Preference Points
Planning your Wyoming or Montana hunt starts with understanding how preference points work. Preference points play an important role in Wyoming’s and Montana’s hunting license draw systems. Building points can improve your chances of drawing limited quota tags for high-demand hunt areas, and SNS Outfitter & Guides can help you understand, purchase, and manage the points needed for your future hunt.
Understanding Preference Points
Preference points are part of Wyoming’s and Montana’s draw systems, helping hunters increase their odds of drawing limited quota tags for high-demand areas. We strongly recommend building preference points, especially for elk, deer, and antelope hunts.
Wyoming Preference Points
- Non-resident hunters may purchase one point per species per year.
- Points accumulate annually until you apply for a license.
- 75% of licenses are awarded to applicants with the highest point totals.
- 25% of licenses are awarded randomly.
When to Purchase
July 1 through October 31 each year via Wyoming Game & Fish.
Skipping two consecutive years will forfeit all accumulated points.
SNS Preference Point Program (Wyoming Only)
We make it easy by handling point purchases for you.
How It Works:
- Preference points are purchased in a three-year block through our program and billed in advance at the time of signup.
- We purchase your points annually during the application period.
- This program is for points only. License applications are submitted only after a hunt is booked.
Note: We do not invoice annually. Full payment is required at signup.
How to Enroll: Complete the Preference Point Sign-Up Form and submit it with payment. SNS will notify you when it’s time to renew.
Wyoming Preference Point Fees
| Species | Fee per Point |
|---|---|
| Elk | $75.00 |
| Deer | $75.00 |
| Antelope | $75.00 |
| Youth (All) | $10.00 |
Youth must be age 11 through 17 at the time of application. Moose and sheep youth points are priced the same as adult.
Admin Fee:
SNS charges a $75 admin fee per species, covering processing and handling.
Payment Methods:
We accept personal checks and all major credit cards.
Montana Preference Points
Montana’s preference point system differs from Wyoming’s and follows a separate timeline and set of rules.
Non-resident hunters may purchase one Montana preference point per year in advance of the year they intend to hunt.
Preference points may also be purchased at the time of license application.
Montana caps non-resident preference points at two points. Hunters who book with a licensed Montana outfitter may purchase an outfitter preference point at the time of application, which provides an additional advantage in the draw beyond the standard non-resident preference point cap.
SNS Outfitter & Guides purchases Montana preference points on behalf of our clients and submits license applications for booked hunts. We’re happy to help you understand how Montana’s system applies to your hunt and make sure your points and application are handled correctly.
Montana Preference Point Fees
| Point Type | Fee per Point |
|---|---|
| Montana Preference Point | $100.00 |
| Montana Outfitter Preference Point | $100.00 |
When Preference Points Are Essential
Some SNS hunts are in areas that are more difficult to draw without preference points:
- Record Book and Trophy Antelope
- Mule Deer and Antelope Combo Hunts
- Bull Elk
Need Help?
Still unsure how many points you need or how the preference point system applies to your hunt? Give us a call. We’re here to help.
Phone: 307-266-4229
Email:
