Did preference points ruin the west?

[Ucsdryder]

Easy way to stop point creep. You can't hold a license without loosing points. No building points while hunting OTC, leftover use points. The fact that you can still hunt while building points is why creep is so bad. Do away with that and you will quickly start to see the numbers come down.


I'm not saying I'm one way or the other on the topic, it's going to be getting harder and harder to get tags, limited resources.

Billy goat for president!!!

 

[brsnow]

Not sure the west is ruined, I enjoy it, love the fact I can hunt each year.

 

[Wrench]

What’s a better alternative? There are more people wanting licenses than there are licenses. I don’t like the point creep, but CO seems to have an OK system where you can at least go hunt each year, or choose to build points.

As a max points holder, I'd push in all my chips to just have everyone get one shot each year.

 

[Billy Goat]

Billy goat for president!!!

Careful what you wish for.


I'm really a jackass.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Careful what you wish for.


I'm really a jackass.

We all are. Could you imagine all the grown men crying big alligator tears if they actually did that tho! Lol

 

[Billy Goat]

We all are. Could you imagine all the grown men crying big alligator tears if they actually did that tho! Lol

Yeah. It would stop the creep tho, seems reasonable to me. I don't know that the current process is sustainable. Too many units that weren't hard to draw 10 years ago are getting pretty good creep. Of course the units that you thought you would hunt in 6-7 are now 10+.


I think I'm at a point that from here on out I'm only hunting limited. This was my first year ever using points. It was like OTC was a dozen years ago. I'm going to be happy to just hunt elk every few years at this point. Still plan on going out, you can keep me in mind if you need a camp cook.

 

[mlgc20]

Easy way to stop point creep. You can't hold a license without loosing points. No building points while hunting OTC, leftover use points. The fact that you can still hunt while building points is why creep is so bad. Do away with that and you will quickly start to see the numbers come down.


I'm not saying I'm one way or the other on the topic, it's going to be getting harder and harder to get tags, limited resources.

This seems like a reasonable proposal. The fact that you can get a preference point while still getting a cow and a bull tag seems strange to me. I certainly appreciate the fact that I got to build a preference point and got to go hunting at the same time. But, I wouldn’t find it unreasonable if the state forced me to choose one or the other.

 

[Swede]

I think point creep is unfair. When you start, it take 10 points to get a tag, but with point creep those coveted tags stay beyond reach. It is like chasing your tail, or like the greyhound chasing the rabbit.
When you start the States show it takes 10 points to get drawn for a unit. When you get there it takes 15. When you get there it takes 20. I think the States should offer to refund people their money with interest for their points. At least they could let people know before hand how much point creep is likely to extend the years it takes to draw.

 

[Swede]

Another disadvantage with the draw only units is that it forces more and more hunters onto the otc units. The people hunting otc believe there are more and more hunters when in fact the numbers are stable or going down. The hunters are then being forced into smaller areas and resulting shorter time frames.

 

[Erict]

There are no easy answers.

To those who would like a completely random draw - If you drew a tag this year, would you still be allowed to draw next year, or would you be inelegible for a period?

 

[wapitibob]

If a person can't be bothered to use basic math to figure out how long it'll take to draw a hunt I see no reason to reward them with a refund.

 

[MuleyFever]

People ruined the west.

 

[UtahJimmy]

Easy way to stop point creep. You can't hold a license without loosing points. No building points while hunting OTC, leftover use points. The fact that you can still hunt while building points is why creep is so bad. Do away with that and you will quickly start to see the numbers come down.


I'm not saying I'm one way or the other on the topic, it's going to be getting harder and harder to get tags, limited resources.

Utah is starting to do this on more and more species. Problem with our system is general and limited entry are separate. D5o you can still hunt general elk/deer and build points for them (only one at a time as a resident) in the limited pool. But they did make it so you can't hunt and build points for general deer. I like the idea as it decreases some creep. It'll be interesting to see the results in a few years.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[AaronMColeman]

It’s a bit frustrating as an adult onset hunter to know my points may cash in a retirement hunt in 20-30 years.

But I can hunt Wyoming general tag every year and I think it’s a great tag! Even NR can hunt it every other year basically. We’ll never get the primo units but we’ll get to hunt a lot.

Bummer is that moose tag is something I may draw if I live into my 90s. I’m not sure if the points system is the best way but we can all hunt general units very often. So it’s the same question states ask, do we manage our points for opportunity or for quality? For me opportunity is what I’d prefer every year versus a 350” every decade.

 

[serorem]

There are no easy answers.

To those who would like a completely random draw - If you drew a tag this year, would you still be allowed to draw next year, or would you be inelegible for a period?

I like Utah’s system, once you draw you’re out for 5 years. To me, it’s not a right or entitlement, I would just like the same opportunity to draw as everyone else. They don’t need to increase the tags, just increase a persons chance at getting one. I may never draw a moose, elk or sheep tag in ND but at least I’ll have the same chance as everyone else in the drawings and I’m fine with that.

 

[Wrench]

Life isn't fair. Buy a ticket and take your chance. I would rather have some chance than no chance like with PP.

I have 400x more chance than the first time applicants do and I would wipe them all out today if they polled doing away with them.

Problem is you can buy a point and that's free money to the state. They don't let go of that shit.

 

[87TT]

I haven't drawn a controlled hunt in 5 years but I still would fight like Hell to not have a point system.

 

[Billy Goat]

I'd rather have a preference point system, hopefully you get to a point when you know your going to draw. I'm not big on getting a tag on random draw and only having 4-5 months to plan out a trip.

I think something just needs to be figured out on point creep.

 

[Ucsdryder]

If a person can't be bothered to use basic math to figure out how long it'll take to draw a hunt I see no reason to reward them with a refund.

Bob, that’s not the way it works. 20 years ago you could draw the upper nw corner of Colorado with ~10 points. Now it takes 25. If you could have figured that out you’re a dang genius!

 

[CApighunter]

Ruined? I wouldn’t say so, but it adds a level of complexity that isn’t ideal. Still plenty of opportunities in OTC and low point units in various states. Idaho and NM got it right with the random draws however. For a point system, I’d say that NV has the best setup with bonus points. Still a random draw but every point means you get your name in the hat more times. We can bitch and moan all we like but the fact is that the point systems in place are here to stay. Make the best of it, hunt hard and have fun regardless.