I like alot of you have been accumulating preference points for the opportunity to have an advantage or an outright chance to draw a tag. I have been accumulating tags for Colorado and Wyoming. Well currently we have no choice either accumulate the pref. pts. or don't hunt.
I can remember applying for a Deer Tag for Region G in Wyoming. I applied for 4 years until I finally drew my first tag (1997). I kept applying and finally drew another 2 tags in 2001 and 2002 and then didn't apply again. Well the odds of drawing a tag back in those days were about 10 to 20%, but at least you did have an opportunity to draw every year, just had to apply. The state of Wyoming changed things a little enticing us to apply on a "Special" tag and with the increased cost of license have a better chance at drawing a tag. Now as of last year they went to Pref Pts for Deer, Elk and Antelope. They still offer 25% of the licenses for anyone to draw, even though you may not have Pref Pts. Now this leads me to my argument about Pref Pts. I personally don't like Pref Pts. but if the state must make a living selling Pref Pts in this day in age they should keep at minimum 25% of all licenses available to anyone whether they have points or not.
Case in point is Colorado where we are seeing certain units where it can take as many as 15 to 20 pts. to draw. Now how fair is this to anyone including our next generation of hunters. Wouldn't it be nice if the state of CO reserved 25% of the tags to just a straight luck of the draw where anyone could possibly draw the tag even with 0 pts.? I got into this conversation with my Barber the other day about how I think they should do away with Pref Pts altogether. He lashed back and said how he has 10 Elk pts and 8 Deer Pts. and he would be opposed to doing away with pref pts. since he has so many years invested in accumulating the tags. I told him that if it were up to me and I also have 7 Elk Pts and 2 Deer Pts I would be more than happy if Colorado did away with the entire Preference Point thing and went to a straight "Luck of the Draw" for all units. My Proposal would be this:
Starting with the 2008 License Draw, I would make it mandatory that anyone with Pref Pts apply for the license of their dreams (Elk or Deer) using their Pref Pts. I would award Bonus Applications in addition to their first application for every Pref Pt that they have (5 points gets five additional applications for that year) and that would continue each year until they eventually drew the tag. The applications would all go into a Regular Draw and everyone who applied would have a chance to draw a tag and the people who had extra applications in the drawing because they had pref pts would have an increased chance of drawing the tag because they have more applications in the draw that could be drawn. I would also mandate that everyone who had Preference Pts must apply within the next two years or forfeit their points and they must apply at least every third year or also risk loosing their points until no one has any preference pts. By making it mandatory to apply every third year this would satisfy the fact that some have accumulated pts for several animals (Elk, Deer, Antelope). But the goal would be to get back to where no one has any preference points and then the drawings would be equally fair to everyone.
My plan would also make it mandatory during the application process that you must send in the Full Amount of the cost of the License with your application. Once Colorado conducted the draw if successful you would receive your license and if you are not successful you would receive a refund less a $ 25 to $ 50 handling fee to be used by the Colorado Fish and Game just like they use the preference point money ( for their general fund). This would allow the state to continue receiving income from the public applying for the various tags. This type of plan would allow Colorado to continue generating income from applicants as opposed to generating income from preference points and everyone would have a chance to draw a tag.
The plan stated above would be fair to everyone since anyone could draw a tag and to the people who have invested years into accumulating Prefernce Points it would be fair since they would be granted extra chances to draw based on the number of Preference Point they had. This is Plan that I wish all States would adopt for their Big Game Drawings.
If they don't change their ways of drawing what chance does anyone have of ever drawing a tag for Elk for the NW Corner of Colorado or a High Country Deer Tag in Unit 43? Your 65 year old Dad or your 18 year old High School Graduate have a slim to none chance of ever having enough points to draw those tags.
In closing after I discussed by plan with my Barber he thought that the plan would work even for him since he would receive compensation for all those years of accumulating points via the extra application in the draw.
Thanks, for reading my plan. I just think that something needs to be done with Preference Points.
Take Care and Have a Great Weekend!
Thanks,
300 WTBY
Dave Halverson
I can remember applying for a Deer Tag for Region G in Wyoming. I applied for 4 years until I finally drew my first tag (1997). I kept applying and finally drew another 2 tags in 2001 and 2002 and then didn't apply again. Well the odds of drawing a tag back in those days were about 10 to 20%, but at least you did have an opportunity to draw every year, just had to apply. The state of Wyoming changed things a little enticing us to apply on a "Special" tag and with the increased cost of license have a better chance at drawing a tag. Now as of last year they went to Pref Pts for Deer, Elk and Antelope. They still offer 25% of the licenses for anyone to draw, even though you may not have Pref Pts. Now this leads me to my argument about Pref Pts. I personally don't like Pref Pts. but if the state must make a living selling Pref Pts in this day in age they should keep at minimum 25% of all licenses available to anyone whether they have points or not.
Case in point is Colorado where we are seeing certain units where it can take as many as 15 to 20 pts. to draw. Now how fair is this to anyone including our next generation of hunters. Wouldn't it be nice if the state of CO reserved 25% of the tags to just a straight luck of the draw where anyone could possibly draw the tag even with 0 pts.? I got into this conversation with my Barber the other day about how I think they should do away with Pref Pts altogether. He lashed back and said how he has 10 Elk pts and 8 Deer Pts. and he would be opposed to doing away with pref pts. since he has so many years invested in accumulating the tags. I told him that if it were up to me and I also have 7 Elk Pts and 2 Deer Pts I would be more than happy if Colorado did away with the entire Preference Point thing and went to a straight "Luck of the Draw" for all units. My Proposal would be this:
Starting with the 2008 License Draw, I would make it mandatory that anyone with Pref Pts apply for the license of their dreams (Elk or Deer) using their Pref Pts. I would award Bonus Applications in addition to their first application for every Pref Pt that they have (5 points gets five additional applications for that year) and that would continue each year until they eventually drew the tag. The applications would all go into a Regular Draw and everyone who applied would have a chance to draw a tag and the people who had extra applications in the drawing because they had pref pts would have an increased chance of drawing the tag because they have more applications in the draw that could be drawn. I would also mandate that everyone who had Preference Pts must apply within the next two years or forfeit their points and they must apply at least every third year or also risk loosing their points until no one has any preference pts. By making it mandatory to apply every third year this would satisfy the fact that some have accumulated pts for several animals (Elk, Deer, Antelope). But the goal would be to get back to where no one has any preference points and then the drawings would be equally fair to everyone.
My plan would also make it mandatory during the application process that you must send in the Full Amount of the cost of the License with your application. Once Colorado conducted the draw if successful you would receive your license and if you are not successful you would receive a refund less a $ 25 to $ 50 handling fee to be used by the Colorado Fish and Game just like they use the preference point money ( for their general fund). This would allow the state to continue receiving income from the public applying for the various tags. This type of plan would allow Colorado to continue generating income from applicants as opposed to generating income from preference points and everyone would have a chance to draw a tag.
The plan stated above would be fair to everyone since anyone could draw a tag and to the people who have invested years into accumulating Prefernce Points it would be fair since they would be granted extra chances to draw based on the number of Preference Point they had. This is Plan that I wish all States would adopt for their Big Game Drawings.
If they don't change their ways of drawing what chance does anyone have of ever drawing a tag for Elk for the NW Corner of Colorado or a High Country Deer Tag in Unit 43? Your 65 year old Dad or your 18 year old High School Graduate have a slim to none chance of ever having enough points to draw those tags.
In closing after I discussed by plan with my Barber he thought that the plan would work even for him since he would receive compensation for all those years of accumulating points via the extra application in the draw.
Thanks, for reading my plan. I just think that something needs to be done with Preference Points.
Take Care and Have a Great Weekend!
Thanks,
300 WTBY
Dave Halverson
