I noticed that NV allows applicants to skip a year without loosing their points. Another option is to apply for tags but get your license refunded and not gain bonus pts. I currently have 13 bonus pts and am considering applying every other year or just apply for licenses without gaining an additional bonus pt. From what I remember they cube bonus pts so those with more have a better chance to draw.
It's getting the point in most Western states that the price for applying is pushing many guys out of the draws....pretty sad deal!
The entire New Mexico debacle has me re-thinking my annual commitment to the Western state draws. Don't get me wrong, I realize playing the draws has always been a gamble...and the rules are always subject to change. But in this case, the rules changed after the application period closed and they had my money. That really drives the point home.
Costs to apply continue to inflate...almost as quickly as the cost of premium tags. I think it is time for me personally to bow out of at least four states...and keep a closer eye on actions of those states which remain on my list. It's not the money so much as the principle....enough is enough.
If it comes to the point that it costs $220/year in 4 different states to apply that comes to $880/year in application costs. Multiply that by 20 years (which it often takes to draw some tags) and that's $17,600 to apply in 4 states for 20 years. That doesn't guarantee 1 tag nor include the price of a tag once drawn!
It may not currently cost $220/year to apply in 4 states but potentially that could happen! If I told my wife I was spending over $17,000 to apply in 4 states for 20 years my stuff would be out the door!
Just a minor correction, they square pts, at least that's what I recall.
your so right that's why I don't apply Idaho and should have never started Montana (13 years in for the big three species ). there vague NR tag draw system gets under my skin
Not that I won't still be applying, purely as a gambler, in NV and other states. But its wise to constantly evaluate these draws on a simple financial basis, and consider every alternative.
jims- The notion of applying to NV for elk and sheep without gaining points would not make sense to me. By NV squaring points, the odds to draw elk or sheep without gaining points are too poor to make it worthwhile. With your total of 13, I'd keep gaining points. You're in too deep to quit! Archery deer might be the exception, with a better chance to draw w/o points. The best alternative might be to move there!
My Nv. was $282.00 OTD. $144.50/license back in mid-March and $137.50 last week applying.
Wait till they go All $$$ up front and then refunded 2-3 months later.....that is gonna have some brown eye pucker power!!
Good luck, Robb
I'm personally doing my best to burn my points where feasible and hunt areas that may not be THE TOP UNIT, but provide good opportunity. Reason ?, in 25 years playing this game my best bulls, 350, 2 330's ,couple others over 300,along with a 180,174,and 160 mule deer all taken with general or over the counter tags. As for the couple Great Tags I've drawn, I shot only fair to good animals, have no chance or will have to wait 20 years to draw again ,and wasted a lot of money that could have been used to hunt other spices with better opportunity to draw . I wish all in the draws the best but I've found better ways to invest my hard earned hunting dollars than to fund the someone else's pockets.
In TX it seems (i haven't experienced it) that hunting is a wealthy man's sport. TX hunting will spread, its a matter of time. I just hope I'm not here to witness it.
Now for guys that have never drawn there, I can understand the situation. But at this point I do believe it's worth staying in the draw. Unfortunately for me, in 3 years when I am once again elligible for elk, I won't bother to apply due to the point squaring. The number of guys ahead of me will be astronomical!
17 yrs ago you had to have all the money up front to put in- if they were to do that now it would be truly a rich mans sport. I don't always agree with NDOW policies but they do a pretty damn good job and if you draw you can count on a memorable hunt.
http://www.huntnevada.com/
Being a Canuck this is one place that I do put in for draws. Had the opprotunity in 2012 to hunt with a friend that drew a desert tag. He killed a mid 160's ram. Kinda got me interested considering it was the second year that he put in!!!
Someone has to get lucky.....might as well be me!!!!!
www.nvdreamtag.org
If ya got a spare $5 laying around...it could come in handy :-)
Call 'em for the facts....
1-800-576-1020
==badbull, I have drawn 3 muley buck tags in like 8-9 years....
So yes you can do it for sure.
Good luck, Robb
I just called them and then got an e-mail address. Scanned a hard copy and sent it electronically. Had my number within a couple hours. I was pretty impressed with the service and how easy the process was on the website.
"Other"...
So I gotta ask ya ~~
Where/What does your Handle represent??
Kinda unique for sure.
Thanks!
Good luck, Robb
I never noticed that before. I think when I joined up there was no choice available for the NWT. I live just outside Yellowknife up here.
I had the opprotunity to spend some time with a few of the guys off of this site a number of years back and found it a pretty good place hang out with a ton of really good information in the history.
I'm a daily visitor here but I don't post too often due to the fact that I'm primarily a rifle toter. I do have a recurve that I recieved as a tip from one of the sponsors here. Very cool unit....unfortunately I'm not up to par with it yet lol. I'll keep practicing!!
The name comes from an old boss of mine that called me "monkey". Mostly cuz he looked like a big ol' silverback gorilla lol. I truly do love being up on the tundra in the fall (well, just about anytime actually) but chasing caribou up there is the absolute bomb. I'm a member of several sites under the same name.
Pat's slacken....I'm still an other.
Come to think of it....I put that on a few forms as I'm not a "visible minority" lol!!!!
I am such a glutton for punishment I am still applying. I figure my lost money for the Lost bonus points went to a good cause.
No way Brandon!!! BUMMER....
Good luck, Robb
I made a minuscule error in CO for sheep twice. Both times they had all my money, my name, a valid hunt code selection, ontime and they did not even give me a PP so I am short two of max. One time I left the word "five hundred" after the thousand on the check but had $1,500.00 (or whatever it was) properly written in the numeral area on the check. The check cleared for the proper amount and they still didn't give me a point!
In AZ I have applied for the wrong hunt code twice, once each for two different sons for coues deer and got them October or November tags instead of the premium unit and date late December rifle tags they could have easily drawn before they went to college. Those mistakes are my most painful. And as we all know, AZ is a zero tolerance state when it comes to hunt applications. Poof. All points and money gone! A friend of mine was max points for deer and was working his way toward a strip tag for two decades in the max pool. He applied with a friend and that friend put the prior year's general hunting license number on the application so it was rejected. He had purchased the current year license but they kicked it out anyway for both guys. Now they are two points below max for 5 years (loss of loyalty) and one point short forever and never going to draw a strip tag. That is about the most chickenshit rejection I know about. Why does AZ even make you put down the hunting license number on the application? They can't match your hunting license number they sold you with your Sportsmans ID through the same amount of effort they expend to verify the hunting license number you give them? Actually it would be less effort to just look it up. Currently they have to input the number you put down on every app and then match them to ever ID to see if they match.
I also forgot to check the nonresident box in AZ for sheep once. Sent them the nonresident fee and they gladly cashed my check and kept my money but didn't put me in the drawing or give me a bonus point.
I think I only screwed up once over the years...invalid hunt code for NV CBS.
I used to have paper apps sitting on my desk for weeks, so I could review them dozens of times before the went in the mail.
