2023 Special Draw Witness Perspective

[Antlershed]

One question I would have, based on the info you just gave, is how is the system letting that many invalid applications in the door in the first place? They have all of the information in the system to do these validations on the front end.

Again, I'm not expert on this, but my info may have led you to believe there were people that were getting in left and right with invalid apps....that wasnt the case. I believe they have to check applications and people out to make sure they meet parameters. Your right in the fact that most of the info is up front and valid, HOWEVER, there are always people in EVERY state that get into draws that either just moved, have an invalid hunters ed card, etc. From what I understood they check most people to make sure this isn't the case, something I think everyone would appreciate, especially if a guy got drawn for an OIL tag and he no longer lived here. Having hunted in most Westen states and a plethora of clients that do as well I've heard lots of stories of people 'sneaking in' resident draw apps. Again, I appreciate they are doing their best to keep it valid in this aspect.

Thanks Joel, appreciate the extra insight, and do appreciate that they do check for things like that.

[Mulie87]

Thanks for the post and insight.

[Antlershed]

I think the gripes people are having is why is it? We have our own residents. Some of them with 20 bullpoints 25 quality bullpoints. Some of them with 20 cow points that just cannot draw a tag and you have others that draw multiple times in the continuous category. This is a failed system that is not working and isn't right to the people that have that kind of points and cannot draw. We have to have a cap

Nature of a bonus point system.

I didn’t draw bull elk with 26 points this year, nor did I draw quality deer with 22.

I’d be in favor of ditching points altogether.

[HUNT JR]

The best thing we could do would be to lower the amount of choices everyone gets to 1 for all species. Would make people really focus on what units they actually want to hunt.

[Sneaky Squirrel]

I've never thought the multiple applications for each species was a good idea because you're right it creates an even worse point creep. They claimed it would give more opportunity. I think it's just an easy way for them to collect more revenue. 1 person buying apps for quality bull, bull, and antlerless will spend more money than a person buying just one elk application.

I bet the revenue stream isn't as big as what most people think. In Oregon, the app fee basically covers there cost to perform the draw. WA quality is a little more so i do figure they are putting some $ in there pocket.

Thanks for the report on how they do the draw.

Seems like an easy way to increase odds is do it similar to Idaho - Pick Deer and Elk or one of the OIL's. If you pick Deer and Elk, make it only one app. You choose what you would like to get out of it, more of a meat hunt(cows which should be easier to draw) or a quality experience. If drawn, you can't apply for tags the next year or two. That way we can get some of the lucky guys out of the draw....

[benhuntin]

I think you did a great job on quality elk.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobcat]

Should only be 5 categories like it used to be- deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat. That's it.

[James]

I think Thomas Sowell has some wise words on the matter of "type of draw system":

“There are no solutions. There are only trade-offs.”

[fishngamereaper]

Should only be 5 categories like it used to be- deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat. That's it.

 
Seems this year was feast or famine...
Also presents more issues and work for wdfw having to deal with a ton of returned tags because of multi tag same species issues...

[GOcougsHunter]

Should only be 5 categories like it used to be- deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat. That's it.

  100% agree.  My son and I put in for a total of 28 categories.  It used to be more when he was youth.

[vandeman17]

5 would be fine with me but like others said, I would also be fine going as far as Idaho does and saying it is either deer and elk or OIL in a given year.

[idahohuntr]

5 would be fine with me but like others said, I would also be fine going as far as Idaho does and saying it is either deer and elk or OIL in a given year.

Same.

But any change is just a game of trade-offs and it's just too easy for the Department to dismiss changes because there will never be consensus.

Per this witness and others - I've never had any real criticism of the speed or diligence of WDFW in doing the draw.  I will also say...witnesses watching someone push a button and display results is not any real kind of transparency or accountability when it comes to draw results...4 or 5 independent IT experts reviewing all data/software/programs would be more legitimate.  I could run a very illegitimate draw and invite 5 strangers into the room and say...look, I'm pushing the button...there's the results...

But to be clear - I have no doubts its a legitimate draw.

[Antlershed]

5 would be fine with me but like others said, I would also be fine going as far as Idaho does and saying it is either deer and elk or OIL in a given year.

Same.

But any change is just a game of trade-offs and it's just too easy for the Department to dismiss changes because there will never be consensus.

Per this witness and others - I've never had any real criticism of the speed or diligence of WDFW in doing the draw.  I will also say...witnesses watching someone push a button and display results is not any real kind of transparency or accountability when it comes to draw results...4 or 5 independent IT experts reviewing all data/software/programs would be more legitimate.  I could run a very illegitimate draw and invite 5 strangers into the room and say...look, I'm pushing the button...there's the results...

But to be clear - I have no doubts its a legitimate draw.

[vandeman17]

5 would be fine with me but like others said, I would also be fine going as far as Idaho does and saying it is either deer and elk or OIL in a given year.

Same.

But any change is just a game of trade-offs and it's just too easy for the Department to dismiss changes because there will never be consensus.

Per this witness and others - I've never had any real criticism of the speed or diligence of WDFW in doing the draw.  I will also say...witnesses watching someone push a button and display results is not any real kind of transparency or accountability when it comes to draw results...4 or 5 independent IT experts reviewing all data/software/programs would be more legitimate.  I could run a very illegitimate draw and invite 5 strangers into the room and say...look, I'm pushing the button...there's the results...

But to be clear - I have no doubts its a legitimate draw.

I would also add that I would be willing to pay more for each application to help make up for the lost revenue considering most would end up likely paying less or the same anyway. 2 apps at $50 an app or 10 apps at an average of $10 per app is still $100 out of my pocket.

[James]

I would also add that I would be willing to pay more for each application to help make up for the lost revenue considering most would end up likely paying less or the same anyway. 2 apps at $50 an app or 10 apps at an average of $10 per app is still $100 out of my pocket.

Hell, I would be willing to pay double, triple, and probably even much higher on ALL license fees if I thought it would fix WDFW and our fish/game woes.