If you are new to hunting in Arizona or just moved here from another state, the licensing and draw system can feel overwhelming at first. There are multiple deadlines spread across the year, different species in different draw cycles, bonus points that carry over, and rules that will wipe everything out if you miss an application. This guide breaks it all down in plain language so you can start applying correctly from day one and build toward the hunts you actually want.
Start Here: What You Need Before Anything Else
Before you can apply for any draw tag or buy any over the counter tag in Arizona you need two things.
First, an Arizona hunting license. For residents a general hunting license costs $37. For non-residents the combination hunting and fishing license costs $160 and is valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, not just the calendar year. That 365 day validity is important for non-residents and we will come back to it. Licenses are purchased online only at license.azgfd.com. Paper licenses are no longer sold through dealers.
Second, an AZGFD portal account. Create one free at accounts.azgfd.com. Your portal account is where you apply for draws, check your bonus points, and see draw results. AZGFD does not mail draw result notifications. If you do not have a portal account you will not know whether you drew a tag until it shows up or does not show up in the mail.
Do both of these things before you do anything else.
The Three Draw Cycles You Need to Know
Arizona runs three main draw cycles each year and every big game species falls into one of them. Missing a cycle means waiting a full year and losing a bonus point you could have earned.
The February cycle covers elk and pronghorn. The application window opens in January and the deadline falls on the first or second Tuesday of February. Results come out in late February to late March.
The June cycle covers deer, bighorn sheep, fall bison, and sandhill crane. The application window opens in May and the deadline falls on the first or second Tuesday of June. Results come out in late June to early July.
The October cycle covers spring turkey, spring javelina, spring bear, and spring bison. The application window opens in mid September and the deadline falls on the first Tuesday of October. Results come out in late October.
Write all three of these down right now. Put them in your phone calendar as recurring annual reminders. Missing any one of them costs you a bonus point and a full year of opportunity for that species.
How Bonus Points Work
The bonus point system is the engine that drives everything in Arizona hunting and understanding it is the most important thing a new hunter can do.
Every year you apply for a species and do not draw a tag you earn one bonus point for that species. The more bonus points you have the better your odds of drawing in future years because your points increase the number of entries you receive in the draw lottery.
Points are completely species specific. Your elk points do nothing for your deer odds. Your deer points do nothing for your turkey odds. Each species is its own separate pool and must be managed independently.
There is also a loyalty point built into the system. Apply for the same species for five consecutive years without missing and you automatically earn an additional bonus point on top of your regular accumulation. This rewards consistency and compounds over time.
The flip side of the loyalty point is the purge rule and it is the most painful mistake a hunter can make. If you fail to apply for a species for five consecutive years your bonus points for that species are completely wiped out. You start back at zero with no recovery. This applies to every species independently. You could have 12 elk points and zero deer points or any combination across species. Missing five straight years on any one species eliminates everything you built for that species.
The rule is simple. Never skip a year on any species you care about even if you have no intention of hunting that year.
The Bonus Point Only Application
If you are not planning to hunt a particular species in a given year you can still submit a bonus point only application. It costs the same as the regular application fee, which is $13 per species for residents and $15 per species for non-residents, and it earns you a point without entering you in the tag draw. This is the right move any year you want to protect your points without committing to a hunt.
The Lifetime Bonus Point for Hunter Education
Arizona offers a permanent lifetime bonus point for completing the AZGFD hunter education course or the Ethically Hunting Arizona online course. This extra point applies to every single species you ever apply for and it compounds in value over years and decades of applying. For residents the course costs $150 and for non-residents it costs $300.
Do this as early as possible. It can take two weeks to a month for the point to appear in your account so do not wait until application season. This is one of the highest return investments a new hunter can make in the Arizona draw system.
How the Actual Draw Works
Arizona’s draw runs in three passes for each species.
In the first pass a portion of tags go to applicants with the highest bonus point totals. This is the bonus point pass where years of consistent applying pay off.
In the second pass remaining tags are distributed through a weighted random draw where your bonus points give you more entries in the lottery. Crucially this pass is open to everyone including hunters with zero points. A brand new applicant can still draw a tag here. It does not happen often on premium units but it happens every year.
In the third pass any remaining leftover tags are distributed. Most tags are already gone by this point.
You can list up to five hunt choices per species but Arizona only seriously considers your first and second choice in the draw passes. Your remaining three choices rarely come into play. Put your two best realistic choices first every time.
What Things Actually Cost
Here is a quick reference for what you will spend applying in Arizona each year.
Resident hunting license: $37
Non-resident combination hunting and fishing license: $160
Application fee per species: $13 residents, $15 non-residents, non-refundable
Bonus point only application: same as application fee
Hunter education lifetime bonus point course: $150 residents, $300 non-residents
Tag fees: charged automatically to your card on file if you draw, varies by species from low hundreds for deer and turkey up to several hundred dollars for elk
If your card is declined at the time of the draw AZGFD will not contact you. They move immediately to the next applicant and your tag is forfeited. Keep your payment card current and confirm it has available credit before each draw result date.
The Smart Beginner Strategy Year by Year
Here is the approach I would recommend to any new Arizona hunter starting from scratch.
In your first year create your portal account, buy your license, complete the hunter education course to lock in your lifetime bonus point, and submit applications for every species you eventually want to hunt. Even if you have no realistic chance of drawing elk or deer in a premium unit yet, getting your first point on the board for every species starts your clock running.
In years two through five keep applying for every species every cycle. Submit bonus point only applications for any species you are not ready to hunt yet. Never miss a cycle. Your loyalty point kicks in at year five for each species you have applied for consistently.
By years six through ten your point totals are starting to become competitive for mid tier units. Start researching draw odds on the AZGFD website to identify units where your current point total gives you a realistic shot. Consider applying for and drawing an achievable unit to actually hunt while continuing to build points for a future dream hunt. Hunting every few years is more rewarding than holding out indefinitely.
Long term your points compound and your options expand. Some premium elk and deer units in Arizona take fifteen or more years to draw but hunters who start early and apply consistently eventually get there.
Over the Counter Tags: Hunting Without the Wait
Not everything in Arizona requires a draw. Over the counter tags are available for certain species and let you hunt without applying or waiting.
Over the counter elk tags are available for certain units and go on sale in November through the AZGFD portal. You still need a valid hunting license to purchase one. OTC elk in Arizona is a legitimate option for hunters who want to chase elk while building draw points for premium units.
Over the counter deer tags are available for both Coues deer and mule deer in certain units, also going on sale in November. These are a great entry point for new deer hunters who want to get in the field immediately while building points for future draw hunts.
Always verify which units have OTC availability on the AZGFD website each year as this changes.
Non-Resident Specific Tips
Non-residents face a 10 percent cap on tags for elk, deer, and pronghorn. This makes competition stiff on premium units and extends draw timelines for the best hunts. Plan accordingly and set realistic expectations about which units are achievable within a reasonable timeframe.
The 365 day license is your biggest money saving tool as a non-resident. If you purchase your license right before the October turkey and javelina deadline it will often still be valid the following September when that same cycle opens again. Time your license purchases to cover as many draw cycles as possible with a single license purchase.
Youth licenses in Arizona cost only $5 regardless of residency status for the youth license category. If you have children who hunt start building their points in every species as early as possible. The cost is minimal and the long term value is enormous.
Key Dates to Put in Your Calendar Right Now
February cycle deadline: first or second Tuesday of February every year
June cycle deadline: first or second Tuesday of June every year
October cycle deadline: first Tuesday of October every year
OTC tags on sale: November every year
Always verify exact dates directly on the AZGFD website each year. Dates shift slightly from year to year and no third party source including this article should be your final check before submitting.
The Single Most Important Rule
Apply every year for every species you care about without exception. The bonus point system rewards consistency above everything else and the purge rule punishes gaps without mercy. A new hunter who starts applying at 20 years old and never misses a year will eventually have access to some of the best hunting tags in North America. A hunter who applies inconsistently will spend years recovering from self-inflicted point losses.
Start now, apply every cycle, and let time do the work.
For more detail on specific species draws check out our full guides on understanding the Arizona deer draw, understanding the Arizona elk draw, and understanding the Arizona turkey draw.
For more information or to apply visit the Arizona Game and Fish Department at azgfd.com.
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Disclosure: This blog is for informational purposes only. Always verify current deadlines, fees, and regulations directly with the Arizona Game and Fish Department at azgfd.com before applying. Rules and dates change each year.
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