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What age can you start

At what age in your state can you start building preference/bonus points? As a father of a young son I would like to start him at the earliest possible age due to point creep. I figure if you start as early as allowed you may eventually outlive all other point holders.... it's sad what it's become.

You can't build points in NM but as I read it one must have a hunter safety number from any state. So as long as a kid has a hsn they can apply for the standard hunts.

In AZ you can hunt big game at 10 IF you have taken the AZ hunter safety course, 14 if you haven't taken the course. Not sure how this effects the points only part of the draw, I would call the Dept. to clarify.

Colorado is 12. With Hunter Safety verified

and...

PREFERENCE POINT FEES » HOW IT WORKS. If you do not hold an active 2016 annual* or big-game license, or do not receive a license through the draw, you will be charged $40 PER SPECIES (for deer, elk, pronghorn and bear), for which you get a preference point. This fee applies to residents and nonresidents. However, residents getting deer or pronghorn preference points will be charged only $30 for each of those. For example: If a nonresident (who isn’t exempt from the fee) receives a point for all four species, they will be charged $160. A resident would be charged $140. » HOW TO AVOID IT. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you have until March 31, 2017, to purchase a 2016 annual fishing, annual small game, annual resident combination fishing and small game or resident senior fishing license. » HOW WILL I BE CHARGED FOR IT? If you are charged the preference-point fee, it will be deducted from your 2017 big-game application refund(s). For example, if you’re a resident and apply for a deer license or preference point and don’t draw (and you are not exempt from the fee), you will receive a $1 refund.

12 years old in my home state of SD. I started building points for my daughter at that age. I wish someone had thought to do the same for me. When she reaches her early 20's she's going to have enough points to draw some killer tags before she starts a family/career, etc. That's the plan anyway!

"it's sad what it's become."

Ya you read my mind. I'm over 20 points in most states and intend to burn off as many as I can as quickly as I can before this house of cards falls.

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