New NM rules for next year

[schmalts]

As much as it sucks to some, I think this is a good rule since there is no bonus points in NM. What is your feelings on it?

2010-2011 seasons

Every-other-year restrictions: Beginning in license-year 2010-2011, anyone applying for a pronghorn license, or a public-draw Q (quality) or HD (high-demand) elk or deer license, may not have received a license of the same type the previous year.

 

[2nd Amendment]

I like it. It allows the residents to have a decent opportunity at their home unit. Things will get even better for the residents in 2010-2011 when ALL licenses require the entire fee up front. It will eliminate those that "tag shop" and reduce the numbers of the draw to those who are truly dedicated to the hunt. Since NM tags are allotted on a percentage basis for non-residents, this will also increase the odds for non-residents.

So, its win-win for both. I can apply for elk in my home unit one year (with increased draw odds), and then the adjoining unit the next. No problem for me...

 

[AZ402]

Won't change the draw odds much at all, not a fan of that rule.

 

[schmalts]

Won't change the draw odds much at all, not a fan of that rule.

It will for lope a little, but not much for Elk since they did not include the standard hunts. In fact, the standard hunts will be harder to draw since anyone who drew a Q/HD will now go for those the next year.

 

[jabber]

I don't really think it will increase the odds much, if at all in the long run. You are just taking the few people that got tags one year out and moving them over to a different unit for a year.

If they really want to increase odds, make them all money up front and or buy a license. Personally, I hope they don't go to the buy a license up front because I am running out of wall space for bought and unused Arizona, Nevada & Utah licenses.

 

[AZ402]

It will for lope a little, but not much for Elk since they did not include the standard hunts. In fact, the standard hunts will be harder to draw since anyone who drew a Q/HD will now go for those the next year.

Watch your favorite unit for lope over the next few years, the odds will change very little. Like Jabber said, it's only going to take a small percentage of applicants out every year.

 

[Oak]

I don't really like the rule. It won't affect the odds for the hard to draw units much at all. I mean, if a hunt has 1-3% odds, you're only removing 1-3% of the applicants the next year. And those people would be eligible the following year. It might make a bit of a difference with a couple of the antelope hunts, but not much. And I don't think it will affect the odds for the S hunts, because most non-residents who are applying for the Q/HD hunts are not going to apply for the S hunts. They'll just sit out a year.

If they wanted to make a difference, they'd go to a longer waiting period, or maybe a system like CO moose, sheep and goat hunts.

 

[schmalts]

Oak, but 1-3% odds is only for one unit in one choice and most will put a lot easier choice on the 3rd choice. keep in mind you have 3 valid choices in the draw and they all count. So say you put in for a unit with 20% odds in the second or third choice, and even in that unit you may be applying for nothing or a standard hunt the next year. BTW, there are some pretty nice standard hunts out there with kill odds up to 35% on bull elk.
Bottom line, they would have done a lot more if they made it all bull tags, not just Q/HD.
I tried to find total applicant numbers instead of applicant choice numbers on-line but no luck. It will be kind of hard to see the impact without knowing exactly how many guys apply VS drawn for those tags that will be limited to every other year.

 

[2nd Amendment]

Boys get ready. NM will be going to a full license fee up front. And the Q/HD, doesn't just take you out of that unit the next year, but ALL units that are Q/HD. And since the majority of archery units are Q/HD, it will change the percentage odds (especially when combined with the former). For example, if 10,000 people draw antelope tags in NM this year, that is 10,000 less from the drawing pool. Take out the people from everywhere that are willing to pony up just the $8 application fee, now make them put it all up front, and you will lose a large % of applicants. NM is already planning on having significantly fewer applicants due to the economy.

Let's face it, NR hunting is fast becoming available only to the very hardcore, or those with a large amount of disposable income.

 

[Oak]

I'm still not betting that it is going to change that much.

In 2008, there were only 1,540 antelope tags available. There were 18,646 applicants. So if the rule would have went into place last year, there would be 8.23% fewer people in the draw this year, not counting those who don't apply due to the up front fee requirement.

But for the harder to draw units, the percentage out of the draw is much smaller. For example, there were 6,866 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice applicants for 102 tags in ANT-1-100 last year, for odds of 1.49%. Take that 102 people out of the draw this year and the odds would go up to 1.51%. That's not much difference.

If they wanted to make a bigger difference, they would consider only 1st choices first, rather than all three.

I don't think the up front money is going to make that big of a difference for relatively cheap antelope tag draws.

 

[AZ402]

I'm with Oak.............

 

[jabber]

I agree with the above 2.

The up front on all species will have a much bigger affect than the Q/hd will, but even then the trophy units are still going to have long odds.