LAST EDITED ON Aug-03-16 AT 09:05PM (MST)[p]
I think the problem elks96, is yer, comin off as the sore winner throwin salt in fresh wounds. JMO of course and maybe I'm the only one. Realize I'm happy you got a tag and your gonna get to go back to a place that holds some old and special memories for you. I'm excited to hear how it goes for ya this fall! Hope it's all you're thinkin it's gonna be!
Here was my leftover experience yesterday. I needed a little time to start to see straight again before posting my experience. I got up at 3am and arrived at the timnath colorado Walmart at 10 till 4. First in line! Hey I got a shot at this thing at least! I was only lookin for a buck antelope tag that takes 5pps in my backyard and an additional doe antelope tag in the same unit. As well as an additional cow tag in the unit I have a bull tag in. The problem of course is these were turn back tags and there was only 1-5 tags in each hunt code, but hey I'm first in line and I got a shot! The second person didn't arrive till 6:30 and at 7 the line began to grow to around 25 or so. At 8:45 we started to get a little nervous, no one at the counter! But Kim comes around the corner and assures us that Philip, who shall from this point forward be referred to as mud, is their expert at the machine and will be here shortly to teach her as well as run the other machine. Whew, thank goodness muds on his way! At 8:58 still no sign of mud. At 9:01 mud comes strollin up to the counter! Ya he's late but Kim said muds the expert, I'm first in line, I'm goin with mud! I hand mud the hunt code list in order of tags I'd prefer and mud gets started! For some reason, mud, the expert, decides to enter all the codes at once and it kicks him out......twice! Meanwhile, Kim has a couple questions, so mud, the expert, imparts his vast wisdom on Kim and helps the second guy in line get his cow tag! I'm a little hot at this point but the words and comments forming in my head will not speed this up so I hold my tongue. Finally mud, the expert, realizes he must enter them 1 at time and begins again. It's now 9:08, a little hotter I am! Mud apologizes and tells me it's been a year since he's done this! Mud enters the first code and unbeknownst to me must enter an additional code that coincides with species, each having their own. Mud doesn't realize that the first A in the hunt code I gave him stands for antelope and attaches the elk code to my antelope code! The machine gives mud an invalid code message and this puzzles mud. Just a sec, Kim has a question. "What code do I enter with the code the customer gives me?" Lucky guess on the first customer I guess. Mud helps her out and gets back to me. 9:10. I've concluded awhile ago mud is no expert and I notice his hands are shaky, I suspect it relates to why he was late. After hearing Kim's question I decide to let mud know the A in my first hunt code stands for antelope and the E in my last hunt code stands for elk. The third employee who was observing pipes in "D for deer?", and I decide to passively aggressively vent a little of my frustration by replying, "and B is for bear! And T is for turkey!". Mud senses I'm not a happy camper and I see the light come on in muds eyes as he's just realized he attached the elk code to my antelope code. I've realized I no longer have a shot at this thing! Mud correctly enters my first hunt code at 9:12! "No tags left", mud reads off the machine. "Ya think?". Customer #3 now gets the bad news from Kim "no tags left". Mud proceeds to enter my remaining 3 hunt codes each time proudly announcing "no tags left" as if he's really got it figured out now! I look mud in the eye, grab my paperwork and turn to leave. The boys behind me can sense my displeasure and I theirs, and part like the Red Sea for me to leave without delay.
I'm not disappointed in the process set forth by the dg&p. I think it's cool that all those tags that were turned in in the past only to go unused are now available. Ya its a little slanted to the residents as the leftover process has always been. Obviously the part the non residents are upset about is that now some of the better tags are on that list. But keep in mind the tags that require the highest points, those codes that offer hybrid tags, are given to the next person in line from the initial draw and do not go into the leftover draw. Some of the better tags that were available in the leftover draw this year will be in that category in a short while as they meet the criteria set forth by the dg&p. What I am upset about is the fact that I've gone to this licensing agent the past 4 or 5 yrs without issue. They have competent people that have run the draw in the past who are still employed there. Why management decided to put mud in charge this year is what I don't understand and irritates the @#$%@! out of me, if I've left any doubt.
Congrats to you lucky dogs that got a tag you were hopein for! Enjoy the he!! out of it! None of us get to hunt forever!