Is it worth it? Put in as a group for deer hunts....

[backwoods_boy]

just wondering if anyone had good luck with putting in as a group for deer hunts.
with the permit numbers being so low is it better to put in for deer as a single instead of a group?
your thoughts?
 

[WDFW-SUX]

no

[backwoods_boy]

no what? :-)
group is better?

[billythekidrock]

Your odds are much better if you go alone.

[backwoods_boy]

yeah thats what i thought.
i mean with most hunt choices having 0-50 apps....

[Thwack]

I think it depends on group size. For instance if you were applying for a hunt with 15 permits and a group size of 2. If your app was drawn and 14 permits had already been given leaving only one available you would be passed over because there is no permit for your partner. In this case if you had been an individual you would have been drawn. Otherwise if there are two or more permit remaining you would be fine.

If you have a larger group your odds of drawing are reduced. I personally apply as a two man group so I have my hunting partner with me if I get drawn. I slightly reduces my odds but worth it to me. I would not put in with any more than a two man group.

[backwoods_boy]

good point
thanks

[rasbo]

Im with thwack on this,If my dad was around today I would put in for group.I drew a anybull tag nobody I knew drew one.It wasnt the same as having a partner with ya,at camp.I enjoy the fellowship

[Jackjr]

Drew with 2 in a group last year.  If you call 2 a group .  50 permits for the hunt.  But as we all know its a crap shoot in washington

[bobcat]

If you have somebody who will go along on your hunt as a helper, if you do draw a good permit, then apply separately. Your odds are better. It all depends on how bad you want to draw. If there is a relatively large number of permits, then applying as a party of two doesn't hurt your odds much. I prefer to apply for deer with a partner just because it makes the trip more worthwhile. And it's easier to split the cost of the hunt if both people are hunting.

[sanjuankelso]

It really depends on how many preference points you have or how bad you want to hunt with others. If you have equal points it doesn't make a difference because they average them between the party. If you have 10 and your partner or partners have less it can decrease your odds of drawing a tag. If you want to have someone come along on a second deer tag or doe hunt and you have a lot of points to share it can really improve the camps chances of all drawing. As stated above if you are drawn and there are less tags available than people in your party you could be overlooked which is why it's good to put in for multiple hunt choices.

[finnman]

It would make sense to apply as a single to up the draw odds. But I can tell you I have drawn 2 late buck hunts with a party of 4!!!! Entiat with only 1 point and Ritzville with 4 points!!!! I always have had party sizes of 4 because my wife and dad and usually a friend all want to go. With my draw odds this high I won't ever apply by myself again!

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Partners this year. I don't mind hunting alone but i think it is much better with a partner especially if it is for a unit that we don't normally hunt. We are puting in for hunts we have never hunted before. So thi syear parnering up made sense.

[backwoods_boy]

My brother and i put in for deer hunts.
CROSSING FINGERS!!!

[Slayock]

I think your decision should also have to deal with the area.  Units like the Watershed are tough to hunt by yourself and if you get something you can only take in one other person to help you get it out.  If you get drawn with your hunting partner and get one down you can have three people getting it out of the hell hole.

[Heavily Armed Hiker]

I always put in as a group for special hunts because we have a great spot for our over the counter tags.  That way if we get drawn, our group gets to make a special trip later in the year.  I think overall your odds are probably better going it alone but if there are a fair number of tags for the unit, then the group is the way to go.  Sure beats taking the time off of work to go hunting when you can't shoot because you don't have the tag

[farmin4u_98948]

I guess Im not the brightest bulb in  the box cause I always understood that the larger the group the better the chances are to get drawn.  If one gets drawn in the group all would get drawn. It seems that it increases your chances to have more people in addition to the point of each person. Tell me why I am wrong but keep it simple cause like I said..."Im not that bright"

[bobcat]

You are wrong. A group application is no different than an individual application. If there are 4 people in the group with 5 points each, the points are added for a total of 20, then divided by the number of people (4), which comes out to 5. So the group application has 5 points and that number is then squared, which is 25. That application gets 25 chances in the drawing. Same as each individual person would have gotten if they each applied separately. Applying individually they have a total of 100 chances in the drawing. As a group only 25 chances. So you can see if all four applied individually, they would have a 4 times greater chance of ONE of them being drawn, than if they had applied as a group. But if applying as a group, if one gets drawn they all get drawn.

[luvtohnt]

they would have a 4 times greater chance of ONE of them being drawn, than if they had applied as a group. But if applying as a group, if one gets drawn they all get drawn.

So essentially wouldn't that be the same odds?

Brandon

[bobcat]

Yes.

[farmin4u_98948]

Thanx for the info bobkitty.... so now I know bigger isnt always better   

[Skyvalhunter]

Just remember if there are 3 permits left and one of the 4 gets drawn then no one draws as there isn't enough permits left

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

As i understand it ( If you put in as a group only the group leader is in the draw? In our case this year i am the group leader i have 6 points, my bro in law has 7 so we have 6.5 points rounded to the nearest whole number means 7, we have 7 points for the draw, if i get drawn we both get tags...)

Maybe i am wrong but this was how it was explained to me.