Preference points.... worth it??

[sneakem]

Just being bored and killing time soooo... Just curious as to what everyone thoughts are on building points for those hard to draw areas? Is it worth the time?

I guess that every year I am faced with that question, as are most hunters in the point game. Honestly I quit building points for deer years ago and have focused on easier to draw tags and hunting every year. I get to hunt every year in WY and CO and have taken some very nice animals with a lot of foot work put into the hunt. Elk I have been saving for years in WY and CO. It seems to me to be the same scenario as I faced with deer. Would I be better off wasting the points and hunting every year, working hard to find that once in a lifetime animal or waiting to draw that premium tag. Fortunately in CO I can build elk points and chase them every year with an OTC tag. WY is a different story, as I am a non resident, which is where I see the flip side of the coin. I wait for these premium tags, while I go with friends and watch them kill really nice bulls every year on gen tags that you could pick up almost every year. Makes you think that over time you may be better off just hunting with everyone on the general. Even though one would think that getting in a "premium" unit with limited pressure would increase those odds.... do they really? You think about all the factors that could happen in the time it takes to draw a tag.... winter kill...weather conditions...increased tags to control population and preference point influx... increased predation and so many other variables that could potentially reduce quality and conditions. I mean statistically are you really any better off???

Personally I don't think so. Will I continue to build points?? In CO, yes... until I can't hunt every year. WY??? leaning towards probably not... just a shame to waste years of my life sacrificing the ability to hunt waiting for nothing... I mean look at whats happened to some of the better units in WY...7 tags are friggin outrageous in # anymore, still a few good bulls but not what it was. NW cor- wolves, grizz low odds getting worse all the time. 30-32, 100 fat chance getting a tag even at max points in the next 20 years, let alone shoot something over 320+... I mean the list goes on and on. meanwhile great animals are killed in so so units every year. Some managed for recreational hunting opportunities are now getting use from commissioners tags and are getting statistically harder to draw every year. I guess that I like to hunt so much that I would rather kill mediocre animals every year and have a chance at a freak sized animal than waiting 20 to draw a tag for something that's still not a sure thing anyhow...at least I'm in the woods right?

Anyhow... that's just me, not that anybody else's opinions are wrong, just because they're different, just wanted to see who thought what??

 

[Gerald Martin]

What's better, to hunt every year in a mediocre unit and potentially kill one big bull in your lifetime, or wait for a decade or more to hunt in a unit that historically produces bigger bulls.

I usually go for more opportunity. Its all about the experience for me. If I had to choose between hunting ten times in an average unit vs one time in a great unit I'd pick quantity over quality.

 

[mdunc8]

I'd rather be hunting every year. However, I have started building points in states outside of Montana in the event I'm forced to move back East and won't be able to hunt out West every year.

 

[Dinkshooter]

If I didn't live in a elk state, I would only apply for Wyoming over Colorado just because of the ability to hunt until you kill, either weapon. Although, the Wyoming elk point thing is quickly becoming a mess.

I have deer points in Wyoming and I am never sure what to do with them.

Mark my word though. Colorado has the potential to kick out a ton of nice bulls this fall if the weather cooporates. OTC and all.

 

[junior88]

Hunt as much as you can. You never know what tomorrow may hold. Also you have the best of both worlds, hunt every year in CO while building points for your dream hunt. Thats a win win.

 

[npaden]

It's only money! I'm WAY behind on accumulating points on pretty much everything, but I'm still going to keep trying. I'm actually in it for the 1% type random draw odds than the points because I'm probably too far behind on the points to ever catch up anyway.

One of the overlooked methods that I think you can take advantage of right now is the mid range type limited entry areas. Cash in your points every 4 or 5 years on what many would consider to be one of the marginal areas for the limited entry tags. Instead of waiting 16 years for a Beaver early rifle tag, try the West Desert or Fillmore.

For some species there just isn't an alternative though, and even with preference points the odds are pretty slim.

 

[mixedbag]

I do it similar to you,and hunt every year while building points in one or two states.I cash in my points before ever having a chance at premium elk units.I can't even imagine wanting to wait over 5 -10 years to hunt anywhere at this point.When I get a little older and slow down, I may have more patience

 

[sneakem]

If I didn't live in a elk state, I would only apply for Wyoming over Colorado just because of the ability to hunt until you kill, either weapon. Although, the Wyoming elk point thing is quickly becoming a mess.

I have deer points in Wyoming and I am never sure what to do with them.

Mark my word though. Colorado has the potential to kick out a ton of nice bulls this fall if the weather cooporates. OTC and all.

Definitely agreed... the archery/gun thing is awesome, especially for bow hunters... CO does have the potential to be a great elk hunt this year...weather cooperating...:hump:

Those WY deer points would be burning a hole in my pocket like a struck match... I think I've accumulated 1 point twice in my lifetime between WY and CO... lol

 

[Outdooraddict]

Definitely quantity over quality... but I admit to building points for mule deer. When the kids get older I'll be able to sneak away to more accessible units for deer while building points. If I could pick any way to do it, I would (let's say) own an engineering business and buy premium land-owner vouchers every other year. Is it cheating??? Maybe, but if I ever have the money- I'll do it. I figure it's like anybody's vacation- some people spend a few bucks to go camping, some travel out of state, some go to Mexico, and some go to Bora Bora. If I have the money... I'm going to Bora Bora just like I would spend the money to hunt. And if you hunted archery, that's like a month long vacation. :hump:

If you were rich and had access to vouchers, what would you do???

 

[Big Fin]

Interesting thoughts, Sneak 'em. I might be in a different situation than most, due to the need for tags each year. I apply in easy to draw units, knowing it is far more likely I will get a tag. And, I use OTC, leftovers, and general tags for options.

One thing I have found is how much fun I have hunting these non-glory areas. Don't get me wrong, if UT would send me a Henry's mule deer tag every year, I would take it. But, I think it is a gamble, just like you mentioned. So many factors can go wrong.

I think of the real glory tags I have had and what the results were. AZ Strip mule deer - never killed a buck. Passed on a lot of them. It was a bad drought year and the growth was reflective of that. So, my one chance at the AZ Strip was a blast, but a big gamble on weather.

Drew AZ early rifle in Unit 10. Shot a really nice bull on the last day. Had a great time. But, there were not 400" bulls behind every tree. Will never draw again in my life and would rather hunt AZ four or five more times before I die, than to wait hopelessly for one more time like that.

Some of my best hunts have been easy-to-draw, general, or left over tags. Last year's OTC elk hunt in CO was more fun than I ever expected. I saw more elk in five days in CO than I normally see in an entire season in MT.

My general deer hunts in MT are always a blast. I have drawn three limited entry mule deer tags in MT. Had fun, but always ended up filling my tag on a whitetail in a general unit hunt.

I think too many guys are hung up on these glory units. I will apply in neighboring units, units with more difficult access, or units with strange season dates, if that means my draw odds are better. Time in the woods is the biggest issue to finding quality animals.

I look at how many people wait and wait and wait and their first elk hunt is some glory hunt in UT, NM, AZ, etc.. For all practical purposes, once they draw the tag, they are still elk novices, having passed up so many other years of elk hunting options. The likelihood of them finding a bull that those units is renowned for is pretty slim. Their expectations are seldom going to be met. But, they have that wonderful tag that took 18 years to draw. I swear, some guys get more excited about drawing the tag and the tag itself is almost like the trophy.

I'm with you. Give me left over antelope in WY, OTC elk in CO, general tags in MT, second choice tags in KS, as my hunts for the rest of my life, and I will die a happy guy. Now if MT sends me a sheep tag this year, I be an even happier guy.

Good luck to all who are applying. Anyone want to buy 15 CO elk points? Not sure I know of a unit where I can burn them and have any more fun than I will have when I go back and do another OTC elk hunt in November.

 

[mdunc8]

Just found out my dad is backing out on his July fishing trip here in Montana. However, I'm willing to bet everything I've got that we can turn a leftover antelope tag in Wyoming into a hunt of lifetime for him. Everyone is in a different boat, but I'd rather be hunting every year than wait next to the mailbox for a tag to show up.

 

[1_pointer]

Just an observation, but I see a trend in folks favoring quantity over quality having a couple of things in common; 1. they live in a state with a higher variety of big game, 2. live closer to these premo units so logistics is a bit simpler. I was the same way prior to my recent relocation. I preferred to hunt a variety of easy to get tags for the most part while building points for a few 'magnum' tags in the process. Now that my logistics/costs are much higher than previous, I have had to shift to building more points in more places for the 'magnum' hunts. A long weekend hunt for pronghorn in WY is nearly impossible now, for example. So, if I plan to hunt pronghorn every year I have to choose another hunt to forego for that year. While I plan on still hunting pronghorn I'll probably be a bit more selective in which tags I go for since I can't go every year...starting next year!

So for me, I plan on having fewer OTC/easy to draw western states tags and building more points in more places while hunting as much as I can between trips here for whitetails (only). For me, building points is worth it. SInce I can't do nearly all I want to every year, I hope to increase my odds of making the fewer trips a bit 'better' by being in more desireable units.

It makes sense to me if I say it slow enough...

 

[fowladdict]

I don't mind building points since I can still hunt everything (except trophy species) without having to draw in Idaho.

 

[DHaffner]

I try to use a hybrid approach, I am banking points for a couple of primo hunts in my life time, but I want to hunt while I'm waiting. Honestly if I'm doing my part by the time I would have a chance at a primo tag in AZ or UT I'll be able to buy a landowner voucher so anything with a ten year horizon or longer (outside of OIL South Dakota tags) is out.