Cabelas Tags system

[wswat]

Has anyone used this and whats your thoughts?
I will be applying for tags in 6 different states this year and the up front tag fees will really drain the savings but I figure I need to start applying for this stuff now so that I can maybe draw sometime in my life.
I'm looking at this.
Wy elk,deer, antelope already have 3 points each
colorado deer have 4 points
Arizona deer, elk and sheep have 0 points
Neveda deer, elk and sheep have 0 points
NM deer elk, Ibex and Orex
Montana deer,elk, sheep

Its still going to cost some money but alot less than if I had to put all the money up front. But the hunting fund is there for this reason TAGS!!! whats your thoughts?

 

[MNHunter]

I used them for 2 years when I was just out of college (about 8 years ago) simply to front the fees. Personally, I think their costs are too high to justify that route. They charge a fee even when they aren’t fronting anything. I think you’d pay less in credit card fees if you used a card to apply for WY, CO, NV, NM, & MT for the tags you mentioned. AZ is the only one that won’t take a card. Because the draws are spaced out over 6 months or so, you won’t be carrying all those fees at the same time. You’ll get refunds as you go. If you go this route, you should start a separate savings account just for your applications. As the balance grows you’ll be able to use that $$$ to apply where you want to and avoid credit card fees as well.

Also, TAGS missed the deadline in AZ a few years ago and all their people missed out....that would be awful

 

[mconway951]

I used them for 2 years when I was just out of college (about 8 years ago) simply to front the fees. Personally, I think their costs are too high to justify that route. They charge a fee even when they aren’t fronting anything. I think you’d pay less in credit card fees if you used a card to apply for WY, CO, NV, NM, & MT for the tags you mentioned. AZ is the only one that won’t take a card. Because the draws are spaced out over 6 months or so, you won’t be carrying all those fees at the same time. You’ll get refunds as you go. If you go this route, you should start a separate savings account just for your applications. As the balance grows you’ll be able to use that $$$ to apply where you want to and avoid credit card fees as well.

Also, TAGS missed the deadline in AZ a few years ago and all their people missed out....that would be awful

Solid advice here not much to add from my perspective

 

[BuzzH]

I'd not even use the credit card...go to your credit union or bank and do a signature loan for as much as you think you'll need. You can secure the loan and they usually only charge a few percent. I used to do that before I had a hunting account, the most I ever paid for all the fees and interest was about $75 to apply in all the states I wanted to. As you get the refunds pay off the note or reuse the refunds to apply elsewhere. I usually got by with about a 5-6k loan...

The application services are a rip-off in my opinion, they charge wayyyy too much for what they dont do.

Not sure if you recall, but cabelas also screwed up a few years ago and didnt get several hundred elk applications sent in on time. A friend of mine drew a nice EWE sheep permit with his max points in Montana using an application service.

I dont trust anyone with anything as important as my hunting applications and if I screw it up, its on me and I have nobody to blame but myself.

Good luck.

 

[noharleyyet]

A friend of mine drew a nice EWE sheep permit with his max points in Montana using an application service.

That would leave a blister. No recourse by agreement of course?

 

[BuzzH]

...oh, he got the tag for "free" after a battle...but SOB, thats a bitter pill and really not much of a consolation.

 

[Big Fin]

I dont trust anyone with anything as important as my hunting applications and if I screw it up, its on me and I have nobody to blame but myself.

And that folks is your OYOA Tip of the Day - No Charge.



All good points mentioned previously, with another one I would add.

Every applicaiton service I know of, also has a booking agency or outfitters they work with, from who they are paid a fee.

Guess what units they will recommend to you or apply you in when completing apps for you?

Funny how all of a sudden the units where they have the most outfitters operating becomes the best unit in that state for all species. It might be, but in many instances, might also be the best unit for their pocket book. I need to be less of a skeptic.

Tag apps are something so important, it really should be an On Your Own experience.

 

[Ultrahunter]

.......................

 

[Ultrahunter]

I A friend of mine drew a nice EWE sheep permit with his max points in Montana using an application service.

I'd probably be willing to go to jail over that, for what I would do to them!!

I use my Alaska Airline card to run all my apps through. I'll be flying to Kodiak for free this year for a Blacktail hunt!!

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I'm in 100% agreement with the DIY system and I don't know what I would have done if I had drawn that ewe tag with max PPs that some imbecile put me in for, but I probably wouldn't be here typing this, LOL! The idea of the loan to fund the fees sounds like a good idea, as does the airline way mentioned.

 

[Oak]

As the others mentioned, it's worth it to do it yourself. Then you only have yourself to blame for a mistake.

Besides the AZ elk applications that lost bonus points and loyalty points, and the MT ewe tag: Cabelas send in the wrong amount for all Colorado non-resident sheep applications a couple of years ago. I believe they were able to work something out with the CDOW to get all of those applicants a point, but they weren't included in the draw that year.

 

[Big Fin]

Hopefully we have scared you away from relying on someone else. In these days of so many people applying, losing a point, a couple points, or worse, burning all your points on a ewe tag, is the difference between hunting some of these units or never hunting them.

I suspect that if someone hangs around this site, reads what guys post, and politley asks for help or information, they will have all they need to apply for these tags.

As far as the money, there have been some good suggestions on that. I started in applying for tags in 1993, and it took me about five years to build a big enough "hunting fund" to feed my addiction for all states. That fund is still in tact, grows a little each year, and is "untouchable" at the Fin residence.

Good luck.

 

[poormanslam]

Take the time to do it yourself. If you can take a second on your house, the interest is tax deductible. I have a loan for 2.75% that makes the effective rate of interest some where around 1.8%. Pretty hard to justify not putting in for several states when interest rates are so low. Charge a VISA as mentioned above or a Visa cabelas you will gain quite a few of their points. Usually enough for one frequent flyer ticket. When you get refunds in the mail be sure to pay the second off. It works great if a person can discipline oneself.

 

[Moosie]

Schmalts has a Good history in filling out applications, Ask him

 

[Khunter]

I would add to the previous ... it make a LOT of sense to use a credit card becuase in most states you apply online and get immediate verification aboiut what you applied for and if their are any errors. That is valuable when one screwed up paper application can ruin a 15-year draw/hunt plan. All you have to do to avoid credit card interest is PAY your card off in full at the end of the month--if that means getting a signature loan or whatever, do it that way, but I would avoid paper apps in every state that lets you apply online.

You wont build points in NM so consider 'saving' up front tag fees for other states by skipping Oryx and Ibex unless you really want to hunt them this year.

And what do you have against Utah?

 

[BOWUNTR]

I use my Alaska Airline card to run all my apps through. I'll be flying to Kodiak for free this year for a Blacktail hunt!!

I've done this 4 years in a row... Ed F