365 days from the date you buy it—not just the calendar year. If you time it right, that single license will cover both the spring elk/pronghorn draw and the fall deer draw.

Arizona has two major application cycles. The spring draw covers elk and pronghorn and typically closes in early February. The fall draw covers mule deer and usually closes in early June. All applications are submitted online through the Arizona Game & Fish portal. You’ll create an account, purchase your license, and select the hunt codes you want. You get five choices per species, but Arizona only considers your first and second choices in the main draw, so those are the ones that actually matter.

Arizona also caps non-resident hunters at no more than ten percent of the total tags available for each hunt code. That makes popular elk hunts extremely competitive. But the nice part is Arizona also reserves part of its tag allocation for a random draw, which keeps every applicant—from zero points to max points—in the running every single year.

Once you purchase your license, you can submit applications as those windows open. Elk and pronghorn open in January and close in early February. Mule deer opens in May and closes in early June. Every species has a small, nonrefundable application fee. If you draw, the state automatically charges your card for the tag price. Make sure your card won’t expire before draw results come out—if your payment fails, the tag is forfeited.

Arizona releases results roughly six to eight weeks after each deadline. If you don’t draw, you automatically get a bonus point for that species. And if you’re not planning to hunt that year, you can still submit a point-only application to keep your point total growing.

Every once in a while, leftover tags are available after the draw—mostly for deer. Elk and pronghorn leftovers are rare, but it’s always worth checking the list in case something slips through.

Arizona’s bonus point system is what most hunters struggle to understand at first, but it’s actually pretty straightforward. Each year you apply and don’t draw, you earn one bonus point. When the draw happens, your total points plus one—your current application—is squared. That squared number becomes your number of chances in the draw. More points, more chances.

Arizona conducts its draw in two stages. The first stage is the Bonus Point Pass, where up to twenty percent of the tags go to the highest-point applicants. The remaining eighty percent go into the Random Pass, where every applicant with at least one bonus point competes together. Even low-point hunters have drawn amazing tags out of this pool.

Non-residents compete in both passes, but Arizona does enforce that ten-percent cap. If non-residents fill their quota in the high-point pass, none will draw in the random pass for that hunt. If the quota isn’t filled early, the random pass can still award tags to non-residents.

And remember—Arizona only looks at your first two choices in either pass. Once a hunt code is filled, the system does not consider your other choices. This is why a smart strategy matters. You can list five choices, but realistically, only the first two count.

Understanding how the draw runs makes it a lot easier to think about strategy.

Arizona elk is a long-term game for most non-residents. Units like 9, 10, 23, and 1 produce giant bulls but require many years of points to be competitive in the Bonus Point Pass. If you’re just starting out, think in terms of a two-track approach. Track one is your dream hunt—your long-term, high-end goal you’re building points toward. Track two is an opportunity hunt—something in a mid-tier unit or a late-season hunt that doesn’t require double-digit points. These realistic second choices can actually result in tags far sooner, especially through the random pass.

Mule deer works similarly. The Strip (13A and 13B) and the Kaibab (12A and 12B) are the premier hunts, but Arizona has several general-season units with much more forgiving odds. Many hunters will list a dream tag as their first choice and a solid, realistic option as their second. And because the deer draw happens in June, you can stretch a single license purchase across both the elk and deer application windows.

Pronghorn in Arizona is extremely difficult to draw. Quotas are small and demand is high. This is the definition of a long game. Apply every year, build points, and stay in the random pool.

The smartest non-residents follow the same rhythm every year. They apply for elk and pronghorn in February, deer in June, and buy a point-only application if needed. They time their license purchase to cover multiple draws. They keep their AZGFD account and credit card information current. And they never skip a year—because momentum matters.

As for costs, every non-resident must buy the combination license, which runs over $160. You’ll pay a small, nonrefundable application fee per species, and if you draw, then you’re charged the full tag fee. Elk tags cost several hundred dollars, deer tags are in the low-to-mid hundreds, and pronghorn is higher. Make sure to check the current regulations each year since these numbers can change.

The elk and pronghorn deadline is in early February, with results around mid-March. The deer deadline is early June, with results around mid-July. Before submitting, double-check your payment details to avoid losing a tag. Always apply or buy a point every year and keep your information current.

Arizona’s system is competitive but fair, and if you stay consistent and strategic, your time will eventually come. It rewards the long game, but it never shuts out the newcomers.

If you want to take everything you learn here and turn it into a real advantage in the field and in your application strategy, that’s exactly why I built TEAM BACKBONE. It’s more than a membership—it’s a community built around training harder, hunting smarter, and living relentless. Inside, you get twenty percent off all Backbone gear, a member-only shirt shipped monthly, full access to the digital vault, a private Facebook group, direct text and email access to me for coaching, and automatic entry into monthly gear giveaways. You can join under the membership tab at BackboneUnlimited.com.

Thanks for reading. Until next time—Train Harder, Hunt Smarter, and Never Settle.