Contributors to this thread:
Can anyone tell me if it makes a difference on draw odds if a group submits applications as individuals or as a group?
My mom, daughter and I already drew antelope tags so we thought about applying for cow elk tags in the same unit. So technically we are going to be there anyway so we don't ALL need elk tags but if we apply as a group we will all get tags if drawn. Do we increase or odds of at least one person getting a tag if we all apply separately?
I know Randy Newburg has explained the process for different states and how they do the draws differently, but I don't remember the specifics of the Wyoming draw.
Odds should be the same however, if you apply as a party you could draw over the quotas on licenses as they award all in the party a license even if the quota is lower than what tags are available when you get drawn. If that makes any sense to you, lol.
Applying separately takes the all or none out of the equation.
Three individuals have a minimally better chance of drawing 1 tag than a party; depending on total apps and tags. All members of the party are in the draw, same as the individuals, but all members of the party have the same points and random numbers (treated as one individual in practice).
There is no difference in the odds because the regulations state in the matter that the tags are drawn if you have a party designation and one person in that party is drawn then all members of the party will be drawn. If there is one tag left in their quota and a party member is drawn they adjust the quota. The maximum number of people in a party is six so it shouldn't have a great effect on the areas set quota.
Thanks. I wasn't sure if they would award all tags or not based on quota. Now I know
Look at it this way… if you are all together on a party app you have your name in the hat once. If you submit 3 separate applications then you have 3 names in the hat do a better chance that at least one will draw. The downside, if it matters is one can draw while the others don’t. The party app is all or nothing while individual apps is the shotgun approach with a better chance of putting at least one BB in the target.
I've heard that a party has one and only one name in the pool. If that one name gets drawn you all get tags
Individually you have 3 chances, but only those of the 3 that get drawn get tags
So one chance to draw 3, or 3 chances each to draw 1
See my link for the full process or just read step 8 below.
Step 8: Application Type Selection At this point you must choose whether you want to apply as an “individual,” a “party organizer” (meaning you are the first applicant to submit an application for the party) or as a “party member” (meaning you want to join an existing online party). A party is a group of hunters who apply for hunting licenses for the same species, hunt area and type, with the expectation of receiving the same drawing results. All applicants in a party are assigned the same random number; therefore, they receive the same drawing results. Applicants who do not apply as a party are assigned individual random numbers. Applying as a party does not increase the drawing odds. The maximum party size is six (6). Party applications will be accepted for all big game licenses, except moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat or bison.
