Anyone regret their point situation?

[jmcd22]

I don't think the points game is going away anytime soon. State Game and Fish Depts wouldn't be able to afford the lawsuits that would come with trashing the points game.

It is arguable that they wouldnt be able to fund much of anything if they got rid of points. They make a fortune off of them.

It's a piece of cake really. You just stop selling points while still continuing to let people spend them. Give them 5 years to use them or lose them.

I actually really like this idea. Would you set aside 'x' amount of tags for point holders and the rest as a true lottery similar to Idaho and New Mexico? Wouldn't that be like Arizona's system? Or would you just keep them the way they are for the 5 years and abolish the points essentially giving priority to the high point holders and the lower guys are just SOL?

 

[bigdesert10]

I had two Wyoming points that I abandoned. I can hunt deer and elk every year somewhere in the west and have a great adventure. I support random draws for everything and an end to trophy managed units. I like big antlers but they’re not important to me. If given the choice of shooting a 250” bull or shooting a 380” bull standing next to the 250” bull I’m shooting the 380” bull but I’m not going hunting somewhere because there’s just no really big bulls there. The buck I shot this year in Georgia I couldn’t be happier with. He was in decline and probably the oldest buck I’ve ever shot. He was the right deer to take from the herd and I couldn’t be happier. Hunting , eating , and adventure is what it’s about for me. Point systems are a symptom of antler worship and entitlement attitudes that are eating away at the traditional North American wildlife management model. You are not entitled to hunt somewhere in high demand just because you have always wanted to. Just give me an even chance with the next guy at hunting somewhere with great genetics and a well managed herd for age and sex structure and I’m happy.

I'm in agreement here. I think one thing that bothers me most about point systems is the fact that there are young guys with great hunting right in their back yard that they might not get to hunt for decades at a time, if ever. I'm all for jet setting around and hunting multiple states if you can afford it, but it sucks that guys can't hunt critters that are right in their neighborhood, with some level of regularity. The places I hunt are mostly OTC and they are the same places my great-grandfathers hunted. That means something, and it's a shame so many miss out on experiencing that.

 

[bigdesert10]

It is arguable that they wouldnt be able to fund much of anything if they got rid of points. They make a fortune off of them.



I actually really like this idea. Would you set aside 'x' amount of tags for point holders and the rest as a true lottery similar to Idaho and New Mexico? Wouldn't that be like Arizona's system? Or would you just keep them the way they are for the 5 years and abolish the points essentially giving priority to the high point holders and the lower guys are just SOL?

I haven't really thought it through thoroughly, so please excuse me if it's not as simple as I'm making it sound, but I would think that as the high point holders cash out each year, that lowers the threshold as you go, thereby increasing opportunity for everyone else as you go. You might have to do something like you mentioned with a split system in the interim, though. Also there are probably nuances I'm overlooking within each system.

 

[jmez]

It's a piece of cake really. You just stop selling points while still continuing to let people spend them. Give them 5 years to use them or lose them.

I could see them stop selling them but not giving 5 years to use or lose them. Not an attorney but would think that states couldn't sell them for 20 years with the assumption that they will increase odds for drawing a tag and then just come out and say sorry, 5 years and this experiment is over.

Point holders don't really even need to have a case. All it would take would be one wealthy guy with a lot of points that didn't care about losing money in court. I know an individual in WY with a lot of points that could bankrupt them if he were so inclined. He wouldn't even notice it on his balance sheet.

 

[Brooks]

When buying points you have to remember just because you have been a faithful point buying customer of some state they can and will change their point system anyime they want to and that throws you backwards. The AZ unit I first applied for when I first started buying AZ points took 10 points to draw the tag, this year it took 17 points and not everyone got in.

 

[wind gypsy]

I regret not starting with points at an earlier age..

 

[NoWiser]

Buying points is something I don't enjoy doing, but I don't necessarily regret. As much as I disagree with point systems, they are in place for the foreseeable future so I use them to my advantage. I got in late so I have no illusions that I'll ever draw a top tier tag. Instead, I use them to plan enjoyable hunts that fit into my schedule. I burned 4 points on a cow tag last fall because I knew it would be a fun hunt that my dad and I would enjoy together. I was able to use my handful of Wyoming deer points to piggyback a mulie hunt onto that since the dates of the two hunts lined up perfectly. We had a fun trip with low hunting pressure and made some great memories. If I was only concerned about shooting the biggest animals in the best units I'd definitely regret getting in the game. Instead, I just make the best of my situation and go hunting. As it turned out last year, I shot a dandy mulie in a low point unit that I've never once seen published in a magazine or on a website. I doubt I'd have found a better buck in a unit that took another decade to draw.

 

[bigdesert10]

I could see them stop selling them but not giving 5 years to use or lose them. Not an attorney but would think that states couldn't sell them for 20 years with the assumption that they will increase odds for drawing a tag and then just come out and say sorry, 5 years and this experiment is over.

Point holders don't really even need to have a case. All it would take would be one wealthy guy with a lot of points that didn't care about losing money in court. I know an individual in WY with a lot of points that could bankrupt them if he were so inclined. He wouldn't even notice it on his balance sheet.

That's a fair point. In that case, maybe you don't put an expiration date on them. If guys want to sit on them until their 4 points is enough for a trophy tag, let 'er buck. Their pot of points would increase in value due to attrition by waiting on higher point holders to cash out ahead of them. I feel like the result really wouldn't be any different than it is now in terms of odds for everybody else. It just makes a pathway out of the points mess.

 

[Fatcamp]

Not gonna happen. The opposite will if SD is any indication.

Let the cubing begin!

 

[Molon Labe]

I regret not buying points earlier in my life. I would like to go back to 18 year old me and force me to spend the money.

 

[realunlucky]

I regret not buying points earlier in my life. I would like to go back to 18 year old me and force me to spend the money.

X2 I could be drawing awesome tags every year!

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[BuzzH]

If people regret buying points, they obviously didn't have a plan when they started.

I've had a plan ever since I started applying in multiple states 20 years ago...and the reaping has been in full swing ever since.

Of course if I were just starting today, the plan would be much different, but I'd still be reaping results.

Those that have no plan and don't understand what their points gain them, probably would be best to take up knitting, or golf.

 

[Takem]

No regrets. Maybe it's because I'm from California and we don't have much in the way of good opportunities for mule deer, elk or antelope, but I like having points out there and cashing them in when we need somewhere to go. It's money that's basically going to conservation of the animals and places I enjoy so I don't see it as a big negative even in the couple of instances that I have more points than I really need for a particular species in a particular state. I have a 9 year old and a 6 year old that I both hope get into hunting. It's obviously not a great system for them for the premium hunts but it's what we have now and they will have to have different expectations on what they achieve with points than people who got in early.

 

[robby denning]

I'm trying to stay in the 3-5 point range. I think a lot of the higher point guys will have some major regrets if the state they have max points in dissolves the point system. I could see states going down this path as hunter recruitment continues to decline. Inability to draw tags and hunt is just one more hurdle for a new hunter.

Arizona already did, they split the max point pool to offer random tags and some of those NR in the max pool may never draw now.

 

[Rich M]

I have a plan but it aint much of a plan. I'm older, no desire to chase trophy units, just a couple hunts without a bunch of buffoons muddying up the water.

Talking 3 or 4 points max.

 

[bummer7580]

For the guys with high numbers of points holding out to elk hunt early Arizona 9 or the San Juan in Utah, you may be to old to enjoy your hunt when finally drawn. I came to this realization and took my points and applied to draw a "lesser unit" in Utah and Arizona. Utah is almost a once in a lifetime hunt but since '97 I've elk hunted Arizona 4 times as a NR. The elk I harvested have been 320"to 370' in these lesser units. I always buy Wyoming points knowing at some point I will want to hunt one of the general areas, areas that can produce good bulls. I still buy points but know to hunt elk often I won't be hunting the premium units.

 

[Oregon]

It’s only money! Ha
I started 20 years ago and had this “dream” of hunting 2 mule deer tags and one elk tag every year. The goal wasn’t to do this every year 20 years ago, it was to set myself up for retirement and hunt big game 40 days a year excluding OTC out my back door.
Well, I did do 2 big game hunts a year(actually take vacation for).
Now retired at age 50, I have the next 4 years figured out by buying points.
My biggest regret is Colorado. I was “chasing” a 4th season hunt that was 8 points, now 15. I’m dying to burn them to get a 3 point hunt area figured out.
I’m burning 7 points this year in Wyoming on a 2 point hunt. Found a great friend to go with me with zero points.

I’m done chasing inches, I’m only chasing memories now.

 

[Brooks]

If I didn’t live in a state with a lot of elk hunting I would go for a lot less AZ elk quality unit just to get buying points out of the way. I live in N.M. and have all the elk hunting and elk guiding I can stand nowdays. I might split my points with a guy I guided on an elk hunt here in N.M. last year ,good guy and a hard core bow hunter . Take the horses, rv to AZ and have some fun !!

 

[Sled]

i'm saving a few points for when my kid gets older so we can do a mentor hunt. aside from that, you can't eat the points, nor can you eat the antlers. i enjoy the opportunity hunts and my cow meat hunts.

 

[Scottyboy]

No regrets yet, then again I’m not big on the points game for western states. Sitting good for my Iowa archery tag and should pull a WY antelope this year (at least according to last years odds). I’m plenty happy to be buying Montana general tags for elk/deer or going to states that offer OTC archery tags