NR with Application Questions...

[twsnow18]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-13 AT 02:43PM (MST)[p]I'm a college student and resident of Idaho that is brand new to applying to other states. Cost is a part of the equation. I noticed that I missed the elk deadline to apply but am interested in applying or building points for Mule Deer in Wyoming.

Should I just buy the point or should I apply for the actual draw? A deer hunt there this Fall is not out of the question, but more so looking at the future. What would it run me out the door roughly to apply for deer?

Also, what units/hunts should I research? I'm looking for a good tag worth re-arranging a Fall for. It doesn't have to be the premier Wyoming tag, but definitely a good one.

I've got a couple buddies with Antelope points that are willing to share them so the 3 of us are hopefully making a trip in October if we draw in the "special" pool!

 

[TOPGUN]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-11-13 AT 12:10PM (MST)[p]You're talking Montana in one statement and then throwing in Wyoming in the equation, so I can only talk Wyoming and that's the Forum you're in. With no PPs in Wyoming for deer you'll have a limited chance at anything but several different Region tags in the draws. M and Y are two that always have tags left, but neither are considered great deer areas for other than an average buck at best. All you need to do is go into the G&F website and highlight "HUNTING". There will be a bunch of popups and if you click on "Draw Odds" and then look for 2012 you'll see the various animals. Click on the random draw top line for deer and go down through to see what areas had leftover tags. You will probably be looking at only several Region tags because all the LQ units will be sold out. If one of those Region tags with leftovers is in or near where you think you'll be going antelope hunting, you might want to buy that tag. Don't do it until July after the draw results are posted so you know whether you have the antelope tag or not. To hunt deer in Wyoming it will cost you roughly $325 for the tag and stamp. If you decide you aren't going to get a deer tag, I would definitely buy a PP during the application period that runs 7/1-9/30 and it costs $40.

 

[wybighorn]

Wow! I never had enough money to apply for out-of-state tags as a college student. Good for you. Maybe I should ask where you work and get an application. This teaching gig is getting worse every year : )

 

[twsnow18]

Thanks for the help TG, much appreciated! I do have a couple more questions. I understand that drawing tags with 0 points have long odds at best. But, from my understanding they do allocate 25% of the total tags to the random draw, where as the other 75% are designated for max point holders?

Would it make sense to just put in for the draw each year if you are able to hunt that year? But if no luck, oh well you got your points...? I mean, I know the odds are long at best with no points, but that's kind of why I want to put in for more than just my home state and start playing the #'s game.

What does it cost just to apply for the tags? Instead of just buying my point.

 

[twsnow18]

>Wow! I never had enough money
>to apply for out-of-state tags
>as a college student. Good
>for you. Maybe I should
>ask where you work and
>get an application. This teaching
>gig is getting worse every
>year : )

Well that's sort of why I'm looking into all of this before just pulling the trigger and whippin out the debit card. Let's just say I'd trade you jobs any day of the week sir, but you have to move back in with your parents and live the dream (low overhead)

 

[TOPGUN]

Yes, you would have a very slim chance of drawing in the random draw with no PPs. You do need to realize that once you start buying points that if you apply for a draw that you lose those PPs if you draw your first choice tag. You can buy a PP when you apply for the draw along with the license fee and a nonrefundable $14 application fee for NRs. If you want to hunt in the next several years IMHO it would be best to buy a leftover tag in one of several regions that don't sell out and buy a PP each year during the summer so you can get a better quality tag in several years. That way you are getting your feet wet on the ground and not risking losing your PPs in the draw with a tag that you may not want to waste the PPs on. What I'm trying to say is that you do have a choice to enter either the Regular PP Draw or pay more money to enter the Special PP Draw like you said you guys are doing for antelope. However, once you have PPs built up you cannot choose to not go into those draws and just enter the random draw.