What states have points only programs? Where you don't have to apply the $1500 non resident fee to earn a point?

I know the following UT, AZ, WY, WA, and CA, and I thought Nevada did too, but now it looks like Nevada doesn't.

Any others where I can just buy a point.

What's a points-only program? Do you mean you can draw a hunting permit only if you have a certain number of points? If so, you can remove Arizona from your list. Points help increase your odds of drawing, but you also can draw a tag the first time you apply here if you are lucky.

Bill Quimby

Each state is different. Some make you buy a non-resident license just to enter the draw. Some make you front the fee and then keep a large chunk of it. Some only keep a small fee. But, I'm curious where do you get $1500? I know in Colorado the only ones that would go that deep would be sheep, goat and moose. Deer. elk, antelope, beat would all be much cheaper.

While it is true that in Colorado you front the fee, it is refunded if you dont draw. They only keep $3 for the drawing fee. And, you do not have to buy a non-resident license just to apply for points. Many states require the purchase of a license just to enter the drawing. So they aren't just "points only draws".

By the way, the reason Colorado wants you to front the money is because then they know the tag is paid for. They don't have to chase the funds down later.

But to answer your question, you can apply for moose in NH for about $10. If you draw then you have to buy the licenses.

California, Washington, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming allow you to only apply for a point.

So you are not entered into the draw, just getting points for future applications.

This keeps you from being on the opposite end of the planet and applying for points.

I like Wyoming's program the best, as tags are awarded to those that have the most points.

I don't know how much research you have done on Colorado, but they allow you to also only apply for a point and not risk drawing the tag if you can't hunt. Every species that has a drawing in Colorado has a code for Preference Point Only. If you put that as your first choice, that is all you will draw. You still front the fee, but it is refunded, less $3. So, when it comes down to it, you are buying a point for $3.

And they also issue tags based on whoever has the most points. I have 17 points for elk in Colorado and I can rest assured that I can get virtually any tag I want. I think there are only 3 areas that require more than 17 points so I know when I want to cash the points in I can pull the tag. Especially if I keep getting another point each year.

In addition to putting in for points in Colorado I also do just the points for antelope in Wyoming. I can get a good buck tag on 3 points but they cost $25 each. So it takes $75 worth of points to pull the Wyoming tag. It would take me 25 years to spend that much on anteolpe points in Colorado.

Thanks Flags,

I'll have to look into Colorado more. I didn't realize I could do that, and not risk drawing a tag when I am not ready.

My priorities are sheep, pronghorns, elk, mountain goats and shiras moose pretty much in that order.

It really depends on what state I end up in when I retire. I plan on moving back to Alaska. But if something happens and I end up in the Wyoming/Montana/Idaho then I will want to maximize my hunting abilities.

Keep in mind on going for Points Only, you can only apply for 1 point per species, per year. Many folks do this and for most I guess it works. However, depending on a persons age, you maybe looking at a long time before you could apply for a license for a particular animal/hunting unit, trying to build up points. If you go ahead and apply and make a preference point as your second choice, you might, thru the luck of the draw get drawn sooner with fewer points.

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Keep in mind on going for Points Only, you can only apply for 1 point per species, per year. Many folks do this and for most I guess it works. However, depending on a persons age, you maybe looking at a long time before you could apply for a license for a particular animal/hunting unit, trying to build up points. If you go ahead and apply and make a preference point as your second choice, you might, thru the luck of the draw get drawn sooner with fewer points.

What??? I know I've only been hunting/guiding/applying/applying clients in the western states for 19 yrs, but that's news to me.

Try this information from huntinfool.com

http://www.huntinfool.com/lice...012LicAppBooklet.pdf

quote:

Originally posted by Crazyhorseconsulting:
Keep in mind on going for Points Only, you can only apply for 1 point per species, per year. Many folks do this and for most I guess it works. However, depending on a persons age, you maybe looking at a long time before you could apply for a license for a particular animal/hunting unit, trying to build up points. If you go ahead and apply and make a preference point as your second choice, you might, thru the luck of the draw get drawn sooner with fewer points.

In Colorado if all you want is the preference point, it has to be a first choice option. Points are not given for second choices, only first choices. So, you could apply for a tag and not even list a second choice. If you don't pull the tag, you get a point anyways. But if you want to get the point and not risk pulling a tag because you can't make the trip then the point only draw is the way to go.

I usually put in for the point as my first choices and then try for a cow and doe tag as my second choices. That way I know I'll get the point and most years I'll also get the cow tag and the doe tag for meat. It is a system that works well for me.

When you apply for sheep and moose in Wyoming, if you are unsuccesful in the prefrence draw, you are automatically enterd in "luck of the draw". 25%, I believe go to random draw. Even without max points you still have a chance of drawing, very slim but a chance, and some one has to draw the tag.

Kudu,

Well kind of. As long as there is more than enough tags to cover those that have max points.

You completely missed the point that kudu56 was making and that is in Wyoming a nonresident has a chance of drawing a tag for any species no matter how many PPs you have because of the random draw where no PPs are used.

I got his point, but it's not exactly 100%.

If I have 10 points and I apply for a tag in a zone that has only 1 tag (nonresident or resident) I can't draw that tag if someone else has 14 points. He gets that tag automatically.

If the zone has 8 points, and only 4 people have max points, then I have a shot at a tag.

Some zones do not have non resident tags. So you have to look at every area tag quota.

Change that to say if a zone has 8 tags.

Max tag holders always win the tag, then the rest go to well the rest of the applicants.

quote:

Well kind of. As long as there is more than enough tags to cover those that have max points.

No, the state statute says 25% are set aside for everyone. When the G&F went to preference points that was a stipulation, so that a young person or anyone "could" draw a tag and that they all had the same chance. Two of my sons drew the same area, same year, it was the year that max was 15 or 16, one son had one less than max, the other was behind 5 points. Both drew. So there is a chance.

Thanks Kudu!

Thanks for the info Flags, i knew it worked some way, just been a couple of year since I put in. I have one point for late season cow, may try to put in for that this year.

MOA – you’re doing it right. Just buy points on the chance you might go one day! I wish I would have done this. I’ve only been buying points for CO and WY, not thinking about the other states. This year my brother just moved to AZ and I have no points. I started buying points 10 years ago......

On a side note, buy points for your children! WY cost me a total of $30 every year for my oldest daughter. So far she has 3 points for deer, elk and antelope!

And don’t forget to keep buying them. If you wait out a year or 2 you loose all your points. So that 1 or 2 points you bought 4 years ago is gone......

CA Safari Hunter,

You know I am almost 38 and I wish I would have never stopped applying for points when Wyoming increased their prices to $100. It was a lot more money back then, than it is today.

We are headed back to Alaska (I hope for good) in a couple years and I think of these big Western tags as my old guy hunting time.

By the time I have enough points for everything I want the wife will be tired of -40 and we'll be back in Wyoming full time.

I am going to start on Montana, Colorado, and Oregon hopefully next year. I don't like laying out that much cash, but I am guess I am getting it all back so it doesn't matter.

Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona are the ones I am working on now. I didn't realize about Nevada until this week. So thanks again.

I’m 36 and I’m in the same boat. For me Oregon is not worth it and I run out of $ before I start to look at Montana. I’m kicking myself now for holding out and not buying points for NV and AZ. What I have been doing was just concentrating on hunting WY, CO, CA and NM while my friends/family where hunting those and buying points in NV and AZ. I thought I would never hunt there so I never did. I realize now I made a huge mistake.....

And I’m sure someone is just about to come on here and say NV is not a point system and they are right, but still buy your “point” and put in for the hardest to draw trophy areas, just in case! My brother drew one of the hardest antelope areas a few years ago with just 2 bonus points/tags/drawing things (whatever they call it).

If you want help on areas in CA, PM me. I can point you on where to go, but to tell you the truth, its probably not worth it.

Slight correction on the CO point costs....it is only 3$ IF you have a small game and/or fishing license OR you bought a big game tag the previous year, otherwise JUST for a point, its a 3$ draw fee +25$

So, send your 350-2500$ to the CDOW in April, choose pref point only, and they return your money minus 3$ if you have a fishing/small game tag, or a big game tag from last year, if you do not, its 28$. Refunds usually show up in June/July depending on species. So basically you are floating Colorado a small loan for a few months.

quote:

Originally posted by CA Safari Hunter:
And I’m sure someone is just about to come on here and say NV is not a point system and they are right, but still buy your “point” and put in for the hardest to draw trophy areas, just in case! My brother drew one of the hardest antelope areas a few years ago with just 2 bonus points/tags/drawing things (whatever they call it).

I'm really confused now.... From what I can tell Nevada is a bonus point draw(your name goes in the hat additional times according to on the number of points you have). Some states have a Preference point system where they guys with the most points get drawn first(Ca and Colorado for example).

At least that is what I understood from the hunting fool website.....

NV is not a “true” point system. The difference between a true point system (like CA) and NV....

CA – Max points for deer is 9 (lets just say) Zone X7a has 10 tags. 500 people put in for X7a for their first choice. 8 tags will go to people that have 9 points and 2 tags will go into the random drawing.

If out of those 500 people, only 5 of them have max points, those 5 will draw the tags and the people with 8 points will be drawing for the remaining “max” point tags.

Max point holders, that did not draw, will be put in for the same random drawing (with people who have less than max points). So now 492 people are going for 2 tags.

NV - is like a raffle with a big spinning drum and you get to buy tickets. Each ticket is a point. So if you have 9 points you have 9 different tickets in the drum. So everyone has a chance at drawing a tag, and you’re better off with more tickets.

This is how I understand it. I might be wrong. I have been wrong before (but it was a long time ago........

Back to the Wyoming tag debate between you guys. The law does say that percentage goes in the random draw where everyone has a chance, but there has to be at least 4 tags in the unit for that to happen. If it's three tags or less the percentage does not work out for there to be even 1 tag in the random draw. Look at the bottom of my post where I did a C/P of the first 10 moose units in the random draw to see what I mean. Also, the example given above for the way Nevada squares their points is right on the button. That is why even if a person only has once chance in the hat and one other guy has 101, the guy with one chance can still draw the tag. It's unlikely, but possible, especially if you have the luck of my buddy!

On the statement previously made about buying a PP as a second choice, I know of no state where that is allowed. In Wyoming you can buy the PP at time of application for a tag. If you draw your first choice, that PP money is refunded because you can't buy a PP and draw a first choice tag in the same calendar year. Wyoming also has the option of buying a leftover license in July after the draws are completed and you can also buy a PP from 7/1-9/30, but only 1 PP per animal per year and none if you draw a first choice tag for that animal in the draw.


Demand Report - Non-Resident Moose State of Wyoming Date: 5/2/2011
Nonresident Random Draw Wyoming Game and Fish Time: 9:46:51 AM
Fiscal Division Page: 4
Hunt Hunt Total First Choice Second Choice Third Choice
Area Type Description Quota Applicants Applicants Applicants
---- ---- ----------------------- ----- ------------- ------------- -------------
001 1 ANY MOOSE, EXCEPT CO 1 310 50 0
001 4 ANTLERLESS MOOSE, EX 1 2 1 0
002 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 3 1 0
003 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 3 7 0
004 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 24 18 0
004 4 ANTLERLESS MOOSE, EX 0 0 0 0
005 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 1 32 15 0
005 4 ANTLERLESS MOOSE, EX 0 0 0 0
006 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 8 4 0
009 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 8 2 0
010 1 ANTLERED MOOSE 0 33 11 0

In Kansas you are allowed to buy a point for whitetail with out applying for a tag or buying a hunting license. Not sure if you are interested in whitetail or not but thought I would add that.

Lets also not forget CO has started up an additional chance to draw. I'd have to read it again, since our regs seem to require several PhD's to understand...but something like if you have 5 points, you can be put into the draw for hard to get tags (think 8-15 point tag) and like 1-5% of tags will be set aside for some of the lower point guys, giving people a chance without waiting a lifetime (bighorns). Some aren't real happy about it, since a guy could be on his 6th year and draw one of maybe 25 tags, but a guy with 19 points doesn't draw. But in reality, those high point guys are still only betting against each other for 24 tags, instead of 25. At least I THINK that is how its working, maybe Aaron will chime in on that

quote:

Originally posted by MileHighShooter:
Slight correction on the CO point costs....it is only 3$ IF you have a small game and/or fishing license OR you bought a big game tag the previous year, otherwise JUST for a point, its a 3$ draw fee +25$

Not quite right here. MOA is active duty military and the $25 is waived for active and disabled military. So, he would only pay $3 for the point. All he has to do is fax either a copy of orders or a copy of his military ID card and the fee goes away.

For anyone else, the $25 kicks in. But not for military. We are exempt from it. One of the few things the Colorado DOW does for members of the military.