Curiosity...What do you think of your state's draw system????

[HaydenLane]

I’m in North Dakota. While I’ve had good luck in the lottery, there’s a lot a would change.

I would prefer to see a preference point system as opposed to our current bonus points for deer (and pronghorn). Maybe 25% set aside for random draw, like Montana does for NR (or everyone? Really not sure how MT works for res).

Bow tags are OTC, statewide, and in addition to other tags. Personally, I think people should have to choose. I’m fine with them being statewide, but draw odds would improve immensely if hunters had to choose between rifle or bow, or make it a single tag valid for both seasons. We don’t have the game populations to meet tag demands (for antlered, at least) as is, so allowing people to take a rifle buck, and potentially a badlands bow buck in the same year seems silly. They could get lucky and do this 3 years in a row. Some changes here could also allow for a larger allotment of NR tags.

Our bow season could certainly be shortened a bit, as well. It’s 4 months as is.

Elk, moose, and sheep being OIL is good, but the application costs need to go up significantly. Too many people who don’t even care draw, while serious hunters can apply their whole lives with no luck. Instituting a bonus point system here could help as well.

I don’t think these would be very popular ideas lol

Edit to say: if we had a booming population and high demand, I probably wouldn’t favor a PP system. Maybe I’d just rather see more weight in the bonus points, not sure. I am sure that it sucks seeing one person draw an any antlered 3+ years in a row, and their neighbor in the same unit go 3+ years without

 

[Homer]

I’m a big fan of Alaska’s completely random draw system. It would be pretty discouraging putting in for tags that I am 20 years behind on points for. I’ll probably never draw a Delta buffalo or Unimak Island brown bear tag but it’s nice to know I have as good of a chance as anyone of drawing. Of course when you don’t draw up here there are still plenty of OTC opportunities for sheep, goat, moose, caribou, deer and bear

 

[BuzzH]

Wyoming has problems.

For starters, the R/NR split for moose, sheep, and LQ elk needs to be 90% resident 10% Non Resident. Goat, Bison, and Grizzly when it happens, 100% allocation to Residents. Deer and pronghorn stay at 80-20 split.

Second, do away with the tiered license fee structure for NR's, one price for all. This would make 100% of the NR tags available to NR youth at the reduced price NR fee. Currently NR youth have to pay full boat to be in the special fee pool, only get the youth break in the regular fee pool.

Any unit with 10 or less tags need to go 100% to Resident.

There needs to be a second Resident only draw for any leftover Resident allocation before the tags drop to the NR pool.

Then split the tags 50-50 between preference and random.

Moose, sheep, goat, bison...one harvest in a lifetime.

 

[CorbLand]

Utah. It ******* sucks.

 

[Customweld]

Idaho,I like our draw system.

 

[KBC]

You guys in PP places make it sound pretty crappy. I was starting to get pretty sick of not drawing anything in BC where it's all random for the last 7 years but maybe it isn't so bad. I put in for at least one draw every year with 3:1 odds or better and still haven't drawn.
One year I put in for a draw with 0.9:1 and didn't get it. The odds are all based on the previous year so maybe there was a few other guys that saw that one haha...
If you draw a moose or elk tag your odds are reduced for the next 3 years by 2/3 but I don't think there's anything for out of Province hunters to put in for.
Maybe this is my year?

 

[BluMtn]

You guys got nothing on Washington. Our game dept has farmed out our draws to an outside vender that does all the work. When the draws are to be done they will ask random applicants if they would like to come and validate the draw. It is all computer draws. Points creep is beyond stupid, but an interesting anomaly that I have noticed is once you are drawn for a special hunt draw you odds get better for drawing a second or third or even fourth time. I have 21 points for a branched antler bull tag and I consistently run into guys on their second or third tag and now I am running into guys on their fourth tag. I have a friend that has had 3 branched antler tags and has been drawn every three years since he put in. And for out of state you need to buy all your licenses then apply for the draw. If you do not get drawn you do not get reimbursed for your licenses you get to spend $750 to hunt spike elk and 3pt or better deer.

 

[5MilesBack]

Points systems are a money grab that favor old coots who have been collecting points for 20 years. They should be abolished.

In CO you can start collecting points at age 12, so those "old coots" would be 32 after collecting 20 points. I don't think I've ever heard anyone calling 32 year olds "old coots" before.......until now.

That's part of the problem with society today, they are against anything favoring those that have put in the time, money, and effort for something that others want for free, with little to no effort or time. It's that whole "equity" push, rather than equality.

 

[bsnedeker]

In CO you can start collecting points at age 12, so those "old coots" would be 32 after collecting 20 points. I don't think I've ever heard anyone calling 32 year olds "old coots" before.......until now.

That's part of the problem with society today, they are against anything favoring those that have put in the time, money, and effort for something that others want for free, with little to no effort or time. It's that whole "equity" push, rather than equality.

Lol...you realize these preference points systems haven't been around that long right? So people in "todays society" are the ones that put these stupid systems in place. Game and fish departments saw a way to start collecting money from people for 20+ years before they get to hunt. If you fall for that stuff you are a sucker in my book.

I don't want anything for free. I want the same chances as anyone else. Your example is GREAT for kids who have parents that are looking 20 years in the future for there kids to get ONE good hunt. What about a 25 year old just out of college who wants to get into hunting and now sees he needs to wait until he's in his late 40's to even think about getting a premium tag? What about your 12 year old who draws a good tag and now has to wait until he's in his late 50's to draw another one?

It's an absurd system that penalizes people getting into the system for the first time. Personally I don't really care about premium tags. I just like to hunt so I'm not worried about missing out on anything, but there are a lot of people who are. Random systems are fair to everyone. There is no argument to be made that they are not.

 

[cured_ham]

KY has a solid system for elk. Cheap application ($10) and 100% random. More tags allocated for resident than nonresident. Just not a lot of tags availabe (700 ish).

 

[cnelk]

Lol...you realize these preference points systems haven't been around that long right?

^^^ You might want to brush up on some facts

Last year, there are 2 Colorado residents with 34 Elk Pref Points

Hell, Ive used 28 Pref Points over the years

 

[D.Blake]

Nebraska is great for whitetail hunters. 2 bucks a year guaranteed. Also live/hunt in what is called the " river antlerless unit which offers unlimited tags for 2 does a tag for like $14. (private land only). Great for filing the freezer and great practice.

Most folks around here shoot a buck and 2 does a year. Its fun to go for the trifecta... One with a bow, one with a rifle, one with a muzzleloader.

Muleys are becoming tougher to come by on public out west. Still doable, but I wouldn't pass a good whitetail buck hoping a muley will come by next.

Our Antelope are on a PP system. you can draw some units every 3 years, but the ones that are worth burning points on take more like 5-6. Archery is OTC.

Elk are on a bonus point system. Bulls are real tough to draw - but get the taxidermist on speed dial if you do. Bull tags are OIL if you shoot one. If you draw and dont shoot one think the wait period is 7 years? But dont count on drawing again. Most of the bulls shot are on private and require a trespass fee.

Archery only for nonres pronghorn and no touchy for our elk. But Nonresidents can buy 2 buck tags OTC... which is pretty generous!


Oh yeah.. and we do one bighorn tag on a raffle. If you get it, a game warden and biologist pull you out in a radio flyer wagon and "assist" you on picking the right sheep. If you make a good shot you get a tootsie pop. (they pick the flavor though)

 

[MTguy0341]

Montana and it sucks. Would rather have it set up like Wyoming

 

[khunter]

We just buy a license and go hunting.

uh, yeah, and. no mule deer, antelope, moose, sheep, mt. goat, elk. No wonder you can buy a tag at will.

 

[Patton]

Texas= it's trash.

• Not much public land to begin with.
• Applicants can put in for unlimited hunt choices in the same category.
• It's not possible to put in for just a point, you have to apply.
• Fees are too low for both Res and NonRes. $3 per app and no requirement to buy a license.
• You typically have to draw if you want to hunt on public land; very few areas are 'OTC'.

 

[bobinmi]

I wish everything was random for everything. I'm glad I live in an area where I can literally hunt out my back door and tags are easy to get. As someone who didn't get interested in western hunting until I was 30 I have no intention of jumping into the back of the line on a preference point system. I'll hunt OTC and I'll put my money into the truly random options.

 

[wind gypsy]

Home state of MN is ok but i really don't put much thought into any of our draw tags. Elk is a pretty fair situation for what we have. Bear is a PP system which is fine i guess. Would prefer bonus point.

For traveling western hunters, I'm happy there is a variety of systems out there and they aren't all the same. It helps to have some predictability when planning for the future and having pretty high confidence in at least one tag a year so you can actually set aside vacation and make family plans.

 

[jtl]

Idaho, it's good.

Only thing I would change is the timing, finding out if you drew elk, deer, antelope tags in late June is too late.

 

[Cervid]

I think this will be a pretty unpopular opinion, but I think a proportion of the tags in each unit should be auctioned off. The logic is that people can spend years and a lot of money building up preference points or entering a draw and have little very certainty as to when they will be hunting, whereas with an auction if you put down the cash you know you’re going on that hunt. I think it would also offer more certainty for your money than tying it up for years in a system that could be changed at any time. To the guys with dozens of preference points built up - how certain are you that the system won’t be reformed in some way that screws you over? I know that in some states you can basically do this for private ranch or outfitter tags and that many states auction 1 sheep tag or whatever this way. That’s not what I’m talking about. This auction would also be something for the diy public land hunter in the good but somewhat average units, not just the super premier trophy units. It would bring some price transparency to the tags. Think about it, all these complicated preference point and draw systems partially serve to obfuscate just how much money people are spending on getting tags.

 

[Cervid]

I think this will be a pretty unpopular opinion, but I think a proportion of the tags in each unit should be auctioned off. The logic is that people can spend years and a lot of money building up preference points or entering a draw and have little very certainty as to when they will be hunting, whereas with an auction if you put down the cash you know you’re going on that hunt. I think it would also offer more certainty for your money than tying it up for years in a system that could be changed at any time. To the guys with dozens of preference points built up - how certain are you that the system won’t be reformed in some way that screws you over? I know that in some states you can basically do this for private ranch or outfitter tags and that many states auction 1 sheep tag or whatever this way. That’s not what I’m talking about. This auction would also be something for the diy public land hunter in the good but somewhat average units, not just the super premier trophy units. It would bring some price transparency to the tags. Think about it, all these complicated preference point and draw systems partially serve to obfuscate just how much money people are spending on getting tags.

The other benefit of this is that it would no longer make any sense to have outfitter only/outfitter draw tags, ending a taxpayer hand out to private businesses.