Nevada’s 2026-2027 Big Game Seasons and Applications regulations are available. Be sure to refer to this application booklet when applying for Nevada’s 2026 big game tags. You can download a copy from the website at www.eregulations.com/nevada/hunting/big-game. The 2026 Nevada application period is March 23 through May 13. Applications must be submitted by 11 p.m. PDT on the deadline day. Results will be released by May 29.
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| Nevada Species Specific Information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nevada Elk | Nevada Mule Deer | Nevada Bighorn Sheep |
| Nevada Antelope | Nevada Mountain Goat | Nevada Bear | Nevada Mt Lion |
Nevada has an application website that requires users to create an account before applying. Applicants will need to login and create an account before applying. When you apply, you have to choose whether or not to accept an alternate tag for your first-choice hunt should someone turn their tag back. Alternates can be selected up to fourteen business days prior to the season opener.
Applicants may withdraw or change their application electronically by logging into their account on or before the application deadline.
Party applications may only be made for deer. Bonus points for party hunt applicants will be averaged and rounded to the nearest whole number. Party members are able to return their party tag to the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) but will not receive a refund of bonus points unless all members of that party also return their tags.
Tag fees will be collected if you are successful in the draw. If your payment declines, an email will be sent to you with instructions on how to claim your tag. You are given five choices when applying. When an applicant is drawn, all five choices are considered before the next applicant is drawn.
There is no waiting period following a successful draw or harvest for deer or antlerless elk. Hunters who draw bighorn sheep ram or mountain goat tags must wait ten years. The waiting period for a ewe bighorn sheep tag is two years regardless of hunt success. If you draw a buck antelope tag, you must wait three years to apply again regardless of hunt success. If you draw an antlered elk tag, you must wait seven years to apply again regardless of hunt success.
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The draw will be conducted in the following groups: GROUP #1 Silver State; GROUP #2 Partnership in Wildlife (PIW); GROUP #3 Resident Junior Mule Deer Antlered; GROUP #4 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Ram, California Bighorn Sheep Ram, Desert Bighorn Sheep Ram, Elk Antlered, Antelope (Horns Longer Than Ears), Mule Deer Antlered, Mountain Goat, Bear, and Moose Antlered; GROUP #5 Elk Depredation Antlered, Resident Management Ram, and Resident One-Horn Ram; GROUP #6 Desert Bighorn Sheep Ewe, Elk Antlerless, and Antelope (Horns Shorter Than Ears); GROUP #7 Resident Spike Elk; GROUP #8 Elk Depredation Antlerless.
This allows applicants to put in for all species and gender classifications they wish to hunt without worry of drawing a less preferred tag over a more preferred tag due to changes in eligibility requirements, as you are now only allowed to draw a single tag for each species or subspecies category.
There is a nonrefundable $10 application fee for all regular big-game applications except elk, which are $15. There is also a non-refundable $5 fee on each tag application that the applicant can choose to put towards predator management or wildlife habitat and research of non-predatory wildlife. Finally, add a $1 processing fee per application and another $1 processing fee per species. The non-resident hunting license fee of $156 is non-refundable if you want bonus points. If you do not want bonus points, you can get a refund for your license. If you apply for points only, you will pay for the hunting license plus an additional $11 fee per species. Nevada accepts Visa, MasterCard, or Discover for online applications.
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Hunter education is required if the applicant was born after January 1, 1960. If it is your first time applying in Nevada, you must email a copy of your hunter education certificate to huntered@ndow.org. Hunter education records must be received seven days before the application deadline. Nevada does not require big-game hunters to wear hunter orange clothing.
A child under eighteen years of age hunting with a firearm must be accompanied at all tiimes by their parent or guardian or another licensed adult authorized by their parent or guardian. A child fourteen years or older may huunt alone if they have both their parents' permission and a valid hunting license.
Nevada’s bonus point system allows you to receive one point per species for each year you are unsuccessful in the drawing and have purchased a hunting license. Unsuccessful applicants who choose not to purchase the license do not gain bonus points. Bonus points are squared in the draw. For example, if you have 5 bonus points for mule deer, you will have a number of chances in this year’s drawing equal to 5 squared plus 1 (for this year’s application)—which makes for a total of 26 total chances. The most bonus points anyone can have for the 2026 draw is 34 per species. That number increases by one each year. If an applicant fails to apply for a particular species for two consecutive years, they will lose all of their bonus points for that species.
Nevada gives non-residents approximately 10% of the big-game tag quota. We take into account all applicants’ choices and the choice order in which they applied in our draw odds calculations. We list last year’s first choice draw odds based on if an applicant had 0, 5, 10, 15, or 20 points going into the draw. This will give applicants a better idea of the draw odds for that specific hunt based on the point level they are at, and it also gives applicants a timeframe for when they can expect increased draw odds.
Nevada offers a non-resident youth hunting and fishing combination license that is only $16. They have always set aside deer tags specifically for resident youth applicants. Nevada also sets aside doe antelope permits for resident youth applicants only. An eleven-year-old who will turn twelve before the beginning of the last season on their application is eligible to apply for a bonus point. Youth must be at least twelve years old prior to the opening of any hunt choice they apply for in order to be eligible.
Rifle hunters may hunt big game with a centerfire cartridge no smaller than a .22 caliber and no larger than a .50 caliber with a case length of 3 inches. Muzzleloader hunters must have a single barrel of .45 caliber or larger, open or peep sights, and black powder or black powder substitute. Smokeless powder is not legal. Sabots are illegal. Archery hunters must have a minimum draw weight of 40 lbs. and a maximum of 80% let-off. Arrows must be at least 24 inches long from nock to broadhead and weigh a minimum of 300 grains. Fixed broadheads must be at least 7/8” at the widest point, and if you are using expandable broadheads, they too must be at least 7/8” wide when opened. Crossbows may be used if you possess an archery disability permit.
Nevada’s first-come, first-served list will be on the NDOW Licensing System. Customers have the ability to purchase any tags remaining after the second draw, any returned tags without an eligible alternate, or big-game tags that turned in less than two weeks before the hunt opens. Any tag purchased will use the bonus points you have for that species. Residency eligibility will be taken into account, meaning a non-resident can only purchase a non-resident tag and a resident can only purchase a resident tag.
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While residents may apply for all species in the PIW (Partnership in Wildlife) draw, non-residents are only allowed to apply for mule deer PIW tags. These tags are good for any open season in any open unit until the hunter harvests an animal. Keep in mind that you can only hunt one species in progress using the specific weapon allowed during that season. If you want to apply for this tag, all you have to do is check the PIW box. The fee for applying is $11. Nevada also issues antelope, elk, and deer landowner tags that are transferable.
Nevada’s Dream Tags program is a raffle that allocates resident and non-resident tags for mule deer, elk, antelope, and Desert bighorn sheep (one species per tag). Raffle tickets are $5 each with the addition of an online convenience fee of $1. Winners can hunt anywhere in the state. All other rules for weapon class and weapon seasons must be followed. Go to https://ndowadmtag.org for more information.
Following the main drawing, all remaining licenses for deer, antelope, elk, mountain goat, and sheep will be available to residents and non-residents in a second drawing. You will lose your bonus points if you are successful in the second drawing. Online applications for the second drawing are due by 11:00 p.m. on June 15. Results will be provided on or before June 26, after which time, any remaining licenses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Within seven days of public release of draw results, the successful tag recipient may choose to electronically return their tag at www.ndowlicensing.com. Hunters who draw deer, elk, or antelope tags may turn them back in up to one day prior to the start of the season to retain bonus points and gain one point for 2026. Sheep and mountain goat hunters must turn their tags back in prior to July 15 to retain their points, gain one point, and get a refund.
Party hunt members are able to return their party tag to NDOW but will not receive a refund of bonus points unless all members of that party also return their tags to NDOW.
Tag holders can transfer their tag to another eligible person if the tag holder is diagnosed as terminally ill after drawing the tag.
Each tag comes with a mandatory big game questionnaire, which must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. PST on January 31, 2027. Failure to do so will result in being denied all big-game tags for one year, unless you pay a $50 fine and complete the Hunt Questionnaire at www.ndowlicensing.com before the close of the 2026 big-game main draw period. You can call 800-576-1020 to check and see if your questionnaire has been received.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife website has several mapping resources and hunting unit information for each species provided by the biologist. You can find these at www.ndow.org/blog/top-10-big-game-resources/.
Nevada does not have any access programs that allow hunters to hunt private land.
There are no known wolf packs in Nevada at this time, but there have been a couple of wolves that have crossed into Nevada from California and then returned to California.
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