why?

slamdmini

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Dec 14, 2010
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i want to start accumulating points in different states, but why do they make u buy a hunting license if all u want is a point. i cant afford to buy all these licenses. are there any states u dont have to buy a license for a point?
 
Colorado makes you fork out the money for the cost of the tag up front, then after the point is given they mail you a check for the total minus the cost of a point............
 
I personally am glad that some states do this. It weeds out the people that "kinda" want to go, and the people who really want it. Big game hunting out of state, especially for elk, is expensive and the die hards save for it year round. That being said, NM and CO allow a full refund if you do not draw, and WY allows you to just buy a point. I think an elk point is $50 or so in WY. Good Luck
 
You can just buy points in Wyoming and not apply until you see that you have enough points accumulated to draw a tag based on the last year or two years point requirements to draw a tag. You can also apply for a tag and hope to draw on the random pool. If you don't draw you are then refunded minus an application fee of less than $20.

Colorado allows you to build points by fronting money for the tag and if not drawn then you are refunded the whole amount minus an application fee of around $20.

New Mexico is random luck of the draw. You pay the tag fee up front and if not drawn you are refunded the tag amount minus an application fee of about $20.

All states are fairly slow to refund the money. Plan on each state keeping your money for three to four months before seeing a credit back on your credit card or a check in the mail.
 
If you play your cards right, you should only have to buy a UT license every other year. In AZ you only need to buy a license 2 out of 3 years if you are applying for all huntable species in the different application periods.

And MT doesn't require a hunting license. The elk and deer A tags require a general license purchase but building points for the other species does not.
 
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If you play your cards right, you should only have to buy a UT license every other year. In AZ you only need to buy a license 2 out of 3 years if you are applying for all huntable species.
yep...but i have a cabin in utah, so i hunt/fish there all the time so i get a combo license every year. it just doesnt make sense that u should have to buy a $150 hunting license for 10-15 years in a state u wont hunt until u get drawn.
 
The principles of supply and demand do not adhere to a doctrine of fairness. Buzz posted a pretty good analysis a while back using Arizona as an example IIRC.
 
I personally am glad that some states do this. It weeds out the people that "kinda" want to go, and the people who really want it. Big game hunting out of state, especially for elk, is expensive and the die hards save for it year round.

Every state should double the price of their permits....that would also weed out the people the "kinda" want to go.:rolleyes:
 
In AZ you only need to buy a license 2 out of 3 years if you are applying for all huntable species in the different application periods.

Okay, how does this work? I thought I had all the tricks figured out but I've been buying an Arizona license every year.
 
yep...but i have a cabin in utah, so i hunt/fish there all the time so i get a combo license every year. it just doesnt make sense that u should have to buy a $150 hunting license for 10-15 years in a state u wont hunt until u get drawn.

As someone else said, supply and demand. What would be the fun in it if every hunter you knew was applying out of state?

I'm a full time student and am saving up for CO, ND and WY points this year. It's not ideal for a college budget, but it's my passion.
 
I thought you had to buy a new AZ license every year? Need to look into this a little further.
 
If you want to accumulate points then go with WY and CO. I haven't been banking points for too terribly long but my western strategy is as follows. I go on a western hunting trip every year. I appreciate trophy animals and good units but I like going hunting more! So, I save up points in places like WY or CO for a quality unit every few years. I decided AZ will be my one "trophy state" as I've hunted there quite a bit and know many residents with experience in that state. There's enough OTC and 100% hunting options in the west to fill in the few years between my "quality" hunts. I've made it sort of a rule to not bank more than 3-5 points for any species in any state, with the exception of AZ.

Once I get a bit more confident in my skills I'll start getting in on the random draws for hunts like ID sheep.

Western hunting doesn't HAVE to be an expensive waiting game. It all depends on your standards. I NEED a hunting vacation every year. Last year was 100% draw antelope, this year a cow elk hunt. Next year I'll burn my 4 WY elk points in a solid unit and hopefully find a nice bull.
 
Okay, how does this work? I thought I had all the tricks figured out but I've been buying an Arizona license every year.

AZ just changed to a 365-day license from the date of purchase. So if you apply for your elk & antelope on Feb 10, 2014, for example, you won't have to buy your next license until the deer/sheep deadline on June 10, 2015, let's say. Then... You'll be able get in all your 2016 applications without buying an AZ hunting license. BOOM!
 
Okay, how does this work? I thought I had all the tricks figured out but I've been buying an Arizona license every year.

Clarification: I don't apply for bison in that October application period. If you apply in October then it'll be 3 licenses every 4 years.

Bottom line: When AZ raised the license & point fees, but went to the 365-days-from-date-of-purchase license they actually saved us money over the long run. So tell your wives that when they see the credit card charges from the state of AZ.
 
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Clarification: I don't apply for bison in that October application period. If you apply in October then it'll be 3 licenses every 4 years.

Bottom line: When AZ raised the license & point fees, but went to the 365-days-from-date-of-purchase license they actually saved us money over the long run. So tell your wives that when they see the credit card charges from the state of AZ.

Ahh... I kind of remember that now. I was wondering how I missed this, but this is going to be the first year that it works that way.

If you were just going for one species you would only have to buy a license every other year now. I need to look into it as I don't have a whole lot of points for the June deadline draws right now.
 

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