The actual drawing only takes a matter of hours. It’s the preparation for the drawing that takes time. Wyoming is a state that has numerous drawings for numerous species. Since Wyoming law allocates certain percentages of licenses to residents and nonresidents, those drawings are conducted separately, and have their own separate application periods and deadlines. We feel we must allow ample time to apply for licenses, so depending on the species, most application periods are a month or more. Since it seems to be human nature to procrastinate, most of the applications do not reach us until the last week of the application period. We also need to have seasons and quotas set before drawings can be conducted. Since we are a state which periodically gets harsh winters, we do not set seasons and quotas until after the effects of the winter on game populations are known. The season setting meeting is usually the end of April. After seasons are established, we must also allow time for regulations to be printed, so successful applicants can receive a copy with their license. Before a drawing can be conducted, the following must take place:

The season and quotas must be approved by the Commission, quotas and seasons entered on the computer system and applications must be processed.  The drawing is then held. Successful applicants receive a license.

All unsuccessful applicants will no longer receive refund warrants (a check from the State Auditor) but instead will have a credit applied back to the credit card used for the submission of the online application.  The Department will issue refund warrants in all circumstances when the credit card is no longer valid for processing a credit back to the card once notified by the applicant's financial institution.  Applicants using a pre-paid card will receive a refund warrant.