Nonresidents in Arizona can be issued up to 10% of the total tags available for a given hunt code. This 10% is not guaranteed and many had speculated that the new rules might actually result in a reduction in the total number of nonresident tags given. A review of the 2016 draw shows that for the most part nonresidents did indeed receive the full 10% of the total tag quota that was available. There were a few exceptions for hunts where resident demand was substantially higher than from nonresidents.
For years Arizona published post-draw bonus point reports that did not separate resident/nonresident applicants. Because of this, figuring out your chances as a nonresident in Arizona was near impossible. Thankfully we've got more data to work with for this application season.
We have obtained some additional reports via public records request that allowed us to determine the actual split of tags given out in the bonus point pass, and the random (1-2) pass respectively. You can find this information in our list view and for nonresidents this is essential information when evaluating your 2017 application strategy.
Additionally, we have also included the bonus report information including the nonresident specific point totals by hunt. These can be accessed via the "more" link in the Bonus Tags Drawn column of our list view.
One important thing to point out about the bonus point report is that lifetime Arizona hunting license holders who have moved out of state are considered nonresidents on the report. However, those lifetime license holders are not subject to the 10% nonresident cap and for all practical purposes should be considered residents. If you see successful nonresident applicants that drew a tag with less bonus points than the the crowd in front of them, this is very likely a lifetime Arizona hunting license holder. The Unit 1 archery only bull tag is a good example. Don't be fooled by the 11 and 12 point successful applicants that drew in the nonresident bonus point category for this hunt. If in doubt, always refer to the Bonus Pass Draw Odds column of our list view where we have done our best to filter out this data exception.
Look for information on Arizona mule deer, coues deer and sheep in the coming weeks. Good luck in the draws!
