Second Choice Draws

[EastTNHunter]

I can’t seem to wrap my brain around Wyoming (and other western states’) second and third choice draws. I live in a state that if you draw a tag then your points are gone, so don’t put in for second choice tags unless you have no points (and most of our draws aren’t worth the travel and effort). But I hear of folks drawing second choice antelope tags and not using points, but I can’t figure out how any tags get past the first draw if people put in for them with not enough points but are not successful. Are there only second choice successes in units that are hard access, don’t require points (I don’t know if those even exist in WY), etc? What else am I missing?

 

[TOGIE]

you're not really missing anything. really aren't many tags anymore that go second choice. once upon a time it was a reliable way to get a public land buck in wyoming.

there really aren't many, or any, anymore in wyoming unless you go special or find one with zero public or zero access.

archery and muzzleloader doe tags in colorado can go second choice, as do private land only tags, but by and large any buck with any public land or access is not going second choice.

 

[mevertsen]

I drew my third choice this year in Nevada for deer. Plenty of people here draw from choices 2 to 5, because the way the draw is set up, goes through the entire application before moving to the next.

And there were still some deer and antelope tags leftover.

 

[johnnybow]

there isn't 2nd choice for Wyoming for non residents anymore. All the tags are gone on the first round.

 

[Alabama]

there isn't 2nd choice for Wyoming for non residents anymore. All the tags are gone on the first round.

Since they increased the special price there were a lot of antelope tags that could be drawn as 2nd choice. There will probably be less every year in the future but last year there were a lot of them. Demand just keeps going up

 

[johnnybow]

Since they increased the special price there were a lot of antelope tags that could be drawn as 2nd choice. There will probably be less every year in the future but last year there were a lot of them. Demand just keeps going up

Special price 2nd choice?

 

[Alabama]

Special price 2nd choice?

Yes. Not saying I would pay it but they are available.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Thanks for the input all. I listed a second choice this year on my application, but thought that it was likely a formality since I will be cashing in my points n a unit that I’m guessing is 100% draw odds this season.

I may holler at @manitou1 if we get drawn this year since we will be close by. Dinner will be on me and Josiah this time

 

[Khunter]

I can’t seem to wrap my brain around Wyoming (and other western states’) second and third choice draws. I live in a state that if you draw a tag then your points are gone, so don’t put in for second choice tags unless you have no points (and most of our draws aren’t worth the travel and effort). But I hear of folks drawing second choice antelope tags and not using points, but I can’t figure out how any tags get past the first draw if people put in for them with not enough points but are not successful. Are there only second choice successes in units that are hard access, don’t require points (I don’t know if those even exist in WY), etc? What else am I missing?

A view beyond just WY draw….

Plenty of resources out there to find that summarize how EVERY western state conducts their draw. No reason to blindly assume anything. Various states look at all or 2 or 3 of your choices before moving to the next applicant—thus you could put in for more than one very real possible to raw choice from hardest to easiest to draw and you will burn your points, if they have a point system at all but not on a scabby tag leftover after all applications were processed for 1st choices.

Some states do not look at your 2nd or greater choice before checking all other applicants 1st choice and will take your poiints if draw 2nd choice.

Some states do NOT take your points if you draw a 2nd or greater choice so points are safe if do not draw 1st choice.

Dig in and learn the game. Life is too short to not know what your opportunities are in great detail.

 

[gwhunter]

I know this is in the pronghorn channel but the year I joined HT you could get a Wyoming general elk tag as a second choice in the special draw. Almost all but the trophy pronghorn units a NR could draw with 2-3 points and most units east of Casper had leftovers. I don't remember the YouTube star, but I remember watching either a YT or Sportsmans channel hunting show circa 2014 where some guys tagged out in Idaho on elk and bought leftover pronghorn tags in Wyoming ON THEIR DRIVE HOME through Wyoming, once the season was already open! Tagged out on the multiples of pronghorn tags they bought, too.

 

[wytex]

^^^^ those days are long gone.

 

[Wild Bill]

I barely caught the tail end of the wyoming pronghorn tag surplus. Managed to draw a a couple second choice buck tags and even picked up a couple leftover buck tags in difficult access units and killed bucks on both those tags.

 

[brownbear932008]

I know this is in the pronghorn channel but the year I joined HT you could get a Wyoming general elk tag as a second choice in the special draw. Almost all but the trophy pronghorn units a NR could draw with 2-3 points and most units east of Casper had leftovers. I don't remember the YouTube star, but I remember watching either a YT or Sportsmans channel hunting show circa 2014 where some guys tagged out in Idaho on elk and bought leftover pronghorn tags in Wyoming ON THEIR DRIVE HOME through Wyoming, once the season was already open! Tagged out on the multiples of pronghorn tags they bought, too.

Guilty of that. Boy wish it were still that way. My how times have changed and not for the better.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Y’all are reminiscing about experiencing it, but I was not able to take advantage of it due to where I was financially and with family commitments. I was probably better off applying for a low odds random or “low quality” pronghorn tag back when I started buying points and planning to come, but I just couldn’t swing the time away from family and the travel expense at that time. Now that kids are older and I’m in a better place financially (still not well-off, but have some wiggle room) the demand has exploded, secondary options have dried up, and some tag prices have spiked to ridiculous levels. I’m just trying to figure out what my realistic options are for 1-2 tags per year without breaking the bank, and this conversation has been helpful

 

[bts09]

Yeah, look, it's changed a lot even in just the 8 years that I have been applying in Wyoming. I don't know what your budget is, but it is definitely still the case (for how much longer, who knows) that in the special (read: $1215) draw, you can get a guaranteed tag in several units that have plenty of access and enough animals, etc, with zero preference points. It's also the case that a few of those units had enough tags that you could have drawn it as a secondary on the special. I suspect, if the herd does not rebound soon, we probably have only one to two more years where you can draw a tag with public access and animals as a second choice on the special. Whereas 6 years ago--the antelope that's my profile picture was taken in a unit I got as a second choice in the normal (read: cheap) draw.