Question about wyoming preference points

[Blsum]

So my brother and I decided that for my dad's 60th birthday in 2018 we would do an out of state hunt. We decided we would let him pick and I would do the research. He decided that we should go to wyoming for either deer or antelope or both. So while doing some research I have found that we should put in for preference points. My question is if we just put in for points in 2016 and 2017, does it matter what unit we put in for at this time or do we need to pick the unit we are wanting to hunt now? So for example. If when we log on to the wyoming f&g it says we need to pick a unit. Can we just pull a unit out of a hat (let's just say unit 19) and then in a couple of years when we actually apply for tags we want (let's just say 117) can we use the points we have built up in 19 and apply them to 117?

[Bob33]

You can buy points only that are applicable to any unit.They are sold until October 31.

https://wgfd.wyo.gov/Hunting/Preference-Points

[lewy]

In Wyoming you can just buy a preference point and not actually apply

[Muleyslyr]

 

[bobcat]

Yeah, it's too late now to apply for an actual hunt anyway. Just buy your points and find a hunt that can be drawn with two points in 2018. It will probably be difficult to find an area you can draw with only two points for both deer and antelope, unless you want to hunt private land and pay for access. From what I know I believe with only two points if you want to hunt public land, I'd be planning on a deer hunt, and not antelope. Antelope requires more in the range of 4 to 6 points.

[Mr Mykiss]

Hijack...what to do with 8 WY deer points? I mean you have to drive right through Idaho to get to Wyoming, why keep driving??

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah, it's too late now to apply for an actual hunt anyway. Just buy your points and find a hunt that can be drawn with two points in 2018. It will probably be difficult to find an area you can draw with only two points for both deer and antelope, unless you want to hunt private land and pay for access. From what I know I believe with only two points if you want to hunt public land, I'd be planning on a deer hunt, and not antelope. Antelope requires more in the range of 4 to 6 points.

Don't give up on antelope.  Plenty of public land hunts in the 1-2 point range.  Here's one posted by another Hunt-Wa member:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,199831.0.html

[bobcat]

Yeah, it's too late now to apply for an actual hunt anyway. Just buy your points and find a hunt that can be drawn with two points in 2018. It will probably be difficult to find an area you can draw with only two points for both deer and antelope, unless you want to hunt private land and pay for access. From what I know I believe with only two points if you want to hunt public land, I'd be planning on a deer hunt, and not antelope. Antelope requires more in the range of 4 to 6 points.

Don't give up on antelope.  Plenty of public land hunts in the 1-2 point range.  Here's one posted by another Hunt-Wa member:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,199831.0.html

Yes, there are hunts that take only one or two points, but generally those are the hunts that are in units that are predominantly private land, or the hunt is restricted to only a portion of the unit, which is the case in the hunt at the link you posted.

[WAcoueshunter]

Yeah, it's too late now to apply for an actual hunt anyway. Just buy your points and find a hunt that can be drawn with two points in 2018. It will probably be difficult to find an area you can draw with only two points for both deer and antelope, unless you want to hunt private land and pay for access. From what I know I believe with only two points if you want to hunt public land, I'd be planning on a deer hunt, and not antelope. Antelope requires more in the range of 4 to 6 points.

Don't give up on antelope.  Plenty of public land hunts in the 1-2 point range.  Here's one posted by another Hunt-Wa member:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,199831.0.html

Yes, there are hunts that take only one or two points, but generally those are the hunts that are in units that are predominantly private land, or the hunt is restricted to only a portion of the unit, which is the case in the hunt at the link you posted.

I think that's a common misperception.  I've taken four bucks since 2010 (2010, 2013, 2015 and 2016), never with more than 3 points, all on land open to the public.  The latest this last Sunday.  We pay the freight for the special draw, so that helps some.  This year we were in the <1 point group, and the unit we could draw doesn't have many antelope and was a tougher hunt.  But we got it done and had a great time.  Last year we were in the 2 point group, and drew a tag that took me about 30 minutes to fill. 

[bobcat]

Not really a misconception, but I guess it depends on how much you're willing to pay and what kind of experience you want. If you just want to hunt antelope, then yeah, it can be done with only a couple of points, and paying $526 for the special draw versus only $286 for the regular draw certainly does make a difference in what units can be drawn. I don't know anything about the odds for the special draw, as I have never looked at that. But in the regular draw, I know there's a good reason why certain units can be drawn with only one or two points, and that reason is almost always a lack of public land to hunt. Again, not saying it can't be done. But if I pay $300 for a tag and drive a thousand miles one way, I would rather hunt a unit that is more public than private.

[cem3434]

Yeah, it's too late now to apply for an actual hunt anyway. Just buy your points and find a hunt that can be drawn with two points in 2018. It will probably be difficult to find an area you can draw with only two points for both deer and antelope, unless you want to hunt private land and pay for access. From what I know I believe with only two points if you want to hunt public land, I'd be planning on a deer hunt, and not antelope. Antelope requires more in the range of 4 to 6 points.

Don't give up on antelope.  Plenty of public land hunts in the 1-2 point range.  Here's one posted by another Hunt-Wa member:

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,199831.0.html

  Build some points and see what happens.  You will technically have 3 points going into the draw, which will open up a lot of oppurtunities.  As others have suggested, you can always pony up the money for the special draw and increase your chances.

[Blsum]

Thanks for your input guys. As of right now we are going to be just putting in for points. This way we will have a few point on the books going into the draw in 2018. Sounds like das is thinking he might want to find a rancher in an area that has a bunk house for rent and will let you hunt their property if you rent the bunk house. Trophy size doesn't really matter to any of us. Since none of us have ever been antelope hunting before. I will be doing a lot more research as time goes on and we get closer.