Warbirdum, I agree 100% with you in regard to Wyo elk. There are so few tags issued that draw odds are horrendous even for the guys with max pts. Anyone that has been applying for Wyo sheep and moose know how horrible the odds are with the current Wyo sheep and moose pref pt system. This same thing will likely happen with Wyo elk. Warbirdum pointed out guys just starting out will likely never have a very good chance of drawing one of these tags and I have a feeling he is right! Most Wyo elk units have less than 10% draw odds so not many successful tag holders filter through the system compared to the hundreds of guys that apply! I like the idea of giving everyone a chance to draw really tough draw tags and guys that apply longer a better chance of drawing. Nevada?s bonus pt system is one of the fairest bonus pt systems available for really tough draw tags.
The pref pt system definitely works for Wyo antelope and deer tags since there are a lot of tags issued. Applicants filter through the system fairly quickly in all but a handful of tough draw units. The current pref pt system will definitely work for Wyo antelope and deer...not very well for Wyo elk!
I really like Colorados pref pt system for deer, antelope, and elk. The majority of Colo deer, antelope, and elk units take fewer than 10 pts to draw which is pretty darn good in comparison to how long it takes to draw quality tags in other states. I think it is a fair system in Colo to allow guys w/high pts to draw the tags since applicants filter through the system fairly quickly. Anyone that wants to wait a lifetime for a 2, 10, or 201 elk tag...go for it!
I also like the idea of being able to predict which year you draw which tag. With the current Colo system you can pretty much plan out what year you will draw.
One thing Colo has done with sheep, mtn goat, and moose is to offer a cap of 3 pref pts and bonus pts for each year above the 3 year cap. This same process could be offered for deer, elk, and antelope but I have a feeling guys with close to max pts are going to raise holy h$ll if this or any other new system comes into existence!
Good luck to everyone that applied for Wyo elk..you will likely need it! It is 20+ years without a Wyo elk tag for me but who knows...maybe this year?