State: Nevada

Species available to On Your Own hunters

Nevada Division of Wildlife

Nevada Drawing Odds

Nevada information provided by Elkhunter

Nevada Hunting Website:

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/

Nevada big game tags cannot be purchased OTC; all come from a draw process (described below).

Tag and license forms and applications: http://www.ndow.org/law/licenses/index.shtm

Resident & non-resident feess: http://www.ndow.org/law/fees/index.shtm

The main big game application deadline is usually the middle of April each year with drawing results posted by June. However, nonresident guided hunts have their draw in mid-March with results by the end of March. Following the main draw, there is a second drawing for any remaining tags. Any tags remaining after the second draw may be applied for on a first-come-first-served basis.

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/apps/index.shtm

In Nevada, big game tags are distributed through a random, computerized draw process, handled by a private company, System Consultants, Wildlife Administrative Services Office (WASO) to those 12 years old or older.

How the draw process works:

> First, all applications submitted receive a random draw number assigned by the computer. Each draw number consists of the same number of digits. Each person receives a different draw number for each hunt applied for on the application (for example one number for deer, one number for elk). In the case of deer, party applications will only receive one number.

> After all draw numbers are assigned, the computer puts them into numerical order, the lowest number being the first application to be reviewed, and the highest number the last to be reviewed.

> The computer then begins processing the application by reviewing each hunter choice number that has been included on the application.
For example, if a hunter applies for an elk tag, the computer evaluates each hunter choice number, one at a time and in the order listed, and either awards a tag in the first choice where at least one tag remains, or designates the application as unsuccessful if all tags have been issued for those hunter choices listed

> The computer then moves on to the next application (the next highest application number).

> This procedure is repeated for each application (deer rifle, deer archery, cow elk, antelope, etc.) until all applications have been reviewed.

Bonus Points - Nevada does utilize a bonus point system; NV bonus points do not guarantee you a tag but increase the likelihood of getting drawn compared to other hunters with fewer (or none) points. Nevada squares your bonus points. A hunter with 3 points actually gets 10 random numbers assigned (3 X 3 = 9+1 = 10). This results in hunters with additional bonus points having far better odds of drawing a tag.

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/apps/bonus/index.shtm

Hunter education requirements. Note that Nevada will not yet you complete an online application if your Hunter Education information is not on file:

http://www.ndow.org/learn/classes/hunt/index.shtm

Season dates and regulations (and what’s new for the current year):

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/seasons/bg/index.shtm

A summary of the top 10 things hunters should consider when applying for NV tags:

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/resources/top_10.shtm

View information compiled by NDOW, specifically about each unit:

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/resources/infosheets/index.shtm

Sunrise/sunset tables:

http://www.ndow.org/hunt/resources/sunrise/index.shtm

NDOW hunter checklist: