If you were to rank states by ease of website to put in for hunts.

Oregon pretty easy, but I’ve grown up with it.
Ak5/10
Wy5/10
Mt1/10
Co-10/10; ridiculous,
 
I am so used to CO's that I would put it above WY, but it is horribly designed both from a UX and a technical perspective. I think it's fine during the main application period (now that it validates and shows you the partial description of the code you entered as @wllm1313 pointed out, but part of the reason it fails so badly during reissue tag day (and is generally a pain to use) is that it "calls out" (assume to a database or to another module) with most clicks of the mouse (and then refreshes/repaints the screen).

Example - I renewed my Combo license and bought an OTC turkey tag yesterday. I saw the stupid 'spinning wheel' half a dozen times (albeit very briefly given low volume at the time). Things like needing to confirm your profile and residency dates EVERY TIME you login, choosing a shipping method for each product individually, entering cc info even though it is 'saved' on your profile, etc - basically every time you click a radio button. That's just dumb design. Add on server loads when times are busy and it's the disaster we've come to know and love once a year.

If forced to rank the states I have applied in recently:

VT (when they still allowed NR moose apps it was the simplest by far)
NM
AZ (shocking to me, since if you'd asked me 5 years ago I'd have put them dead last for sure)
WI
CO (I use it the most, but in a vacuum, it would be lower)
WY (overall clunky but not really that bad)
MT (I only apply for Sheep and Goats in MT, and even that is confusing)
FL (wow)
 
NV, NM, UT and MT are pretty easy. CO is a joke. It is too easy to screw things up. WY is somewhere in the middle. ID is ok, but their whole system is a joke.
 
And Hawaii is something like what it would be to put in for tags in a third world country. Have to make 19 calls and 16 emails to get into a system you have been in for years. Then they say you've never been in the system. You email a picture of previous tags and licences. Then they admit you should be in system but aren't. Then they route you through to another department and you start over. All the while no one answers the phone or returns messages. To quote a movie, "I've seen monkey shit fights at the zoo more organized than this."
 
Most of my experience has been with Colorado and Wyoming. While neither is perfect, there's just no question that Colorado's is more confusing and takes longer to figure out, especially for research. It's so weird that I've had to conclude that it's intentionally difficult and conveluted. Wyoming could work on the tag application a little bit, but for research, it's just a breeze. You can do stuff in 10 minutes, on their interactive map, that would take hours for Colorado.
I bought a fishing license on Arizona's site last year and that was one of the most technologically aggravating experiences I've had.
 
Here in Az. they are behind times On the computer but it is easy , what they are bad at is the over the counter tags that they write it stores for archery deer and for lion tags. But I give them credit for managing their herds better than all other states. Can't believe colorado makes you take a test to hunt Lion!..I think they be smoking to much pot up there. And poorly managed deer herds. I will never go back there..................BOB!
 
Of the states I apply in:
1. New Mexico
2. Wyoming
3. Montana
4. Arizona
I'm from Montana, and their system was a little better this year but still far from my favorite, and if I didnt know it well i would hate it I'm sure. Having to go in multiple times with arizona is very annoying and always afraid I will miss something. NM is just awesome.
 
Only have limited experience with WY but thought their website needed work. I haven’t spent enough time to really figure out all the kinks. ND is good in my eyes, but is a pretty limited state for nonresidents.
 
I guess I'm going to be in the minority here, I actually think Colorado's system works pretty well. I've only been hunting for about five years and didn't have anyone to walk me through how to apply the first time, so the first year there was some stumbling through and figuring it out. But since then it has been really smooth. I actually like Colorado's hunt code system too; after I apply I text my brothers the codes and they have all the information they need in one concise line. Rather than like with Wyoming trying to tell them Tag Type, Species, Unit, and Tag Type again.... My brother ended up with a Unit 15 antelope tag last year rather than a Unit 15 deer tag because of it, probably my bad on that one.
 
Old man bob said:
...Can't believe colorado makes you take a test to hunt Lion!..
Click to expand...
The test is mainly to show hunters the differences between male and female lions, which I think is fine for DIY hunters, but if you're hunting with a good lion guide, he probably knows the lions better than the biologists.

Here in Montana before you can buy a bear tag you have to pass a bear ID test that is supposed to show that you know the difference between black and grizzly bears.
 
ClearCreek said:
You apparently have not spent much time with many lion biologists.

ClearCreek
Click to expand...
No I have not spent any time with a specifically lion biologist. I did not make that comment to knock biologists but to credit a good lion outfitter who spends a lot of his time learning and knowing the prey of his clients.

I worked with a variety of Forest Service and Montana FWP biologists for 30 years. I was good friends with several of them and outside of work went backpacking and hunting with them. Most were very knowledgeable in their profession, but others like...

A Forest Service biologist, who had a PhD in raptors, that saw an almost life size picture of a willow ptarmigan that I had taken, and she asked me what kind of bird it was. On several other occasions she asked me where she could do projects that would benefit bighorn sheep. On other occasions she was against cutting timber on the north slopes of two different mountain ranges because she said those north slopes were critical elk winter range.

Or the Yellowstone NP biologist that was supporting the introduction of wolves and publicly stated that the wolves would not prey on the bighorn sheep because the sheep inhabit the steep, rocky cliffs where the wolves couldn't go. I, along with one of my Forest Service biologist friends, made several trips to Yellowstone in the winter just to view the wintering bighorn sheep and elk. I have pictures of me sitting on the flat ground of the sheep winter range near Gardiner, and both a ewe and a ram walked up to me and sniffed my hand.
 
buffybr said:
No I have not spent any time with a specifically lion biologist. I did not make that comment to knock biologists but to credit a good lion outfitter who spends a lot of his time learning and knowing the prey of his clients.

I worked with a variety of Forest Service and Montana FWP biologists for 30 years. I was good friends with several of them and outside of work went backpacking and hunting with them. Most were very knowledgeable in their profession, but others like...

A Forest Service biologist, who had a PhD in raptors, that saw an almost life size picture of a willow ptarmigan that I had taken, and she asked me what kind of bird it was. On several other occasions she asked me where she could do projects that would benefit bighorn sheep. On other occasions she was against cutting timber on the north slopes of two different mountain ranges because she said those north slopes were critical elk winter range.

Or the Yellowstone NP biologist that was supporting the introduction of wolves and publicly stated that the wolves would not prey on the bighorn sheep because the sheep inhabit the steep, rocky cliffs where the wolves couldn't go. I, along with one of my Forest Service biologist friends, made several trips to Yellowstone in the winter just to view the wintering bighorn sheep and elk. I have pictures of me sitting on the flat ground of the sheep winter range near Gardiner, and both a ewe and a ram walked up to me and sniffed my hand.
Click to expand...

buffybr:

I guess I am biased, as I know a couple lion/bear biologists that are extremely knowledgeable.

I think what happens is biologists (wildlife and fisheries) make statements that fit 90-95% of the situations but people tend to dwell on the situations that make up the other 5-10%.

ClearCreek
 
Hilljackoutlaw said:
Yea I guess it's not that complicated. I just dont like the hand written tags. Just print the things. I had to go to 3 different stores to get my tag last year. It was a pain. Had to drive an hour past my destination.
Click to expand...

You probably drove past a Game and Fish office. Just go there.
 
Blackcats06 said:
You probably drove past a Game and Fish office. Just go there.
Click to expand...
Not open between 5pm - 8am or on saturday. I work to so I'm not driving during business hours. I'm leaving work on friday and getting destination. Stopping in a walmart is way easier than seeking out a game office.
 
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