With the deadline looming for buying a preference point or bonus point for elk in Utah I'm trying to figure if I should buy both. These will be my first points of either kind for Utah. My long term plan is to build points in Wyoming for a hunt within the next ten years. Even if I don't get to Wyoming within ten years so can share those points with my son someday. I currently have 1 elk point, 1 mule deer point, and 5 antelope points in Wyoming. A hunt in Colorado sometime within the next fifteen years. I don't have any points built up in Colorado as of now, but recognize the OTC options there as I went on my only elk in unit 71 a couple of years ago. My thought is to make Utah my once in a lifetime state. I'm 34 right now and in 20 years my kids will be 22 and 21. Hopefully, I would be able to utilize these points in the future, and if I don't start building now I will be too old use them. With that being said, does this sound like a good plan? Should I buy a preference point, bonus point, or both?
Utah- preference point or bonus point or both?
- Thread starter the wanderer
- Start date
RICMIC
Veteran member
I can't comment on Utah, as I only play the point game in WY and CO. I would suggest that you buy the points in both of those states as a start since you are not required to buy a non-refundable hunting license. CO does make you front the tag cost, even for the pref. pt. option, but you can just let it ride on your credit card until it is refunded if you want to. Even a couple points for deer and elk open up a lot of options for you, but plan on using them before you find yourself with too many to use for an easy draw and never enough for the tough draws.
Zim
Very Active Member
Wanderer, You couldn't have picked a worst state if your goal is one OIL tag! Haha the most corrupt wildlife board in the US will probably have ALL the OIL tags in the hands of the wealthy by the time you are ready. You need to read up more on SFW and count the 500 primo tags already stolen from average joe Hunter. 400 more than the second place state WY! And 490 more than most states.
I strongly recommend you not to get involved with Utah coming from the ground floor. Terrible ROI.
I strongly recommend you not to get involved with Utah coming from the ground floor. Terrible ROI.
Slugz
Veteran member
OTC and leftover options for elk in Colorado......every year my friend!!! Don't wait......if you can make the trip come on out!!!
Elkhunter96
Active Member
For elk, you would just want the bonus point if your ultimate goal is trophy hunting. The preference point stuff in Utah is just for general season deer tags, didn't even realize they were available for elk tags.
As far as the SFW stuff, don't like it and hope it changes in the future. But, I would rather be in the game than out of it. Just my 0.02 cents
As far as the SFW stuff, don't like it and hope it changes in the future. But, I would rather be in the game than out of it. Just my 0.02 cents
Elkhunter96
Active Member
I should also mention, your chances even in 20 years of drawing one of the premium units early rifle tags is very slim. Your odds for the good units, but maybe not the top 5 will increase greatly. If you are willing to archery hunt, muzzy hunt or do the late rifle, you will be fine.
I should mention that I'm really looking for a chance to hunt elk that aren't pressured with a good chance at shooting a nice bull over 300". The quality of the experience means more than inches of antler. I doubt I'll ever be able to hunt elk enough to become a trophy only elk hunter. I believe a unit with a good population and unpressured elk would create that experience. I don't want to regret in 20 years that I didn't do the prepararation to give myself the opportunity to draw a high quality unit.
Elkhunter96
Active Member
Then you will be just fine, plenty of those type of units in Utah. Don't get hung up on only wanting to hunt the top few units, and you will have a great hunt. You already have the right attitude. Look at the middle tier units, plenty of 300+ bulls running around on them and some of the more remote ones can be absolute great hunts.
If your only interest is elk, buy the BP for elk. Unless things have changed, if I recall correctly, the PP's are only for the general deer seasons. Myself, when buying BP's for elk, I did buy a few PP's for deer just cause they are cheap and I may very well hunt MD in UT for fun in a year or two.
Just buy a bonus point for limited entry species. Buy all species your interested in since u have to buy a hunting license to do so. Otherwise the elk point is 160$ points. Each species is ten bucks after u buy your license. Preference points are for general tags like deer or dedicated hunters. If you want a general tag with lots of competition go ahead. I do both because I hunt general seasons while I wait for the big limited entry tag.
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NH Hunter
New Member
If you use your head, and a calendar, you only need to buy the hunting license every other year. The license is good for 365 days from when you purchase it. Buy the license and apply for the LE Elk bonus point AT THE END OF THE DRAW PERIOD the first year. The next year, apply for the bonus point AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DRAW PERIOD. Don't buy a license the second year because you can apply for the draw on the license you bought the previous year. Don't throw away money. It's expensive enough already. I have 15 LE elk points and I started putting in 17 years ago. I missed (2) years because I wasn't paying attention. I'll be close to drawing this year and should draw in the next couple years. I'm 56 and I will stop buying points in UT once I draw. I still hunt CO almost every year so I've just been saving UT points as my OIL dream hunt. If I hadn't missed those two years, I would draw this year in the unit I applied for. There are so many people buying and banking points these days you will have a difficult time drawing a decent tag due to point creep. Unless they change the rules.....
Zim
Very Active Member
Here's a few links you might want to read before deciding to jump in the Utah game from the ground floor. This is what you'd be buying into:
http://kutv.com/news/local/allegations-of-corruption-surround-utah-hungtin-and-conservation-expo
https://www.cascwild.org/don-peay-the-man-who-would-be-king-baron/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/auctions-introduce-market-forces-to-conservation-but-hunters-cry-foul.html?smid=pl-share&_r=1&
http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/group-seeking-privatized-wildlife-spreading-misinformation/article_dfb5fe10-8570-11e1-99d1-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.mtbullypulpit.org/2012/06/pox-on-fox.html
http://www.standard.net/Recreation/2016/02/10/Transparency-still-debated-around-2016-Western-Hunting-and-Conservation-Expo.html
https://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/urgent-sfw-founder-requests-taxpayer-money-to-lobby-for-wolf-delisting/
http://www.themudflats.net/2011/11/16/a-disaster-for-alaskas-department-of-fish-and-game/
Unfortunately, I've been in it since 1996 so it's hard to get out when you're invested. However, if I had to do it over again, no way. I'd be investing in WY, CO, AZ, MT maybe NV, at minimum first. Also doing NM. Only AFTER those would I even consider Utah.
http://kutv.com/news/local/allegations-of-corruption-surround-utah-hungtin-and-conservation-expo
https://www.cascwild.org/don-peay-the-man-who-would-be-king-baron/
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/us/auctions-introduce-market-forces-to-conservation-but-hunters-cry-foul.html?smid=pl-share&_r=1&
http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/group-seeking-privatized-wildlife-spreading-misinformation/article_dfb5fe10-8570-11e1-99d1-0019bb2963f4.html
http://www.mtbullypulpit.org/2012/06/pox-on-fox.html
http://www.standard.net/Recreation/2016/02/10/Transparency-still-debated-around-2016-Western-Hunting-and-Conservation-Expo.html
https://howlingforjustice.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/urgent-sfw-founder-requests-taxpayer-money-to-lobby-for-wolf-delisting/
http://www.themudflats.net/2011/11/16/a-disaster-for-alaskas-department-of-fish-and-game/
Unfortunately, I've been in it since 1996 so it's hard to get out when you're invested. However, if I had to do it over again, no way. I'd be investing in WY, CO, AZ, MT maybe NV, at minimum first. Also doing NM. Only AFTER those would I even consider Utah.
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That's awesome. I'm a Utah resident so I buy it every year for fishing. Keep it quiet lol!!
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