washington big game permits

[steeleywhopper]

I think we ought to go back to only one choice per person for special hunts. When I was younger I could draw the Blue creek doe tag every year, as soon as it went 4 choices I never drew again. I think it keeps people putting in for areas they know and for tags they really want. I know lots of people who get drawn on 3rd and 4th choice doe or cow tags and never go hunt. Makes me wanna puke, because I know that there are people out there that probably put them as 1st choices and really wanted that tag. Other than my   I think our system is Ok. I would not want to be in my buddys shoes, he has a butt load of points for a certain Colorado Muley area but they dropped the number of tags so it looks as if he will never draw. That would make me want to commit suicide after waiting all of the years he has.

[shanevg]

I think cubeing the points at a certain number just adds to the problem. Soon you will just have larger and larger point totals and people still not drawing.

I would like too see the choices go back to "one choice". I think that making people choose between a "trophy" hunt and a lesser hunt will free up alot of numbers. I've always put in for less known, harder work hunts and had great success. I guess I've come to realize that I'm never going to draw a Dessert or Margret tag. But, there are alot of tags that I can get with better draw odds and will get a fine animal of the same class.

I agree completely.  When I said the cubing is a good idea, I meant that only if there is a cap, and once you reached the cap, your points were cubed.  That way, everyone would still have some chance of being drawn, but your chances once you reached a (say 20 point) cap would be extremely increased.  This would also allow for all the younger hunters to have a chance to catch up... eventually.

I also think that we should go down to only one choice per species.  I also think we should only be allowed to apply for one OIL species, and have to send the tag money in up front.  If we did it like Idaho where you could only apply deer+elk or sheep or moose or goat with one choice per species, the odds would go up exponentially.  If that was the way the state went, you could even keep points going, because the odds would increase so much that you could actually cycle through max point holders.  This was proposed this past year though and hunters shot down the idea because they are greedy and think that by having more options and being able to apply for more species they have better odds of getting drawn.  I tried to explain the only one option per species idea to a friend at school once and he said that there was no way that would increase odds of getting drawn.  Of course it would!  Yet another option is going through all the first choices of hunters before going to second, third, and fourth.  That would essentially make it only one choice per species except it would also appease hunters who want to have 4 choices.

[B.G.hunter]

i think you guys are right about the number of draw choices should be reduced that would help chance of hunters on "trophy tags"  but if you are a washington resident and not putting for other states your chances at a big deer or elk are very limited.

[ACCUBOND]

Its all going to change next year, they just didnt have time to implement the new system this year before the draw.

[Wacenturion]

I also agree with only once choice per species.  The current four choices draws artificially high numbers of applicants for many hunts and screws up the odds and time between drawing a subsequent opportunity.

[Blacktail killer]

Shane you say people with the most points get draw and thats how washington dose it. can I say *censored*tttt i have a buddy that has drawn eniat deer tags 3 out of 4 years and have another friend who drew a elk tag that only gives 4 permits with 2 points I have never ever drew any thing.

[billythekidrock]

I would prefer two choices, but could get behind a proposal to move from 4 to 1 if that was the only option for reduction.

[WDFW-SUX]

One choice would be so easy for me...Id love it.

[billythekidrock]

 I would like to see them explore options like splitting the permits. Maybe 50% of the permits are only alloted to those with 10 or more points. The other 50% of permits would be open for everyone.

[WAcoueshunter]

Shane you say people with the most points get draw and thats how washington dose it. can I say *censored*tttt i have a buddy that has drawn eniat deer tags 3 out of 4 years and have another friend who drew a elk tag that only gives 4 permits with 2 points I have never ever drew any thing.

Wow, someone's bitter!  Certainly there is some luck involved, just like I'm sure there have been people who won PowerBall and only bought one ticket.  But no question, people with more points draw the majority of the good permits.  Just look at the distribution summary.  If you don't have a chance to draw with only a few points, even if your changes are really slim, people will stop buying licenses and applying. 

I like our system - I think it's a good balance between rewarding long timers and giving newbies some chance.  Preference systems discourage new hunters.  States that don't square points leave too much to random chance.  I like our balance.   

[huntnphool]

I think its about the best system out there, like Wacous said it gives everyone a chance and is weighted toward the long time applicants.

[furbearer365]

I think that a really good way to give everyone a better chance is to not allow anyone to put in for 2 years once they have drawn a tag.  Allow them to get the points but not give them the opportunity to draw every single year.  Like was mentioned earlier, we have a ton of over the counter tags for those that could not draw for those two years.  That way we get a good turnaround of different people drawing year after year.  Also, the difference between a quality tag in Washington and a quality tag in Wyoming is so far away from each other that i bet 99% of Wyoming residents wouldn't waste three years on any of our tags except maybe Entiat or Desert.  Totally different frame of mind.

[SkookumHntr]

I think its about the best system out there, like Wacous said it gives everyone a chance and is weighted toward the long time applicants.

--Totally wrong! When you have the thousands of people that have 5Pt's or less they are going to get the majority of the tags! Not the long time applicants fault that applying for permits got so popular within the last 5to 8 years. With the pearrygin tag avg points at only five that means lots of guys are drawing with like 3 and 4 Pt's. Total BS, We need some sorta minimum Pt's to apply for certain tags or percentage of tags to guys at the top of the Pt's list!!

[Blacktail killer]

 

[Brushbuster]

Good discussion on our draw system. I too think it's one of the more fair system's of the western states. I think the biggest impact on drawing odds mentioned so far would be to switch to one choice per species instead of four. I'd also like to do away with giving 10 points for turning in poachers. I'd they should be rewarded but in some other way and not to gain preference over other hunters that have been applying each year.