Hey everyone, I am 27 years old and this is going to be the first year where i am going to get serious about building bonus and preference points in the western states. I plan on spending close to $500 building points for sheep, elk, antelope and deer in AZ, CO and WY. I am curious how much money some of you guys spend each year JUST on building points?
How much $$$ on app's?
- Thread starter Flatrock
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BuzzH
Well-known member
I havent done the math...but its quite a bit.
NV and AZ combined is 350...Utah another $100ish...$450...
I better stop before I find out.
NV and AZ combined is 350...Utah another $100ish...$450...
I better stop before I find out.
Don't ask......I don't want to tell. Been doing this since 1995, so it would scare me to do a present value calculation.
wingman1
New member
Over 500 for sure. Don't ask me why. I'm not going to kill anything bigger than I already have in my home state.
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MNHunter
Well-known member
Put it this way...I'm regretting keeping detailed records. If my wife ever saw my spreadsheet...
I budget a ridiculous amount every year for non-refundable application fees. I have been in the game for about 14 years now. I started small and built up my hunting fund to a point I could apply for just about anything I want. I rarely touch it, as I am not made of money and it took a lot of hard work to save it up. It's there for a reason! Some people might think it's crazy, so be it. I look at it as a payment plan for great hunts. Some I have already been on with many more coming in the future! It's my passion and worth every penny.
In the meantime, there are lots of easy to draw, fun hunts to go on. There is really limitless opportunity for a person willing to do a little research. I try to do a couple of these every year while spreading out the really good tags and enjoying them over time.
I would also mention, read all of the state regulations closely and think outside the box. There are ways to manipulate the draws in your favor, if you're creative.
In the meantime, there are lots of easy to draw, fun hunts to go on. There is really limitless opportunity for a person willing to do a little research. I try to do a couple of these every year while spreading out the really good tags and enjoying them over time.
I would also mention, read all of the state regulations closely and think outside the box. There are ways to manipulate the draws in your favor, if you're creative.
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poormanslam
Well-known member
If you put in for about 8-9 states, you are looking at over $1,000. I added it up last year and decided to just forget about it. The money is an investment in entertainment that I enjoy and it is still a discount compared to Landowner tags and private ranch hunts. You are doing the right thing at your age. I did not start until about 1997 and I was 35 at the time. The hour glass is going to run out on me for quite a few hunts before I draw them, but it is nice to dream and a person cannot draw unless their name is in the hat. Everybody has different ways to fund it so here is one. I have a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) on our house at a variable interest rate. The rate in the last five years has not gone above 3.0%. The interest is tax deductible. I figure it costs me less than $150 a year in interest to do it this way. Just make sure when you get your refunds you make the payment to the HELOC. Good luck and apply for everything you can afford and then throw a few more in you will not regret it.
'Ike'
New member
As of right now...$2500 or so and we've still got CA, OR and NV to go! 
mtnmike
New member
My sights are set on that Wyoming Unit 7 Elk Tag but I need 2 more points. $50.00 PER YEAR.
For just points it will be $34. Only thing I'm building points for is antelope here in Colorado. I'll have 14 points after this years drawing and no clue where or when I'll use them
Gonna buy an Either-Sex OTC archery tag and December Doe tag this year
Gonna buy an Either-Sex OTC archery tag and December Doe tag this year
Khunter
Well-known member
Oh gawd, some clown asked me for a bunch of details on annual apps and tag expenses in front of my wife just the other day. Even she rolled her eyes knowing the truth was somewhere far distant and beyond the numbers I spewed while trying to at least pretend to be earnest in answering the questions. I'll sit down to get straightened out by a tag-team of Dr. Phil, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Laura long before I make a full and truthful accounting of annual apps expenses online for the world to see.
All you need to know if you are going to be 'serious' about building points is you spend till it hurts 'a lot' and then keep spending. That defines 'serious'. Also you gotta apply for actual tags in bonus point states--even with poor, poor odds early on or you are just a poser (or too sane to play the game)
. Even she rolled her eyes knowing the truth was somewhere far distant and beyond the numbers I spewed while trying to at least pretend to be earnest in answering the questions. I'll sit down to get straightened out by a tag-team of Dr. Phil, Dr. Drew, and Dr. Laura long before I make a full and truthful accounting of annual apps expenses online for the world to see.All you need to know if you are going to be 'serious' about building points is you spend till it hurts 'a lot' and then keep spending. That defines 'serious'. Also you gotta apply for actual tags in bonus point states--even with poor, poor odds early on or you are just a poser
(or too sane to play the game)Attachments
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I did some calculating and found out I currently apply for 30 species in 6 states. I have as many as 6 points for some species and as few as a couple for others. My applications strategy got much more aggressive after the first couple of years. This total doesn't count Idaho or New Mexico that I do apply in but don't accumulate bonus points nor the fact I cashed in my Wyoming elk points last year.
I guess the applications have become a hobby to get me between the end of deer/duck seasons and the start of spring turkey.
I guess the applications have become a hobby to get me between the end of deer/duck seasons and the start of spring turkey.
Khunter
Well-known member
FYI, if you are seriously going to just start building sheep points in Wyoming be sure to search various threads here and elsewhere about your realistic chance of gettign a tag in the next eon...
Khunter, I was actually hoping to get some advice about WY sheep. I bought a point last year and am trying to decide if it's worth it to keep buying them. I know that I could be looking at 30, maybe 40 years to draw one. Honestly, being my age, i wonder if the only way Id get a tag is that i am young enough that I'd be able to "outlive" the other guys with points and hopefully be able to get a tag before I am 60 or so. im sure there are a lot of older guys with a lot of points and I wonder at what age they would quit applying? Down the road another 15 years, if a guy was 80 years old and had 30 points, I wonder if he'd still apply? Hard to say.
I REAAAAAAAALLLY want to shoot a sheep someday without paying $30,000 in Canada for a tag. I am going to also start applying in all the other sheep states too. What do you guys think, at my age is it worth buying WY points for 30 years and hoping to get a tag. I can't draw if i dont apply. And yet who knows what the sheep population will be in the years ahead and the number of tags given out?
I guess it's only money.....
Any thoughts?
I REAAAAAAAALLLY want to shoot a sheep someday without paying $30,000 in Canada for a tag. I am going to also start applying in all the other sheep states too. What do you guys think, at my age is it worth buying WY points for 30 years and hoping to get a tag. I can't draw if i dont apply. And yet who knows what the sheep population will be in the years ahead and the number of tags given out?
I guess it's only money.....
Any thoughts?
Applying for a variety of species to build points including Sheep for $500 a year is a tall order. It sounds like you are aware that you could apply and draw a tag in several states that do not use bonus points which is another great way to pull a tag the first year you apply. That being said, if Sheep is your long term goal, I would obviously look at states that do not require the upfront tag fee. The down side is plenty of folks have been applying for years becasue of the exact same reason.
You can apply in Idaho this year for Sheep but you would need to buy a license to do. Its kind of like buying a $140 or so lottery ticket.
If I only had $500 to spend on applications (which eliminates any states requiring fronting tag fees), I was your age, and I did not want to draw a tag this year...I would apply and build points in Wyoming (antelope, elk, deer), Utah (every species possible), and probably Nevada (every species).
As your cash flow improves I would fill in the states which require you to front tag fees. Simply as that I guess.
You can apply in Idaho this year for Sheep but you would need to buy a license to do. Its kind of like buying a $140 or so lottery ticket.
If I only had $500 to spend on applications (which eliminates any states requiring fronting tag fees), I was your age, and I did not want to draw a tag this year...I would apply and build points in Wyoming (antelope, elk, deer), Utah (every species possible), and probably Nevada (every species).
As your cash flow improves I would fill in the states which require you to front tag fees. Simply as that I guess.
Khunter
Well-known member
All I can say is I abandoned several WY sheep points when they started charging a high fee to apply for sheep in WY a few years back. As did MANY guys I know. The thinking was we could never draw when looking at the guys ahead of us. SInce I live in Colo and bowhunt for sheep (better draw odds), I draw occasionally so I am less 'desperate', perhaps. There are several states where you can build a more reasonable chance than WY to draw sheep for only a nominal nonrefundable fee additional to what you will already pay just to get into any one draw for another species such as deer/elk. Sometimes you have to front the tag fee but that gets refunded (in a bad year)
.BuzzH
Well-known member
A couple things to consider about Wyoming:
1. Lots of people have bailed because of the high point fees.
2. If you actually apply instead of just buying a point you have a "decent" chance at a random tag.
3. The rules could change down the road, either a bonus point VS preference system, cheaper point fees again, etc.
4. Wyoming gives out a lot of sheep tags and cycles through the point holders faster than most states.
Just sayin'.....
1. Lots of people have bailed because of the high point fees.
2. If you actually apply instead of just buying a point you have a "decent" chance at a random tag.
3. The rules could change down the road, either a bonus point VS preference system, cheaper point fees again, etc.
4. Wyoming gives out a lot of sheep tags and cycles through the point holders faster than most states.
Just sayin'.....
Thanks guys for your input. Just to clarify a little, even though I plan on spending around $500 in non-refundable fees, I will also apply for a few tags that I have to front the tag fees with the plan of probably not drawing but at least building points. Here's my draw strategy right now:
AZ- deer, antelope, elk and sheep
CO- deer, antelope, elk and sheep
WY- deer, antelope, elk, moose and most likely sheep
MT- sheep
If I applied for all of those, it'd be over $600.
I'd love to put in for NV and UT too bit that would put me at $900 or so.
For sheep, maybe i should just go to MT and get one of their tags you can get OTC...
From what you guys have already said, it sounds like you have the same thoughts as me and hate to know how much it costs to apply!
Anybody else care to tell us your budget on application fees?
AZ- deer, antelope, elk and sheep
CO- deer, antelope, elk and sheep
WY- deer, antelope, elk, moose and most likely sheep
MT- sheep
If I applied for all of those, it'd be over $600.
I'd love to put in for NV and UT too bit that would put me at $900 or so.
For sheep, maybe i should just go to MT and get one of their tags you can get OTC...
From what you guys have already said, it sounds like you have the same thoughts as me and hate to know how much it costs to apply!
Anybody else care to tell us your budget on application fees?
I only spend a few hundred in getting points each year.I do Wy. and Co along with applying for moose hunts here in the Northeast.I would be throwing money toward NM too,but not if the tags go down to 2%.Been thinking of getting started this year in gaining sheep points too.They aren't high on my wish list yet but in 10 years they may be so I have to get in the game.i won't buy licenses to not hunt a state and just enter their draws so Az. and Ut. are out of my book.I know they have great animals, but I hunt for more reasons then a trophy head
I'd say research a few states and apply to them each year.Wy. does offer a decent chance at drawing random tags any year.I know alot of guys don't like hunting fool magazine,but they have a great section on your draw odds for each animal by unit and even go over your odds in the random draw.I think its a $100 well spent to get you started in your research.After a few years you probably won't need it anymore as you should be able to follow trends from it yourself
You may want to spend some of your money allowance to buying chances in some sporting organization raffles.Right now BOW has a $50 chance to draw either elk/deer/antelope statewide tag in Wy.Get lucky and you could hunt units that would take 15-20 years to draw.Worst case is your helping out an organization that fights for your rights or enhances habitat
I'd say research a few states and apply to them each year.Wy. does offer a decent chance at drawing random tags any year.I know alot of guys don't like hunting fool magazine,but they have a great section on your draw odds for each animal by unit and even go over your odds in the random draw.I think its a $100 well spent to get you started in your research.After a few years you probably won't need it anymore as you should be able to follow trends from it yourself
You may want to spend some of your money allowance to buying chances in some sporting organization raffles.Right now BOW has a $50 chance to draw either elk/deer/antelope statewide tag in Wy.Get lucky and you could hunt units that would take 15-20 years to draw.Worst case is your helping out an organization that fights for your rights or enhances habitat
