BONUS POINTS QUESTION

[WDFW-SUX]

Points are the biggest scam ever...........A group of hunters convinced most of the states that they deserved a higher % of the tags simply because they started applying in a certain year..................and if you missed that year you will likely never draw.  How is that fair or equatable?

"no state shall… deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

 

[KillBilly]

According to Mike at WDFW (360-902-2515) accrued points can be applied to any once in a lifetime hunt. They accrue 1 point for every application and the only limititations are the numbers years applied for. If you applied for 12 years you have 12 points. Bonus points are handled by enforcement and are "ususlly" applied to the animal that the case was based on. It can vary at the discretion of Enforcement

[bucklucky]

ALot of good my 11 bonus points for elk are doing me!

[Curly]

The way the draw and point system is done in this state it really is just like the lottery.  It is all by chance and luck of the draw.  I like the way Oregon does the draw better.  Based on statistics, you know how many years it will take to keep applying and finally get drawn for a certain permit.  It allows you time to make plans and figure on when you will be likely to draw a permit.

In this state, there is no way to know for certain if you will ever get drawn and, chances are you will NEVER get drawn.

Just think about how many people keep putting in year after year for the premium tags.  There must be thousands of people with 11 or 12 points now competing for the same permits.  Their odds of drawing that tag they want today are as just as bad (or worse) than day 1 when everyone no points.  Sure your name is in the hat 144 times...........but so are thousands of others.

[billythekidrock]

Bonus points are handled by enforcement and are "ususlly" applied to the animal that the case was based on. It can vary at the discretion of Enforcement

Sounds like a system set up for abuse.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

But Curly what happens in Oregon when you have 1000 people with max points applying for 11 permits???
Same as Colorado, it will take more years to cycle through those people than one could live...
I like the chance, at least i know i have a chance, remote as it is it is still a chance.

I think about my kid, he is 8. In oregon he would never draw a tag, he doesn't have any points. At least here he has a change at a margaret or toutle bull the first year he applies, 2 years from now.

[Curly]

Maybe Orgeon is different because they have more permits available.  I think most of the best units it only takes residents 2 or 3 years before they are guaranteed to draw a permit.  I guess it could be because they have more elk and less hunters applying, but for some reason you can be guaranteed to draw a permit.

In Oregon your kid would draw a tag after a few years of applying.  Everybody eventually gets drawn so he would get drawn and be able to hunt........in WA he may never draw one of the premium tags. 

There are a couple of the very best units down there that only have limited permits and will take 10 years to draw (like the Muzzleloader deer permit during the rut....Juniper, I think) a resident can hold out for that one for a long time, but he will eventually get it.  In WA you could keep putting in for Desert for 40 years and probably not draw.

[bobcat]

The difference is that in Oregon you can't hunt if you don't draw. They dont have a general season for mule deer like we have here. Also most of eastern Oregon has no general elk season, it is hunting by permit only. They do have a few spike-only general season units but not that many. So for that reason most people don't build up many points, because if they want to hunt they have to apply for something other than the most premium hunts, and most elk tags can be drawn with 3 or 4 points (or less.) Same with the deer hunts.

I really don't have a problem with Washington's point system. I think it's as fair as any point system could be. I also think Oregon's system works well. It's not better or worse than Washington's, just different.

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

Bobcat i agree... The people that want to hunt premium hunts put in for them every year and the people that want to hunt every 3-4 years put in for everything else.
My buddy's hunt in oregon and can't believe that i get to chase branched bulls every year. When they have to wait 3-4 years. And that is changing for them also...
Just wait untill WA pulls the same crap, the area you have hunted since you were a kid becomes draw only and you only get to hunt it every 3-4 years would suck.