I had to turn in my tag and my fathers tag for a refund last season. A week before we were to head west I had an incident at work That was not my fault and exposed to a bad exhaust leak in the truck I was driving And was out of work for awhile missing the mule deer season in Wyoming. Has anyone else gotten sick or hurt and had to turn a tag in? I was lucky enough to get a refund but I wasn’t sure if some states I would have been SOL. We’re going to give it another try this fall if we can draw a tag for the upcoming season.
Any have to turn a tag back in?
- Thread starter Dewey
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genesis273
Well-known member
I turned my MT general elk in a few years ago after having a carotid artery dissection, which could have ended in a stroke, or worse. I sent MT DNR a letter from my physician with a copy of my CT scan and I ended up getting, I think, 80% back.
Goatshoes
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Totally depends on the state. AZ has point guard for a few extra bucks that at least keeps you from losing your points.
Lv2hnt
Well-known member
You can donate your tag to a non-profit organization approved by Arizona G&F. Our Heroes Rising Outdoors / Hunts for Heroes program takes qualified wounded Arizona veterans out hunting (for free) throughout the year using big game tags donated by generous hunters --- "Healing through Hunting." If you purchased Point Guard when you originally applied, your bonus points will be retained plus you'll receive one for that year you donate your tag --- a "win/win!"
Have any questions? Feel free to give me a holler ...
--- Tom (Lv2hnt) in Arizona
Take a look:
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That’s 5$ insurance would be nice peace of mind for the what if’s in life. I was laying on what I thought was my death bed worried about paying my dad for his tag because I was the reason we weren’t going hunting.
Alabama
Active member
I'm sure your Dad couldn't have cared less about that tag money at that time. I'm glad it all worked out for you and good luck this year.
BuzzH
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I never have turned one in, but I did donate an Arizona bull elk tag to Arizona Hunt of a Lifetime which gives tags to kids with life threatening illness. I drew desert sheep and elk and they would have conflicted, plus I had already decided to give a tag to them before. So, the timing was perfect and I made the donation.
Myself and my friend JM77 also helped to draft and pass a bill a few years ago here in Wyoming that allows a hunter to turn in a tag, once per lifetime for a medical reason. It was a bill that we worked quite a bit on and IMO, I think between the folks that worked on it, it turned out well.
Myself and my friend JM77 also helped to draft and pass a bill a few years ago here in Wyoming that allows a hunter to turn in a tag, once per lifetime for a medical reason. It was a bill that we worked quite a bit on and IMO, I think between the folks that worked on it, it turned out well.
AvidIndoorsman
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When you have a moment would you mind a quick post about the reasons for not having a 100% refund with a certain time period, or partial refund before the season starts.
I know NM doesn’t do refunds, for the most part, Colorado seems to be pretty generous with its refund rules. I can’t really come up with a convincing argument for not allowing refunds.
BuzzH
Well-known member
Wyoming will either refund your money or let you reserve the tag for the following year.
When the bill in question I'm referring to, was making its way through committee, I offered a friendly amendment to allow the Department to keep a portion of the tag fee to cover expenses of the drawing process and the general PITA it would require. No such thing as a free lunch in my world, if you want privileges they should could with a fee attached. I believe there still may be a small fee associated with reserving or returning a tag. I helped a friend utilize this regulation this year and honestly, even though I worked on the bill and regulation, I couldn't recall offhand exactly what passed.
Maybe Randy can chime in with the exact process and his thoughts on the program we have in Wyoming.
When the bill in question I'm referring to, was making its way through committee, I offered a friendly amendment to allow the Department to keep a portion of the tag fee to cover expenses of the drawing process and the general PITA it would require. No such thing as a free lunch in my world, if you want privileges they should could with a fee attached. I believe there still may be a small fee associated with reserving or returning a tag. I helped a friend utilize this regulation this year and honestly, even though I worked on the bill and regulation, I couldn't recall offhand exactly what passed.
Maybe Randy can chime in with the exact process and his thoughts on the program we have in Wyoming.
Cheesehead
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@wllm1313, I was thinking about your question the other day. One drawback to generous return rules is it would encourage people to apply like crazy and then turn back whatever they decide not to keep. I think having some ‘skin in the game’ is a good thing, so I’m a fan of partial refund systems.
AvidIndoorsman
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@Cheesehead, I definitely agree. Montana's 80% refund seems like a decent compromise. I'm just interested in learning why each state went the way they did:
CO is a full refund as long as it's 30 days before the season you have to choose between restoring points or a full refund
NM requires you to pay in full during the draw and pretty much will not issue a refund,
AK only makes you buy a permit during the draw for $5 and if you decide you can't do the hunt you just don't buy the locking tag, essentially if you put in for a muskox hunt and then can't make it happen you are only out $5
It seems like as long as the states have a decent online system refunding and re-issuing tags on a left-over list is pretty simply. There is probably a bit of work required, but very minimal and you are still probably going to issue all the draw tags so the state is still getting all it's money, so it's not losing anything. To your point the main draw back is it encourages people to apply for tags they might not be able to hunt, and therefore kills draw odds. I wonder why CO and AK don't see this as an issue but NM does...
CO is a full refund as long as it's 30 days before the season you have to choose between restoring points or a full refund
NM requires you to pay in full during the draw and pretty much will not issue a refund,
AK only makes you buy a permit during the draw for $5 and if you decide you can't do the hunt you just don't buy the locking tag, essentially if you put in for a muskox hunt and then can't make it happen you are only out $5
It seems like as long as the states have a decent online system refunding and re-issuing tags on a left-over list is pretty simply. There is probably a bit of work required, but very minimal and you are still probably going to issue all the draw tags so the state is still getting all it's money, so it's not losing anything. To your point the main draw back is it encourages people to apply for tags they might not be able to hunt, and therefore kills draw odds. I wonder why CO and AK don't see this as an issue but NM does...
LCH
Well-known member
I skipped out on a solo Coues hunt in 2016. I started a job on Halloween and my hunt was around Thanksgiving. I just ate the tag. If I had another person going along I would have taken LWOP and gone on the trip, but being a solo trip I decided to not start out my new position on those terms.
2017 I drew the same tag, and 3 days before I was due to leave my dad was partially crushed in an accident at work. He flatlined a few times, but they eventually got him stabilized. He improved enough that I was eventually able to go, just missed the first few days of season. He has since made a full recovery.
2017 I drew the same tag, and 3 days before I was due to leave my dad was partially crushed in an accident at work. He flatlined a few times, but they eventually got him stabilized. He improved enough that I was eventually able to go, just missed the first few days of season. He has since made a full recovery.
I cracked some ribs playing baseball, young mans sport, at my grandson’s birthday bash one year when I had a Colrado elk tag. I could barely stand to have a backpack strapped around by chest, so I filled out the form for refund and sent my license back and they refunded my money. I believe that was before the current policy of choosing money or points. But they treated me right.
grizzly_
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My wife turned in a really good Colorado deer tag a few years ago after drawing Idaho moose. We knew we couldn't do them both justice and ended up scouting/hunting her bull something like 40 days before filling her tag so it was the right call. She lost the Colorado money, but got her points back.
Desk Pop
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I have not...but I got an email a week or so before the late buck season started in Nevada last year saying someone turned their tag back and I got it....1st choice hunt too. I am sure it was someone super concerned with the drought and the score of the deer, which I was not too concerned about...passed a dozen 4x4s then shot one I liked. All because I checked that box on NV draw that asks if you will accept a late notice tag....so by all means, keep turning them back 
BigGameDIY
Active member
Do you guys know any good organization to donate my son's elk tag to? My son is in marines and on deployment now, most likely he will not be able to go. Good thing we purchased point guard and can get his points back.
8andcounting
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Do not know you but Thank you to your son for his service
Lv2hnt
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BigGameDIY:
If you decide to donate your elk tag to Arizona Elk Society's Heroes Rising Outdoors / Hunts for Heroes program (I happen to be the coordinator for the program), we'd get a disabled Arizona vet out hunting at no charge to the vet. We put together the entire hunt (camp and food, glassing/calling, field dressing, getting carcass to processor). Give me a call and let's chat: (480)760-3868. We'd make sure his Point Guard is processed correctly too. Be sure and tell your son we appreciate his love of country --- good stuff there!
--- Tom
If you decide to donate your elk tag to Arizona Elk Society's Heroes Rising Outdoors / Hunts for Heroes program (I happen to be the coordinator for the program), we'd get a disabled Arizona vet out hunting at no charge to the vet. We put together the entire hunt (camp and food, glassing/calling, field dressing, getting carcass to processor). Give me a call and let's chat: (480)760-3868. We'd make sure his Point Guard is processed correctly too. Be sure and tell your son we appreciate his love of country --- good stuff there!
--- Tom
