Colorado is following wyoming's lead

[In God We Trust]

I think point banking sucks. It allows guys to save up tons of PP and then every once in a while they can break from that strategy to hunt a unit that takes a few points and bone the guy that only wants to save 1-3 and hunt a good unit every once in a while. I agree with BKC, they are going to piss most people off sooner then later. Probably a 5 year warning when they come out with the next 5 year structure. Use your points in the next 5 years or loose them and go to a straight draw.

 

[Musket Man]

Are they really considering going to a strait up random draw? It would be better in alot of ways but when they told everyone to use or loose their points I think it would flood all the units that only take a few points with applicants.

 

[NDHunter]

There is just no way to please everybody. I'm sure if a 100 guys gave their opinion on what should be done, you would get a wide variety of opinions. I think the system they've got is just fine. If you don't like the point systems, apply in ID and NM. If you don't want to mess with applying at all, just buy an OTC tag. Everybody wants to hunt the primo units but that just literally is not possible. If they converted every single unit to a trophy unit, it would still probably take 10 years to draw a tag. Some great animals come out of the 1-3 point units. Just get a tag and go hunt.

 

[In God We Trust]

Who knows what they will do. I am going to the public comment meeting Wednesday here in Denver. they are going on all over the state this month.

 

[In God We Trust]

I am all right with a PP system for non residents in states but residents should either be a hybrid or straight up draw. Kids just getting started in the sport shouldn't be looking at 25+ year waits for the better units. Hell at the rate things are going they could be looking at 35+ year waits and that is unacceptable.

 

[packmule]

Could someone explain point banking and what CO did last time around? Packmule you were talking about some of your friends are back in the 20-22 pt range. When did this occur and is it likely to happen again? I'm only 1 point in for elk, deer, sheep, and mountain goat. Should I stay away from CO?

Point banking is getting to keep excess points that weren't necessary to draw a particular tag.


IIRC it was 2006. Who knows if they'll do it again. I could see those fellas dumping their points for 4th season in the Gunny Basin, but if another winter kill sets things back another decade those points will keep adding up.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Yeah, I think it was 2006 packmule... Their is another option but likely not very popular. Hunt and don't collect points. Colorado is a "opportunity" state anyway. Just a small handful of units take tons of points. You can hunt Deer & Elk in Colorado every year or every other year without saving points. That doesn't sit well with trophy hunters I'm sure. I'm taking my own advice and will not be intentionally saving anymore than 3 points for any species in Colorado that can be drawn otherwise. I dumped my Deer points last year. Dumping Elk this year and hoping to dump my 8 Antelope points in the near future too. I'll collect points and put in for trophy areas in other states and hunt as much as possible in Colorado. I like meat too, so it works out good for me!

 

[Work2hunt]

What do you guys think this new PP costing structure will do to draw odds this year? I am on the fence of putting in for one of 2 tags. First, one tag I should draw based on past stats as it took only 1 PP and I have 2. The second I have about a 75% chance at drawing with 2 PP's.

I'm thinking this new costing will have a lot of people applying and burning points this year and maybe over the next couple years that normally wouldn't have applied and would have kept saving. Thoughts?

 

[Fink]

What do you guys think this new PP costing structure will do to draw odds this year? I am on the fence of putting in for one of 2 tags. One based on past stats I should draw as it took only 1 PP and I have 2. The second I have about a 75% chance at drawing with 2 PP's.

I'm thinking this new costing will have a lot of people applying and burning points this year and maybe over the next couple years that normally wouldn't have applied and would have kept saving. Thoughts?

I really can't see it having any effect on draw odds. 75% of the people out there won't even realize the cost of the point went up until they get their tag refund, and notice it's a little light... And then, about 75% of those guys still won't notice/care.

 

[CoHiCntry]

I really can't see it having any effect on draw odds. 75% of the people out there won't even realize the cost of the point went up until they get their tag refund, and notice it's a little light... And then, about 75% of those guys still won't notice/care.

I agree. It probably won't change much. Most guy's who put in for other sates know there's fee's to pay and won't bat an eye at this minimal increase. Your already paying a lot of money to hunt out of state, what's another $40 or $50 bucks?

 

[NDHunter]

What do you guys think this new PP costing structure will do to draw odds this year? I am on the fence of putting in for one of 2 tags. First, one tag I should draw based on past stats as it took only 1 PP and I have 2. The second I have about a 75% chance at drawing with 2 PP's.

I'm thinking this new costing will have a lot of people applying and burning points this year and maybe over the next couple years that normally wouldn't have applied and would have kept saving. Thoughts?

It's only more expensive if you buy points for just one species right? If you do multiple species it should actually be cheaper I thought.

 

[Musket Man]

I dont think the PP fee is enough to change the odds either. I agree on your strategy CoHiCntry. I try not to get over 5 points anywhere.

 

[Engideer]

Yes, by the time you have put in for liscenses in multiple states, the extra money is minimal. I agree with CoHiCntry in his approach. It is hard to believe that people really will wait for 20+ years on a tag. I feel like my chances of killing a trophy are a lot better if I can hunt more often in less well known units than if I hunt once in a lifetime in a "trophy" unit. Of course, I love hunting, so I could never be that patient. I also have never hunted in one of those "trophy" units, so I may be wrong about how easy they are to take a trophy out of.

 

[Musket Man]

It's only more expensive if you buy points for just one species right? If you do multiple species it should actually be cheaper I thought.

If your getting points for more then 1 species its cheaper to buy an annual fishing license so you dont have to pay for the points.

 

[Musket Man]

Yes, by the time you have put in for liscenses in multiple states, the extra money is minimal. I agree with CoHiCntry in his approach. It is hard to believe that people really will wait for 20+ years on a tag. I feel like my chances of killing a trophy are a lot better if I can hunt more often in less well known units than if I hunt once in a lifetime in a "trophy" unit. Of course, I love hunting, so I could never be that patient. I also have never hunted in one of those "trophy" units, so I may be wrong about how easy they are to take a trophy out of.

It prob only took 6-7 points to draw the tags when the guys with 15+ points now started applying. By the time they got 7 points it took 10, so they figure whats 3 more points, then they get to 10 and it takes 11, then there is a bad winter and tags are cut the next year and it jumps to 15 points, so they figure it will get better in a couple years and next thing they know they have 18 points and still havent drawn.

Or something like that. lol

 

[Granby guy]

I don't ever want to see point banking return because it did nothing to alleviate point creep.

To combat point creep I would suggest offering about 3-4 tags in each OTC unit throughout the state that would be valid for the month of September for elk and November for deer. This wouldn't have a real impact on the population and I think it would have a huge impact on point creep because these would be high quality hunts.

With the new 5 year season structure coming up I heard from a pretty reliable source that the Dow is looking to perform a major overhaul the point system and they are going to propose a weighted system like they have for moose and sheep ( which I feel is worthless) or adopt a point system similar to what Nevada has, which I believe to be a pretty fair system. I would be surprised, based on what I was told, if the current system is continued.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I don't ever want to see point banking return because it did nothing to alleviate point creep.

To combat point creep I would suggest offering about 3-4 tags in each OTC unit throughout the state that would be valid for the month of September for elk and November for deer. This wouldn't have a real impact on the population and I think it would have a huge impact on point creep because these would be high quality hunts.

With the new 5 year season structure coming up I heard from a pretty reliable source that the Dow is looking to perform a major overhaul the point system and they are going to propose a weighted system like they have for moose and sheep ( which I feel is worthless) or adopt a point system similar to what Nevada has, which I believe to be a pretty fair system. I would be surprised, based on what I was told, if the current system is continued.

If they make changes, I hope they don't screw current point holders. I have 13 points for Antelope that I want to use in 2015, not this year as I will be in Hawaii for the month of October this year.

 

[packmule]

Yeah, I think it was 2006 packmule... Their is another option but likely not very popular. Hunt and don't collect points. Colorado is a "opportunity" state anyway. Just a small handful of units take tons of points. You can hunt Deer & Elk in Colorado every year or every other year without saving points. That doesn't sit well with trophy hunters I'm sure. I'm taking my own advice and will not be intentionally saving anymore than 3 points for any species in Colorado that can be drawn otherwise. I dumped my Deer points last year. Dumping Elk this year and hoping to dump my 8 Antelope points in the near future too. I'll collect points and put in for trophy areas in other states and hunt as much as possible in Colorado. I like meat too, so it works out good for me!

I'll continue to save my points. There's just not enough deer tags available for everyone to hunt decent units every year or every other year. The way things are set up now people can hunt decent units every year, but they'll need to fork over some voucher money. Which if you ask the locals of those top units, it's a program that needs to be done away with. So really, there's not a fix-all approach to handling it. They could split tags in the units into 2 categories of management and trophy class. Management tags would likely not require as many points and those who want to hunt the units more often can do so. The trophy tags would likely see a major increase in point requirement since there'll be fewer of them. Despite a longer wait, those folks may appreciate the effort to decrease high grading in the younger age classes.

 

[BKC]

If they make changes, I hope they don't screw current point holders. I have 13 points for Antelope that I want to use in 2014, not this year as I will be in Hawaii for the month of October this year.

CC Don't hold your breath!

 

[packmule]

What better point system than an actual true point system. It's not like people don't know where they stand with the amt of points they have going into a draw.