Danielle Eisenhart, CPW’s license reservation and customer operations manager, briefed the caucus on the draw working group outcomes. She said the Commission approved the policy changes at the January meeting and that the regulatory language will be finalized at the March meeting; most changes will not take effect until the 2028 draws.

Key changes for deer, elk, bear, pronghorn and turkey: the primary draw will move from the current preference‑point model to a split‑draw model. CPW will set quotas for hunt codes in May and divide each quota in half: one half allocated via the existing preference‑point method and the other half via a bonus‑point (randomized) component that still counts a hunter’s preference points as chances in the mix. The split draw is intended to preserve some benefit for long‑term point holders while creating additional randomized opportunity. Residency allocations will be standardized to 75% resident / 25% nonresident for all hunt codes and will apply to both first and second choices. A new preference‑point fee is proposed for deer, elk, bear, pronghorn and turkey ($15 residents / $30 nonresidents), payable but optional (customers who opt out forfeit the point that year); the fee is intended to offset revenue impacts from allocation changes. Danielle said quota approvals will occur in May and regulations will be finalized in March.

For moose, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and mountain goat, CPW will replace the existing weighted draw with a percentage bonus draw; the weighted‑point accounting will be converted to a standard point total and the existing $50/$100 point fees for those species would remain. To address fairness and barriers to entry, the Commission approved a three‑year waiting period before applicants are eligible for a male or “either‑sex” license in these very limited species, and once‑in‑a‑lifetime limits on male or either‑sex harvests (with exceptions for auction/raffle, access program or special control licenses). Group application rules were standardized and residency‑specific quotas will remain (90% resident / 10% nonresident for those species).

On reissues, CPW will introduce an optional auto‑reissue process so surrendered or failed‑to‑pay licenses after the primary draw can be automatically issued to the next‑in‑line applicant who has opted in (with credit‑card charging and point use rules). That auto‑reissue functionality and other draw changes are scheduled for 2028 implementation. Separately, CPW will implement a policy in the 2025 draws to restore forfeited preference points when a customer fails to pay by the payment deadline (the license is still lost, but points will be restored to predraw status).

Danielle emphasized that qualifying licenses remain required to enter primary or secondary draws and that the Commission retains final discretion on regulatory details during the March and May meetings. She encouraged stakeholders to review the draft regulations when posted and to contact CPW staff with questions.