2017 Montana Drawing

[dble07]

Looks like the draw is finally completed, or at least getting closer. My deer tag had been pending since last week. Checked this morning and I drew the 652 tag with horrible odds! Really only put in for that unit since it's 3 hrs away just to build points for a different unit. Hopefully if I run it by boat or burn up the boots I can turn up a good buck.

Does anybody else think Montana has the most complicated systems of all the western states? I've spent a lot of time hunting ,researching and applying there and IMO it's hardest of all the states to figure out. Probably doesn't help that their website sucks.

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[ndbuck09]

All these systems, with all their differences and all the BS...its all so dumb really. The simplest most fair system is a completely random draw. Everyone puts in and they draw. No bonus names in the hat, no cascading down points and all that crap.

And some people in these western states want to take over our Public Lands HAHAHAHAHAH

Idaho does it soooo RIGHT with their just random drawings. Older people aren't rewarded, younger people aren't rewarded. No one is rewarded we're all on equal level every year, for every draw hunt.

As someone who is 30 and starting elk hunting out west when I was 23, Its so sad that the previous generation was so greedy that they put these stupid point systems in place to begin with. And its either play the dumb game or never really get to hunt higher concentrations of more mature animals.

 

[thnksno]

Point systems generate a lot of money for western states. Preference points in a way allow a hunter to somewhat plan years out on when they will be drawn and can plan with outfitters etc. without points some guys including myself might never draw a western tag.

 

[thnksno]

I am somewhat partial to the systems because I carry numerous points in western states and am in too deep now to quit, but I could see a new hunter looking at draw odds and points and they are so far out from drawing they don't try. If it was my first year elk hunting I would try Colorado or Idaho and get some kills and experience for a few years while building points rather than starting at the top and striking out in a unit I wasted my one shot on hunting.

 

[Reeltime]

The part I said was screwed up is that their are guys without General Elk that are drawing the special permit.

Copy.

 

[jmez]

without points some guys including myself might never draw a western tag.

Works both ways. With points systems, a lot of guys that didn't get in on the ground floor will never draw a tag.

 

[Tony8108]

2016 Montana leftover licenses now available | goHUNT

The way I read this is last year they didn't give out all tags for lottery and then sold the rest over the counter. Some must have not gotten drawn last year then got to get them OTC?

 

[ndbwhunter]

2016 Montana leftover licenses now available | goHUNT

The way I read this is last year they didn't give out all tags for lottery and then sold the rest over the counter. Some must have not gotten drawn last year then got to get them OTC?

That is from 2016.....

 

[thnksno]

Works both ways. With points systems, a lot of guys that didn't get in on the ground floor will never draw a tag.

Eventually the guys with the points will start drawing and will be set back to 0. There is no real ground floor anymore. Not every unit in every state takes the max points available to draw. I used up my points in Wyoming 5 years ago. I started over and now have 4 points again. No bad time to start applying.

I just don't ever see the points going away with the amount of income it produces. I would rather see them make money off the points than to give out more licenses to make there budget work.

Not saying I am right, just my opinion

 

[dble07]

The part I said was screwed up is that their are guys without General Elk that are drawing the special permit.

How is that even possible. The way I understand it you have to have the general tag drawn before you can even be put in the permit drawing?? Two separate drawings.

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[thnksno]

How is that even possible. The way I understand it you have to have the general tag drawn before you can even be put in the permit drawing?? Two separate drawings.

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Yeah Im not sure how that worked. I thought they ran the general drawing first and then the special permit. I bet next year it doesn't happen. ha

 

[ndbuck09]

Not to hijack the thread, because I'm very curious about the montana draw since these point games are the way the world works right now, but if there wasn't a points system would that preclude you from putting into a state for elk or deer? Just curious because to me
A) guys playing the point games presently would be entering drawings that were random if that's the way they were; so equal numbers of "customers"
B) If equal quantity of paying "customers" why would the state lose money by not having a points system?

I ask these because I feel as though there's a bit of vested interest to push these systems in a positive light due to the economy created around them with tag companies and research companies like gohunt and all that. But none of this support industry is really state wildlife budget.


To further the thread though, I am planning to call Montana today because I still can't see how out of 3 guys in my group, all applied seperately, none of us appears to have even drawn the elk combo tag, let alone a permit (which we never expected to). And that would be interesting considering they hadn't had more applications than tags for the combo since they increased their rates.

 

[jmez]

The points system will never go away. I'm fine with that. I don't think they will ever reset to 0 in any unit. I have 4 points in WY, this year will be 5. When I started buying points the specific unit I wanted to hunt required 2-3 points, last year it took 7. 5 years later I'm no closer. It is realistically turning a lot of these units into a "once in a lifetime" hunt. This isn't a "once in a lifetime" unit either. You will end up waiting 10-15 years to hunt somewhere or just decide to burn the points on a lesser unit that really doesn't offer much over a general unit.


The state's would lose money because you have to pay for preference points if you want them.

 

[thnksno]

I meant that I would be set back to 0, and giving others chances. Not the entire unit.

 

[ndbuck09]

I called Montana just a bit ago and they didn't sell out of the Elk Combo General tags. For us, we checked the immediate refund box on the application, they just put the general tag under unsuccessful because we ultimately don't have the tag not bc we were unsuccessful.

 

[Ghost]

I called Montana just a bit ago and they didn't sell out of the Elk Combo General tags. For us, we checked the immediate refund box on the application, they just put the general tag under unsuccessful because we ultimately don't have the tag not bc we were unsuccessful.

Huh?

 

[thnksno]

I called Montana just a bit ago and they didn't sell out of the Elk Combo General tags. For us, we checked the immediate refund box on the application, they just put the general tag under unsuccessful because we ultimately don't have the tag not bc we were unsuccessful.

Please explain more. I'm confused

 

[Tony8108]

That is from 2016.....

I saw that. But I see a pattern if they are not giving out all the tags to people that put in for lottery, then sell them OTC

 

[Tony8108]

Please explain more. I'm confused

Im waiting also. Curious to see how this shakes out.

 

[Okbow87]

Im waiting also. Curious to see how this shakes out.

You have two options of what you can do if you don't draw your limited permit. You can either get a refund, or accept the general tag that comes with the elk combo. Since there are left over elk combo's, they obviously drew the combo, but ended up not getting it because they elected to get the refund instead.