Montana bonus points history

[TheTone]

Thanks Randy, I hope it doesn't happen here, but we shall see. Maybe if it goes through we can convince our legislature to do a point system on the state lottery system

The point creep is incredibly scary in some of the states and is really breaking the system for anyone just starting out. Its also probably too late in the game with too many people deeply invested for any changes to the systems to take place.

 

[Papa-Zulu]

This is a thorny issue, and one that I will not bitch about since I have been uncommonly lucky in drawing permits--AZ desert sheep, NV desert sheep, two WY bighorn permits, four MT special elk permits, two NV mule deer permits, one NV elk permit. However, I must point out that I like Nevada's quadrupling of points, and I like Wyoming's system of putting 25% of applicants in a general draw, meaning anyone could draw in his/her first year of applying. All preference systems screw the young hunter, which I don't like, but I don't have a good answer to that problem.

Randy, you said that bighorn permit numbers have declined since the late 1990s. Last year there were 155 rams permits issued in Montana. How does that compare to the late 1990s?

Randy is right--the best way to reduce the odds is to put "more sheep on the mountain."

Also, if you are serious about hunting sheep, elk, mule deer, mountain goats, etc. you must apply in more than your own home state. Yeah, I know it costs a lot of money, but that is reality

 

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One other thing about odds and fairness of tag allocation. How many people complaining about never drawing for 30 years are putting in for the hardest tags to draw? I purposely look for the easiest tags in the state to draw and apply there figuring that I would rather have the experience of hunting a specie in an area not known to produce trophies than not hunt them at all.

I wish I would've had that mindset at the beginning. There's a lot of units with coinflip odds that I'd like to check out, but can't talk myself out of my points. If I ever cash them in, I'll definitely go in that direction with deer and elk.