It's already that time of year again... application season!

2019 Dates and Deadlines

In the table below you will find the tentative 2019 state application deadlines, application strategy article release dates and tentative draw result dates. These dates will be modified as each state releases more information. Currently, they are based on previous years' deadlines by looking at what day of the week they are typically released or even the exact calendar date they tend to follow.

If you're new to GOHUNT, we release state-by-state INSIDER Application Strategy Articles three to four weeks before each state deadline. We feel this is the perfect length of time for you to check out the new for 2019 regulations, unit boundary changes, herd dieoff information, and tag allocation changes before you try to draw your dream tag. Keep in mind, that you can always research for your upcoming season by utilizing our Filtering 2.0 tools well before we release each state's application strategy article. The 2019 Draw Odds update will be made available the first part of January 2019.

Another benefit to our online presence is you will have access to the latest and best information possible to help you prepare for hunts (we don't have to rush to publish tentative application information to meet print deadlines). Also, once an application strategy article is released, INSIDERs will be able to click on the date of release in the table below to view the entire application strategy article.

Note on Draw Result Dates

Waiting on draw results can seem to take forever! And we understand that. Currently, the draw result dates are each based on when the 2018 results were released. As application season starts cranking up, I'll run through each state and provide either a concrete result date that we receive from the state or a result date based on the yearly trend of the states. Each year we get questions on why our draw result release dates don't exactly match up with what you might find in the regulations. But... our results dates listed are actually more accurate based on how some states release their draw odds early every year. The dates below are updated when the state released the deadline for 2018 and/or the exact day they released them in years past to give you a general guideline of when to expect the results. Most states go on a typical trend in releasing draw results and a lot of times they release them well before their listed date. That is why once regulations start to pour in, we will list both the state claimed draw result date, and the actual result date from the year before.

Also, tentative application deadlines are used until each state release their 2019 regulations. So for example, in 2019, Arizona's application deadline will be February 12 because their application deadline is always the second Tuesday in February. Nevada is typically the third Monday in April, etc.

* December 1, 2018 was the first day that nonresidents could start to purchase deer and elk tags (except Sawtooth elk tags).** Note: I've included some states that we currently don't cover on INSIDER for reference.*** During Nevada's second draw, you can pick up points only for the species with hunts available in the second draw.

* Nevada technically has three periods when you can purchase points; April 29 when the main draw closes, May 6 when the bonus point application/application withdrawal period closes and July 1 when the Second Draw closes. During Nevada's second draw period and July 1 deadline, you can pick up points only for the species with hunts available in the second draw.

You can also see all of the important western hunting deadlines on our INSIDER Basecamp page. That is sort of like your INSIDER "homepage." You can find a quick link to Basecamp in the upper right-hand corner of the screen if you click on the INSIDER button. We keep that page updated with all the latest dates, deadlines and important INSIDER information.

Reviewing Our Old 2018 Application Strategy Articles

One of the best ways to always stay up to speed on everything hunting research-based is to gain an understanding of how a state’s draw system works through our Application Strategy Articles that are available from January through June. These articles are strategically released to coincide with upcoming hunt application deadlines across the states that we cover. If you’re unfamiliar with our Application Strategy Articles, you'll quickly realize we do things a little differently. These application strategy articles are focused on helping you to gain an edge on trophy units as well as over-the-counter units and they provide important tables, charts, and graphics to help you understand key information for finding the best unit that meets your individual needs.

Another great tactic this time of year is to review our old Application Strategy articles. This can be especially useful if you're thinking about applying in a new state. All of the links to the old 2018 Application Strategy articles can be found below.

Application season can be very overwhelming and we try to keep it simple with an easy to follow schedule of article release dates. Some of the Application Strategy articles are released within a small window, but that is done to ensure we are providing the best possible information to our users. Different states release their regulations and herd information at tight windows to the application deadline. So we strive to release these articles with all the information possible. One of the best supplements to our Application Strategy articles is Filtering and Draw Odds. Both are always available for you to start your 2019 western hunting research right now.

Filtering 2.0

As of April of 2019, we now cover 12 western states on INSIDER (Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Washington). The Filtering tool is an industry first that provides you with the ability to search for hunt choices that meet your personal hunting criteria. You can filter by state, species, season, weapon type, public land percentage, trophy potential, draw odds, dates of availability, harvest success, number of bucks and bulls taken in each unit, and even male:female ratios. In addition, you can search for over-the-counter only options to extend your season. Filtering 2.0 is revolutionary in helping you to take hundreds of unit choices in a state and quickly narrow it down to only a few. Think of the time and money this can save you each year!

Draw Odds

We have been busy the past several months testing our 2019 Draw Odds and we expect them to go live around the beginning of January. We will not only have updated odds available, but you'll also be able to see year-over-year draw odd trends to help track draw trends and points creep.

Best of luck in the 2019 draws! And as always, feel free to reach out to us at any time if you have questions.