HuntScore: Draw Odds and harvest data for hunting Elk in Arizona (2024)

How The Draw Works

• Arizona Game and Fish Department sets quotas for hunt codes per species across the state.

• The draw process is actually conducted across 3 phases, read about them in detail here

  • 1st Phase - Bonus Point Pass
    • In this phase 20% of the total quota for a hunt code is allocated to bonus point holders with the highest bonus point totals
  • 2nd Phase - 1st/2nd Choice Pass
    • The remaining 80% of the total quota is available to be awarded. An applicants 1st and 2nd choices are considered when their application is drawn.*The applicants first choice is reviewed and if there are enough permits left to give to the application (applications can have 1 to 4 individuals ) then the applicant will be awarded a permit. Otherwise the applicants 2nd choice will be evaluated next to determine if there is quota available.
  • 3rd Phase - 3rd/4th/5th Pass*Any remaining quota is available in this pass and it is conducted in the same manner as the 1st & 2nd pass.

• Order your hunt choices from hardest to easiest to draw (assuming the harder to draw hunts are your preferred). This will ensure if you are drawn in a phase, you are drawing the best hunt.

• If a hunt code's quota is historically fully allocated by the second phase (1st/2nd Pass) then do not select that hunt code for your third phase hunts. Unless the quota has significantly increased or other trends indicate the hunt may have remaining quota in the third phase this year.

• Arizona uses a linear bonus point system. For each bonus point the applicant has for a species, they will receive a random number. Their lowest random number will be retrained for the phase of the draw being conducted.

• Arizona hunt codes change from year to year for a given hunt. We attempt to keep a consistent mapping through the years. Prior to the current year regulations becoming available, you'll see our internal code listed as the hunt code. Read about it here.

  • Once the current year regulations are available, we will update hunt_code column to those listed in the regulations where we have a mapping

Residents

• The following columns are most pertinent to you:

  • Min. Resident Bonus Points - the minimum number needed to draw. If you have more than this your odds would have been 100%.
  • Odds @ Min Res. Pts - the odds of drawing if you have that number of points
  • Res. Bonus Point Odds - the odds of drawing in the 1st/2nd Pass given a set number of bonus points. It defaults to zero and paying subscribers can change the number of points to represent their own.
  • Res. 1st Choice Odds - overall odds, without consideration to bonus points, of drawing in the 1st/2nd Pass
  • Res 3rd Choice Odds - overall odds, without consideration to bonus points, of drawing in the 3rd/4th/5th Pass

• If a hunt choice has 0% odds for Res. 3rd Choice Odds, then the entire quota is allocated during the 1st/2nd Pass phase. Unless you see a compelling trend in the data, do not select that hunt choice as your 3rd, 4th or 5th choice!

Nonresidents

• The quota for a given hunt code is restricted to no more than 10% of the total quota.

• The following columns are most pertinent to you:

  • Min. NonResident Bonus Points - the minimum number needed to draw. If you have more than this your odds would have been 100%.
  • Odds @ Min NonRes. Pts - the odds of drawing if you have that number of points
  • NonRes. Bonus Point Odds - the odds of drawing in the 1st/2nd Pass given a set number of bonus points. It defaults to zero and paying subscribers can change the number of points to represent their own.
  • NonRes. 1st Choice Odds - overall odds, without consideration to bonus points, of drawing in the 1st/2nd Pass
  • NonRes 3rd Choice Odds - overall odds, without consideration to bonus points, of drawing in the 3rd/4th/5th Pass

• If a hunt choice has 0% odds for NonRes. 3rd Choice Odds, then the entire quota is allocated during the 1st/2nd Pass phase. Unless you see a compelling trend in the data, do not select that hunt choice as your 3rd, 4th or 5th choice!