What You Need to Know and How to Apply for a Hunt Draw
Learn everything you need to know about the draw process, how to apply for a draw and review the regulations.
The Department encourages all applicants to sign up for a free AZGFD portal account. The secure account allows customers to manage and view their draw applications, license history and bonus points. A portal account also provides convenient access to the online license purchase and draw application systems.
Apply for the draw
If you have questions about how to apply for the draw, watch the video guide of the application process. Key information you will need before you get started:
-Customer ID. If you don’t know your customer ID use the retrieval tool located on this page.
-Valid hunting or hunting/ fishing combination license number.
-Four-digit hunt number, which is listed in the regulations booklet for each draw.
Bonus points, PointGuard, the draw process
Bonus points explained.
PointGuard – Allows you to surrender your hunt permit-tag for any reason without losing your coveted bonus points.
The draw process – How it works.
Hunt Regulations
Find the information you need to apply for the big game hunt draw. What you need to know
AZGFD portal accounts now are the sole source for finding out draw results, viewing bonus points and updating your credit card information. Apply for hunts issued though the draw system when available. License dealers statewide will no longer sell traditional paper licenses, but many of them will offer to sell licenses through AZGFD’s online purchase system.
Create a portal account
arizona hunting regulations
Leftover permit-tags
Leftover permit-tag application
Buy your hunting license
Draw information booklet
pronghorn and elk
Leftover permit-tag application
Buy your hunting license
Draw information booklet
spring turkey, javelina, bison, bear and raptor capture
Leftover permit-tags
Leftover permit-tag application
Buy your hunting license
Draw information booklet
**License dealers statewide no longer sell traditional paper licenses, but many of them will offer to sell licenses through AZGFD’s online purchase system. AZGFD has provided a list of dealers offering online license purchases.
Hunt draw application deadlines
- Pronghorn, elk
Draw deadline: In February (refer to the application schedule)
Regulations: Available in early January - Deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison, sandhill crane
Draw deadline: In June (refer to the application schedule)
Regulations: Available in early May - Spring javelina, spring bear, spring turkey, spring bison
Draw deadline: In October (refer to the application schedule)
Regulations: Available in early September
Learn more about the draw process and bonus points
Big game draw process
Bonus point process
Ethically Hunting Arizona – Earn a bonus point
Special Permit-Tag Programs
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission awards special big game license tags, sometimes called Commissioners’ tags, to selected 501(c)(3) wildlife conservation organizations that are charged to market and sell those tags to raise funds for Arizona’s wildlife.
special big game permit-tag program
Each year, in June, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission awards Special Big Game License Tags, sometimes called Commissioners’ tags, to selected 501(c)(3) wildlife conservation organizations who are charged to market and sell those tags to raise funds for Arizona’s wildlife.
Up to three tags for each of the following 10 Arizona big game species are typically allocated: pronghorn, bighorn sheep, black bear, bison, elk, javelina, mountain lion, mule deer, Coues white-tailed deer and turkey.
All of the revenues raised are then returned to the Arizona Game and Fish Department to be directly used to benefit those species through wildlife and habitat management in coordination with the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee.
Tags are typically made available to the public through auctions or raffles, including Conservation First USA, formerly called the Arizona Big Game Super Raffle.
The uniqueness of these special tags is that the hunting season is year-round allowing winning tag holders the time to pursue an animal, many of which can only be found in the Southwest and some only in Arizona – particularly, the Gould’s wild turkey, desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, white-tailed deer, and the world-famous Kaibab mule deer.
Arizona Big Game super raffle
The Arizona Game and Fish Department frequently receives questions from constituents asking, “What is the Arizona Big Game Super Raffle?”
The Arizona Big Game Super Raffle, now called Conservation First USA, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) entity that conducts special raffles each year to raise money for wildlife conservation efforts. Each year the Arizona Game and Fish Commission sets aside one tag for each of 10 big game species—bighorn sheep, elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, pronghorn, bison, turkey, bear, javelina and mountain lion—for the purpose of being offered through Conservation First USA’s raffles.
People buy tickets for a chance to win one or more of the tags. Tickets are $10 each per species. Winners will be able to hunt for 365 days almost anywhere in the state of Arizona. Every dollar raised for each species by the raffle is returned to the Arizona Game and Fish Department and managed by the Arizona Habitat Partnership Committee for that particular species, with input from local habitat partners across the state.
For more information about Conservation First USA, visit conservationfirstusa.org
Want to Go Hunting in Arizona?
Find ways to experience big game and small game hunting or find a mentored hunt camp.
buy your hunting license
Arizona residents and non-residents 10 years and older need a valid hunting license to hunt in Arizona.
find a mentored hunt camp
The award-winning Outdoor Skills Network is your source for public, hands-on, “learn how to hunt” events.