Point creep- to use or not?

[SFC B]

Here is what I have been pondering (after the apps are in of course :hump: ). How much do I care about "trophy"/score potential of animals when I go out to hunt? Is it worth holding onto the points in hopes of pulling a "trophy" unit given all of the different factors that can make or break a hunt? This has been on my mind especially since I burnt 1 prongy point and a couple of elk points this year on RFW hunts with high success rates hoping for meat and a gentler way of easing my 10 yo into big game hunting with me. I guess this is how I would rate my hunts...1) All around experience/adventure and being in camp away for civilization with great people 2) Meat for the freezer, especially elk 3) Any type of trophy. This is in no way a judgement just a view from my perspective. I guess you can sum it up into saying that points for me become important to add more and better opportunity instead of better trophy potential. ????

 

[fowladdict]

Just my observation of the guys on this site...seems like outside of the trophy species, guys are buying points for the opportunity to hunt and not holding out for those once in a lifetime units for deer, elk and pronghorn. And every fall guys are posting their photos of great animals.

 

[1_pointer]

Some of it depends on where you live compared to where you apply. I have species + state combos I look at for trophy potential and other more for opportunity. If I lived in a state with good and relatively easy to draw elk tags my out of state applications would focus on units with higher trophy potential. Since I don't, I have a few states where I know I'll probably only hunt them a time or two, but hope to do so in units with greater trophy potential. Other states I'll use the points more frequently so as to have opportunity. Good thing is there are enough states out there that allow one to plan both scenarios out pretty easily.

 

[2rocky]

Having points allows me to hunt when I want. I'm so far behind the Max point folks that I need to concentrate on those 2-4 point units in states that have a PP draw. Then there are states and units that are my "hail Mary" applications. Never know when you might get picked in a random draw?

Besides, I like shooting sub-book bucks and bulls every year. Instead of holding out for 10 years and then just missing book... (that is a joke)

My ideal plan would be to hunt an area on a general tag, and still be able to build points for an LE season or species there. Knowing the country when you do draw that tag makes a once in a lifetime animal more of a reality.

 

[npaden]

My current plans are to try to do both. Apply for points that I plan on burning on opportunity type hunts and applying for points in a couple states that may end up more like once in a lifetime type hunts.

With that said, I'm too far behind the max point pool to ever expect to hunt the premier areas in most states, some of those tags I would never draw in my lifetime. But I'm thinking I might be able to draw one nice elk tag in Utah and maybe a couple in Arizona if things go my way in the draws.

I still apply each year and don't put in for just preference points on the thought process that I might hit the lotto sometime.

With all that said, lightning struck for me with my B&C elk on my opportunity hunt on a Wyoming general tag last year so it just goes to show that hunting every year not only is going to be more enjoyable, you just might get lucky like I did.

P.S. - It is very ironic that I drew the unit I was building points for in Wyoming this year and I'm not expecting to really even come close to the bull I shot last year on my general tag. If a 320ish bull walks by even on the first day of the hunt it is probably going down. I would love to find a bull with some neat character, but the chances of shooting another B&C elk in my lifetime is pretty small.

 

[Matt Foley]

I think that the politics and all the TV shows, showing rich guys hunting on high price ranches, makes many believe that shooting a huge bull is what is important. I used to be involved in a fourm for Utah and it seemed like almost every person that posted on the site, asking about which LE unit to put in for, would state that they wanted to get a 350 or bigger bull. I do not think that most of these people understand how big that is and how hard it is to shoot that big of a bull, even in a good unit. However, many of the groups like SFW have been successful at convincing people that this is how game should be managed. I will admit that I got caught up in it as well. That is until I won a Muzzy tag at the Hunting Expo, for what is considered one of the lesser units.

I was out there, almost all alone and had bulls bugling from every direction. I ended up shooting a bull that, if he hadn't been busted up, would have been in the 320 range. I will never forget how it felt to have him respond to calls and I can still relive the entire experience in my mind, as if it happened yesterday. When I moved out of Utah last year, I burnt my seven points on the same unit and though I shoot a much smaller bull, I do not regret it one bit. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with saving points, but for me I would rather just get out there and hunt.

 

[SFC B]

I think that the politics and all the TV shows, showing rich guys hunting on high price ranches, makes many believe that shooting a huge bull is what is important. I used to be involved in a fourm for Utah and it seemed like almost every person that posted on the site, asking about which LE unit to put in for, would state that they wanted to get a 350 or bigger bull. I do not think that most of these people understand how big that is and how hard it is to shoot that big of a bull, even in a good unit. However, many of the groups like SFW have been successful at convincing people that this is how game should be managed. I will admit that I got caught up in it as well. That is until I won a Muzzy tag at the Hunting Expo, for what is considered one of the lesser units.

I was out there, almost all alone and had bulls bugling from every direction. I ended up shooting a bull that, if he hadn't been busted up, would have been in the 320 range. I will never forget how it felt to have him respond to calls and I can still relive the entire experience in my mind, as if it happened yesterday. When I moved out of Utah last year, I burnt my seven points on the same unit and though I shoot a much smaller bull, I do not regret it one bit. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with saving points, but for me I would rather just get out there and hunt.

Nice perspective, I hope that this is what I can pass on to my kids as well. That the hunt and experience are what matter and everything else is a bonus. I mounted my first bull (antler mount and a smallish 5x5 rack), my and my son's first bucks and a buck that I was able to shoot on a hunt for Disabled Vets because they all have great meaning to me (I will also mount the lil princesses first as well :hump: ) but don't really have a desire to have a Texas type trophy wing on the house Pictures and story are just as, if not more important, to me. I know that the one ranch my son will probably draw for his cow tag has 12-15K price tag for what they consider "trophy" so hopefully he will get a nice cow and get to see/take some pics of some monsters as well.

 

[Matt Foley]

I am still trying to get my wife to give into letting me put the antlers of my two bulls on the wall. When we were engaged she made me promise that I would not put any heads on the wall. The things we say when we are young and in love.I keep telling her that I didn't say anything about antlers.
I am with you on the kids. I am moree excited about taking my two daughters out for the first time then I have ever been for myself.

 

[ShootsManyBullets]

I'm similar to 2rocky in that I use points to be able to hunt when I want, i.e. be able to have a tag somewhere every year. Yeah I'm holding out for 1 or 2 "trophy" hunts but for the most part just getting decent tags and going out to hunt. I'm fit and willing to research so I can usually have a good hunt.
Also, I've dropped out of a few drawings due to pathetic draw odds, changes in tag distribution (NM) and increases in fees with no chance of drawing. Dropping out frees up some cash to spend on actually going hunting instead of playing the lottery. You know lotteries are just a tax on the poor anyway…

 

[jlmatthew]

Points can be a real pain in the arse!

 

[appaloosa]

I think I share the views of most people on here. I don't chase point creap in the "premium" units, instead opting to hunt every 2-3 years in "lesser" units. This way I get more time on the ground learning a unit and less time worrying about what all the magazines are telling me to do.