UTAH PRICE INCREASE

[AntelopeEater]

I live in Vegas and there are some good fishing and small game hunting spots in Southern Utah that are a shorter drive from my house than the good spots in northern NV, and since I bought the UT combo fishing and hunting license anyways, might as well put in for some of the big game tags.

If gas prices keep going up and up, it may actually be cheaper for me to hunt Southwest Utah this fall instead of driving much farther north.

If I lived in northern NV, or Colorado or Wyoming, or Idaho, etc., there is no way I'd bother with UT.

 

[Kiwi]

I thought I was out but having second thoughts!

I would really like to explore Utah for a week or two with a tag in my pocket. My plan was to draw a general deer tag so have been buying points, I now have 5 points. And 2-3 points each for goat, limited deer, limited elk which aren't worth anything.

But I do have points across CO, MT, WY and AZ so no shortages of options for the next 5 - 7 years. So by June I need to decide if UT stacks up for the chance to draw an lower end General deer tag. Probably.

 

[AntelopeEater]

I thought I was out but having second thoughts!

I would really like to explore Utah for a week or two with a tag in my pocket. My plan was to draw a general deer tag so have been buying points, I now have 5 points. And 2-3 points each for goat, limited deer, limited elk which aren't worth anything.

But I do have points across CO, MT, WY and AZ so no shortages of options for the next 5 - 7 years. So by June I need to decide if UT stacks up for the chance to draw an lower end General deer tag. Probably.

There are some gorgeous deer hunt zones you can draw with zero or one point if you are ok with using an iron-sight muzzle-loader. I got one point and I think I will draw the Zion Deer Unit muzzy hunt. Not a unit for a serious trophy hunter, but one of the most geologically scenic places in the world, and a healthy population of deer for anyone who just wants a realistic chance to harvest something.

 

[TheGreek]

I dropped out of applying for the OIL species last year and am now seriously considering whether to continue to apply in Utah. When I started apply in Utah, about 8 years ago, it was so much cheaper and the ability to draw the general deer tag with only a few points was appealing because I was living in IL at the time. Now that I am back in NW CO, I would much rather deer hunt locally during 2nd or 3rd season than drive to Utah for a general deer tag there. But it is hard to walk away from a State. Even when there is little to no chance of ever drawing anything other than general deer. Really wish I had never even started with Utah.

 

[AntelopeEater]

I dropped out of applying for the OIL species last year and am now seriously considering whether to continue to apply in Utah. When I started apply in Utah, about 8 years ago, it was so much cheaper and the ability to draw the general deer tag with only a few points was appealing because I was living in IL at the time. Now that I am back in NW CO, I would much rather deer hunt locally during 2nd or 3rd season than drive to Utah for a general deer tag there. But it is hard to walk away from a State. Even when there is little to no chance of ever drawing anything other than general deer. Really wish I had never even started with Utah.

If I lived in Colorado I'd probably just enjoy hunting in state.

 

[Gr8bawana]

Was thinking about the cost increase this morning. I’ve got around 6k floated right now in tag applications. I’m about to drop almost 4k more for Idaho. If Utah wants to start helping people with draw odds they should be making people put the money up first. I’ll happily apply for all their tags knowing it’s only gonna cost me if I draw

I agree 100%. If people had to fork out the $$ up front I would guess at least half of the applicants would go away. It would also discourage all the people that put in a "points only" app that makes the odds even worse.

 

[Zim]

This price jump just all the more confirms low point holders to put a fork in it. If you’re invested 20+ years you don’t have much choice but stay in. I’ve walked from several states already, but bought in too much in the remaining,

 

[brownbear932008]

Glad I dropped out several years ago there with five or so points. Hasn't even crossed my mind to apply ever again.

 

[POk3s]

I’m glad I found this meeting and support group.

I was all but out. The price increase for the hunting license and such doesn’t really do anything to me, it’s the actual drawing part. I have 11 points for each. That’s really not enough to keep going but like you all, I’m an addict. I bought the combo to fish lake Powell last week. I suppose I’ll just swing for the fences for at least another year or two.

 

[Zim]

I’m glad I found this meeting and support group.

I was all but out. The price increase for the hunting license and such doesn’t really do anything to me, it’s the actual drawing part. I have 11 points for each. That’s really not enough to keep going but like you all, I’m an addict. I bought the combo to fish lake Powell last week. I suppose I’ll just swing for the fences for at least another year or two.

Oh ya I'd say 11 is real borderline not worth it. You got a decision. If it were me I'd say 15 would be my cutoff.

 

[Steve O]

Heck I applied a couple hours after it opened. I can’t leave Michigan so I don’t have much choice. I’ll take whatever they will give me.

 

[ImBillT]

Was thinking about the cost increase this morning. I’ve got around 6k floated right now in tag applications. I’m about to drop almost 4k more for Idaho. If Utah wants to start helping people with draw odds they should be making people put the money up first. I’ll happily apply for all their tags knowing it’s only gonna cost me if I draw

That would help because a lot of people just don’t have $10k to float.

Something else that would likely help more than anything is to stop selling points only, and you can’t return the tag without losing points. If you want a point, you risk drawing, and if you draw, you lose your points. If you don’t want to hunt a certain hunt this year, then you can’t save your place in line by buying a point. I’m not saying you would lose points that you already had, I’m just saying that you have to apply for a hunt, and if you draw, you lose your points.

 

[cgasner1]

That would help because a lot of people just don’t have $10k to float.

Something else that would likely help more than anything is to stop selling points only, and you can’t return the tag without losing points. If you want a point, you risk drawing, and if you draw, you lose your points. If you don’t want to hunt a certain hunt this year, then you can’t save your place in line by buying a point. I’m not saying you would lose points that you already had, I’m just saying that you have to apply for a hunt, and if you draw, you lose your points.

Costs the same to buy points as apply you’d be dumb not to just apply for a lottery ticket type tag. Idk why anyone would just buy points in Utah

 

[ImBillT]

Costs the same to buy points as apply you’d be dumb not to just apply for a lottery ticket type tag. Idk why anyone would just buy points in Utah

While I completely agree that you should be applying for hunts instead of points just from a draw odds and intelligence perspective, some people already have tags that conflict, some people have family vacations etc. and some people are just dumb. I applied for hunts, not points, almost exclusively until last year.

Personally, I returned to college to finish a degree that I was 27hrs from completing when I got engaged and took a full time job. That 27hrs has morphed into 49+ due to state and accreditation board changes to degree plans, and I still have to work full time, so I can only hunt Christmas break or close to home for 2-3 years while I slowly finish my degree. as a result, I’m in for points only on almost all of my applications.

I would be against punishing this edge case by preventing people in my shoes from keeping their place in line if it was an edge case. However, if you look at the actual applications, quite a few species in quite a few states show that very near half of all applicants are doing nothing but buying points. If those people got a year behind in line each time they didn’t actually want to hunt that year, draw odds would be meaningfullu better in states that use point systems. Are there ways around it? Yes of course. But there would still be meaningful improvement. When half of people applying this year, don’t actually want to hunt this year, but they maintain their place in line ahead of people who actually do want to hunt this year, that’s a big problem for the people that actually want to hunt.

If I apply, while willing and wanting to actually hunt, for twenty years, and another guy, who actually only wanted to go 2, or 3 or 6 of those years, has 21 pts to my 20, should he really be the one drawing a tag this this year? I don’t think he should. We have quite a few people with double digit points for every species there is who pick 1-2 hunts they are going to go on every year, and then they maintain their place in line ahead of everyone else for all of the other species by purchasing a point. I’m not sure that’s the proper way for the tags to be distributed.

But hey man, the rules are what they are, so I’m keeping my place in line while I take a step back for a few years, and I’m buying points in the states that I was applying in. If I had to risk drawing a tag, everyone would get 2-3 years ahead of me while I take a step back from hunting. And again, I think there are cases where people who really want to hunt just can’t go this year, and if that was 1-2% of guys, then I would say they deserve to buy a point only. But at ~50%, it’s a problem.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

Costs the same to buy points as apply you’d be dumb not to just apply for a lottery ticket type tag. Idk why anyone would just buy points in Utah

There’s been years where I was sure to draw something else that I didn’t want to risk drawing something in Utah that had same dates - and I’ve applied for points. This year after not drawing elk in MT whole house - I applied for everything in Utah. Odds are so terrible there.

 

[cgasner1]

There’s been years where I was sure to draw something else that I didn’t want to risk drawing something in Utah that had same dates - and I’ve applied for points. This year after not drawing elk in MT whole house - I applied for everything in Utah. Odds are so terrible there.

I figure I can put in for a .01% tag for same price as points and if it hits I’ll figure it out.

 

[Frequently Banned Troll]

I figure I can put in for a .01% tag for same price as points and if it hits I’ll figure it out.

Totally makes sense. But what if you knew you were almost sure to draw another permit you’d applied for 3 decades for, with the same hunt dates?

 

[BuzzH]

Totally makes sense. But what if you knew you were almost sure to draw another permit you’d applied for 3 decades for, with the same hunt dates?

Hunt the best of the 2 donate the other to hunt of a lifetime.

BTDT.

 

[cgasner1]

Totally makes sense. But what if you knew you were almost sure to draw another permit you’d applied for 3 decades for, with the same hunt dates?

I’d look for different dates I get your point

 

[BuzzH]

Its so rarely a problem drawing 2 really good tags with the same dates I dont worry much about it.

Its a really good problem to have as far as problems go.