The late any-legal-weapon hunt in units 071 to 079 and 091 issued 63 resident tags in 2025 compared with 763 for the early hunt in the same units. Among resident any-legal-weapon buck hunts from 2022 to 2025, hunts the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) drew at under 5% had 62.9% hunter success. Success for hunts drawn at 25% or more was 37.4%.
IDrawing tags
Toughest draws saw 63% success, draws at 25% or more saw 37%
For every hunt we used the draw rate NDOW prints. That rate divides quota by demand, counting each applicant once. We calculated success by pooling successful hunters over hunters afield from NDOW's post-season 2025 Big Game Hunt Statistics and the 2024, 2023 (archived copy) and 2022 (archived copy) tables.
The 45 resident hunt-seasons drawn under 5% issued 1,013 tags, with 57.2% of their bucks carrying 4 or more antler points. The 42 hunt-seasons drawn at 25% or more issued 14,709 tags, making up 62.3% of all resident any-legal-weapon tags in the four seasons. Bucks with 4 or more points made up only 28.6% of their kill. The bands in between follow the same order.
Swipe table to see every column
| NDOW draw rate | Hunt-seasons | Tags issued | Hunters afield | Successful hunters | Hunter success | Bucks with 4+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5% | 45 | 1,013 | 927 | 583 | 62.9% | 57.2% |
| 5% to 9% | 56 | 1,684 | 1,496 | 852 | 57.0% | 49.1% |
| 10% to 24% | 84 | 6,188 | 5,427 | 2,788 | 51.4% | 37.5% |
| 25% or more | 42 | 14,709 | 12,307 | 4,600 | 37.4% | 28.6% |
IISeason check
The toughest draws led the easiest in each of four seasons
Hunts drawn under 5% had 57.0% success in 2022, 57.1% in 2023, 64.1% in 2024 and 71.5% in 2025. Hunts drawn at 25% or more had success rates of 36.4%, 29.4%, 37.3% and 43.9% in those seasons. The middle bands do not line up as neatly. In 2025 hunts drawn at 10% to 24% reached 62.8% success and topped the 58.0% for hunts drawn at 5% to 9%.
Swipe table to see every column
| NDOW draw rate | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 5% | 57.0% (12 hunts) | 57.1% (12 hunts) | 64.1% (12 hunts) | 71.5% (9 hunts) |
| 5% to 9% | 57.8% (14 hunts) | 56.5% (14 hunts) | 54.9% (14 hunts) | 58.0% (14 hunts) |
| 10% to 24% | 46.4% (21 hunts) | 45.2% (21 hunts) | 52.2% (23 hunts) | 62.8% (19 hunts) |
| 25% or more | 36.4% (11 hunts) | 29.4% (10 hunts) | 37.3% (7 hunts) | 43.9% (14 hunts) |
- Draw rate under 5%
- Draw rate 10% to 24%
- Draw rate 25% or more
IIIUnit comparisons
The final hunt drew hardest in all 49 unit-group seasons
Comparing hunts within single unit groups gives the cleanest test, with the same country but different dates. From 2022 to 2025 there were 49 cases of a unit group holding two or more resident any-legal-weapon hunts. In all 49 the year's last hunt drew at a lower rate than every earlier hunt, and in 38 its success also beat the first hunt.
Units 071 to 079 and 091 put that gap in view. The October 5 to 20 hunt drew at 36% in 2025 with 58.9% success on 763 tags issued. The October 21 to November 5 hunt drew at 4% with 79.7% success, while 62% of its bucks had 4 or more points compared with 33% in the early hunt. NDOW's tables do not explain the better results on late hunts, and dates, quota size and hunter numbers all differ between them.
Swipe table to see every column
| Unit group | Season | NDOW draw rate | Tags issued | Hunter success | Bucks with 4+ points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101 - 109 | Oct 01 - Oct 16 | 61% | 600 | 32.5% | 19% |
| 101 - 109 | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | 71% | 600 | 36.9% | 31% |
| 101 - 109 | Oct 31 - Nov 08 | 27% | 119 | 62.1% | 42% |
| 061, 062, 064, 066 - 068 | Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 38% | 855 | 44.9% | 29% |
| 061, 062, 064, 066 - 068 | Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 13% | 99 | 64.8% | 57% |
| 071 - 079, 091 | Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 36% | 763 | 58.9% | 33% |
| 071 - 079, 091 | Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 4% | 63 | 79.7% | 62% |
| 171 - 173 | Oct 05 - Oct 16 | 45% | 310 | 24.9% | 24% |
| 171 - 173 | Oct 17 - Oct 30 | 51% | 180 | 36.5% | 50% |
| 171 - 173 | Oct 31 - Nov 08 | 17% | 50 | 54.5% | 42% |
| 151 - 156 | Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 46% | 380 | 42.2% | 33% |
| 151 - 156 | Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 15% | 38 | 69.7% | 48% |
| 141 - 145 | Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 47% | 370 | 54.8% | 28% |
| 141 - 145 | Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 14% | 35 | 85.3% | 59% |
| 161 - 164 | Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 35% | 175 | 35.9% | 32% |
| 161 - 164 | Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 13% | 25 | 58.3% | 64% |
IVNonresident tags
Most of the toughest nonresident draws issued five tags or fewer
Drawing a tag was harder for nonresidents in 2025. NDOW's Nevada section in the 2026 WAFWA range-wide mule deer report states "Nonresident demand was even more competitive, with 18,665 applications for 885 tags". It calls that "yielding a draw success rate of approximately 4.7%".
The 137 nonresident hunt-seasons drawn under 5% reached 61.7% success on 411 tags issued, with 118 of them issuing five tags or fewer. Just 4 issued 10 or more tags, and success in those 4 was 34.0%. The nonresident result falls away when small hunts are left out, but the resident result holds. Excluding hunts with fewer than 10 tags leaves 27 resident hunt-seasons in the hardest band with 63.8% success.
Swipe table to see every column
| Residency | NDOW draw rate | Hunt-seasons | Tags issued | Hunter success | Hunt-seasons with 10+ tags | Success, 10+ tag hunts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident | Under 5% | 45 | 1,013 | 62.9% | 27 | 63.8% |
| Resident | 5% to 9% | 56 | 1,684 | 57.0% | 47 | 56.7% |
| Resident | 10% to 24% | 84 | 6,188 | 51.4% | 84 | 51.4% |
| Resident | 25% or more | 42 | 14,709 | 37.4% | 42 | 37.4% |
| Nonresident | Under 5% | 137 | 411 | 61.7% | 4 | 34.0% |
| Nonresident | 5% to 9% | 50 | 499 | 56.8% | 10 | 55.0% |
| Nonresident | 10% to 24% | 28 | 484 | 55.1% | 18 | 55.6% |
| Nonresident | 25% or more | 5 | 219 | 42.9% | 5 | 42.9% |
On the same any-legal-weapon hunts nonresidents had better overall success than residents. Pooled over 220 such hunt-seasons success was 55.8% against 43.7%, with nonresidents higher in 144 of them. The tables do not explain that gap.
VRate gaps
NDOW's draw rate skips bonus points and the order of choices
NDOW defines its draw rate as the "Proportion of Quota divided by Demand" and adds that it "Does not account for bonus points or hunter choice". Your points shape your own odds. Demand counts applicants, since "An applicant is only counted once for a given species class regardless of the number of choices selected". NDOW's 2025 Big Game Hunt Data workbook also gives another application count, under which "An applicant can be counted up to 5 times for a given species class". Under that count 24 of the 56 resident any-legal-weapon hunts fall below 2% in 2025, compared with 2 under NDOW's printed rate. Every band and comparison uses NDOW's printed draw rate while all-choice counts only show differences.
NDOW's post-season hunter reports supply the success figures. NDOW labels the 2024 and 2025 tables preliminary, and its 2024 table leaves out junior and guided hunts. That table still has 296 main-draw buck rows, compared with 292 to 298 in the other seasons. Past average success on a hunt does not forecast any one hunter's result.
VILater dates
Two late hunts drew at 9% or less with success above 68%
The table tracks five resident any-legal-weapon hunts with the same dates in all four seasons. Units 194 and 196 had a single resident any-legal-weapon hunt that ran November 5 to 30. Its draw rate was 1% every year and success ran 70.0% to 88.0%. Our Nevada public-land deer rankings rely on a whole-unit measure, putting units 194 and 196 at 0.7% draw odds and 75% success there for 2025. For the late hunt in units 071 to 079 and 091 draw rates ran 3% to 9% and success ran 68.6% to 80.4%. For the early hunts there and in units 141 to 145 draw rates ran 24% to 47% and success ran 44.0% to 62.9%. For comparison, the October 1 to 16 hunt in units 101 to 109 is easy to draw, with draw rates of 35% to 72% but success of only 20.1% to 32.5% in the same seasons.
Swipe table to see every column
| Hunt (unit group, dates) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194, 196, Nov 05 - Nov 30 | 1% draw, 85.3% success | 1% draw, 85.3% success | 1% draw, 70.0% success | 1% draw, 88.0% success |
| 071 - 079, 091, Oct 21 - Nov 05 | 9% draw, 68.6% success | 9% draw, 72.1% success | 3% draw, 80.4% success | 4% draw, 79.7% success |
| 071 - 079, 091, Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 33% draw, 54.5% success | 29% draw, 44.4% success | 24% draw, 62.9% success | 36% draw, 58.9% success |
| 141 - 145, Oct 05 - Oct 20 | 39% draw, 45.3% success | 34% draw, 44.0% success | 41% draw, 54.3% success | 47% draw, 54.8% success |
| 101 - 109, Oct 01 - Oct 16 | 72% draw, 25.5% success | 46% draw, 20.1% success | 35% draw, 27.2% success | 61% draw, 32.5% success |
Our read is that Nevada bonus points have done the most for success when used on a late any-legal-weapon hunt in a unit group you know. For a resident seeking an easier draw the early hunts in 071 to 079 and 091 or 141 to 145 deserve a look before the October 1 to 16 hunt in 101 to 109.
NOTES AND SOURCES
- Source: Nevada Department of Wildlife, 2025 Big Game Hunt Statistics, mule deer (preliminary).
- Also: Nevada Department of Wildlife, 2024 Big Game Hunt Statistics, mule deer (preliminary).
- Also: Nevada Department of Wildlife, 2023 Big Game Hunt Statistics, mule deer (archived copy).
- Scope: Nevada main-draw mule deer buck hunts (NDOW hunt type Mule Deer Antlered), 2022 to 2025 seasons, one row per hunt (unit group, dates, weapon, residency). Headline numbers are resident any-legal-weapon hunts. Nonresident, archery and muzzleloader hunts are reported separately.
- Method: Draw rate is NDOW's printed figure for each hunt: quota divided by demand, where demand counts tags awarded at any choice plus unsuccessful first-choice applicants, each person once per species class (MEASURED). Hunter success is successful hunters over hunters afield (MEASURED per hunt). Band totals pool counts across hunts and seasons (DERIVED). The 4-point share pools NDOW's printed share of bucks with 4 or more antler points, weighted by successful hunters (DERIVED). Bands use the whole-percent draw rate NDOW printed. The 2025 PDF parse matched NDOW's 2025 workbook in every count for all 295 main-draw buck rows. All-choice odds from the bonus point reports were used only to show how they differ.
- Limits: Draw rate is NDOW's relative measure of demand against quota. NDOW notes that it does not account for bonus points or hunter choice, so your own odds depend on your points.
- Limits: Hunter success comes from NDOW's post-season hunter reports. It counts hunters who killed a buck, among those who reported hunting.
- Limits: Of the 137 nonresident any-legal-weapon hunt-seasons drawn under 5%, 118 issued five tags or fewer, so their success rates swing on a handful of hunters.
- Limits: The 2024 and 2025 tables are marked preliminary by NDOW and may be revised.
- Limits: Hard draws and high success travel together in these tables. The tables do not say why, and season dates, unit and quota size all differ between hunts.
Fully Drawn Research is an independent data analysis desk, not affiliated with any state wildlife agency, transportation agency, mapping provider or outfitter. Fully Drawn Research is an independent data and analysis desk. This paper reports FDR's own analysis of public agency and survey data. Harvest, catch and survey figures describe what hunters and anglers reported or what agencies counted or estimated, not how many animals or fish are present, and they reflect regulations and hunter or angler choices as well as wildlife numbers.
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