CO second choice

[pablodiablo]

Hi All, I've got one year of experience in western hunting, and did a CO OTC elk hunt last year. Lo and behold i now have an addiction.

This year, I'd like to enter some CO lotteries for a first rifle season, either sex hunt.

My question is on second choices...are they viable? Have any hunt talkers ever won a tag as their "second choice" in CO? I apologize if this has been answered but I want to make sure my application strategy is sound, and working in my favor.

Thanks!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Yep definitely viable look at the draw odds

 

[jvanhoy]

You need to look at the draw odds and leftovers from ladt year. The only way you have any chance of getting a tag in 2nd choice is if there is tags left after 1st choice draw. That means in draw statistics 1st choice has to be 100 percent or there is no tags to go to 2nd choice. Hope this helps. You can find the draw statistics on CO web site.

 

[Oak]

Lots of licenses that can be drawn second, third, or fourth choice. You just need to apply for the right license. You can easily determine what your odds might be this year by looking at the draw recap report from last year at this website. Just look up the hunt code you're interested in, and in the blue box at the bottom of the page on the right side, it will tell you how many residents, non-residents, and youth drew at each level.

 

[Fulldraw1972]

The only draws I have done in Co have been archery. I did draw a 2nd choice elk tag twice. It has gotten a lot harder these days for that. I also drew a deer tag 2nd choice.
All hunts were very fun hunts.

 

[pablodiablo]

Thanks Everyone. I need to peruse and understand some of the data.

Here's another stupid question: I have zero points but would like to hunt first rifle season, any sex elk. Is there any loophole or strategy to be considered whereby I could gain a point, and also be able to hunt first rifle?

 

[colo_junk]

The simple answer is yes, that's actually what I am trying to do this year, but it'll depend on the unit. It's all in the data

 

[Deleted member 28227]

You might be able to do it if you put in for a difficult unit first choice and then like... 18,28, 64, 75, 371, 82, ect as a second choice. Might be better just to do OTC though.

 

[pablodiablo]

COLO-junk, not trying to horn in on your specifics, but if we were shooting for the strategy I described, would you say it's best to put First Choice as something you knowingly will not win?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

you can all just put in 99-999-999P or what ever the code is for preference point for first choice and then fill in 2nd, 3rd, ect.

 

[pablodiablo]

Thank you WLLM1313...if i had any hair left, I'd be pulling it out trying to figure this stuff out.

 

[colo_junk]

You probably already got your answer from WLLM1313, but it would all depend on what you actually wanted. Did you want that preference point and the potential at your second? Or were you holding out hope you could pull that first choice?

You can shoot me a PM if you like. In going through the statistics that CPW puts out, it sometimes helps to work through a real example

 

[pablodiablo]

Thanks everyone for the help. Having no preference points is rough!

Talk about not having a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out

 

[danadrums]

You might be able to do it if you put in for a difficult unit first choice and then like... 18,28, 64, 75, 371, 82, ect as a second choice. Might be better just to do OTC though.

Agreed. I drew an either sex tag last year for 27/181 in the leftover draw. No points. I am a resident, so that may matter. Don't know.
The leftover draw is what Colorado gives for those who did NOT draw their first choice.
The tags available in the leftover draw are just that: left over after the first draw. These tags are made available for a second draw before they become available to the general public OTC.

--Dana

 

[vanish]

The leftover draw is what Colorado gives for those who did NOT draw their first choice.

Heck, its not even what's left over after first choice, but what's left after choices 1-4.