7 NR points in Colorado

[gobears870]

Like the title says, I’m sitting on 7 deer points as a nonresident. I had been banking on drawing a second rifle tag in one of the Gunnison Basin units in 2025, which have been 5-6 point tags recently.

With the pending draw changes for 2028 I’m wondering how safe a bet these draws will be for me now. I’m betting a lot of high point holders are going to give up hope for the units they have had in mind for years and might start unloading on tags like these.

How much is this fear reasonable or how else should I think about what to do with my points?

 

[CC11]

Nobody knows but those that are applying. If you want to go hunt, do it. Sounds like as the way things sit you'll be able to draw one of the tags you're after, BUT anything can happen.

 

[NICKJ]

First rule of fight club is…

 

[NealS02]

IMO some moderate point holders (10-12 PP) may just cash, but I doubt too many of the super high (20+) are going to give up on that dream hunt in a dream unit because of the changes. I could be wrong. I think a lot of the moderate to high point point holders will continue to apply in top tier units knowing that they have punchers chance each year on the 50/50 split and can build a point to increase their odds of eventually drawing from PP accumulation.

I do think that the points required to get some of those units that you are mentioning will go up. They pretty much have to if they are fairly highly coveted at around six points, allocations decrease to the preference holders by a fair amount, and the same people who have built a plan around hunting those units with PP retain a desire to do so. People like me who turn over points every few years will now start applying to those units knowing we have a chance. This is obviously all speculation and I am still trying to figure out how my strategy will change as well.

 

[Steve O]

As someone who has recently used 20 points on a 4th season tag, I would have much rather hunted that unit on other tags 7-10 times over the last 20 years than once. And how did I get 20 points? Because I wanted to bowhunt the Gunnison with a buddy. Winter kill and bigger plans always kept the deer points building.

I’d use them asap.

They will never be worth more later. You will never catch up to any of the glory units which are not really worth much without access, inside info, of a high dollar guide with the same.

 

[TrinityAlps]

Spend them now. Building a lot of points in CO was already a terrible ROI, the changes coming have made it worse. Go hunting!

 

[Jethro]

Stick with your plan, its solid. I would not let internet draw predictions (guesses) change my plans. Every year we see that nobody knows what will happen until the draw reports are published.

Great year for you to draw. IMO there will be many, many that aren't aware of the upcoming 2028 changes at the time their 2025 CO ap is due. The masses do not follow all the changes as closely as we all do here.

 

[IrkedCitizen]

I'm fairly certain that at least 50% of the applicants for Colorado Big Game licenses don't know how preference points truly function. Chances are they already believe it functions like the upcoming 2028 bonus draw where your preference points are equal to the amount of times your name is in the hat. So in 2028 there will simply be some people who apply as normal and get lucky and draw a tag who didn't have a chance previously.

I don't really see much changing with how people apply besides the fact that you can no longer apply for a preference point only starting in 2028. The only options are to apply for a hunt or don't apply. So you either play or sit on the couch and wait for the secondary draw and leftovers.

As proof that people don't understand the Colorado Big Game draw is that if you look at the draw recap report a lot of people waste their application every year.

EE001O1A for example in 2015/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24 they only issued 2 tags total. Both of those tags go to residents only (not enough tag allocation for the 80/20). In all of those years there were NR who applied first choice for that tag application and they didn't even stand a chance at drawing. No NR has had a chance to draw that tag since before 2015 yet there are NR who still apply for it every year. I would wager a weeks worth of my salary that in 2025 there will be no tags available to NR for this hunt code.



@gobears870 it's a gamble either way being at the bottom end of the required points. If you want to draw a tag and go hunting there are other good units you could look at that require less points. Preference points don't equate to higher scoring animals. There are great deer in 2-3pp units but people think they are wasting their points by going that far below how many they have.

 

[cnelk]

I'm fairly certain that at least 50% of the applicants for Colorado Big Game licenses don't know how preference points truly function.

Truth

 

[cnelk]

I recently got a PM from a nonres with 8 pps asking for some direction.
I gave him an idea that wasnt even on his radar.

There are some good options out there, just gotta go find them