Colorado Draw

[banded_drake]

I've been doing some searching but I haven't really been able to find the answer I'm looking for. I'll be looking at putting in for the New Mexico and Colorado draw this next year. When it comes to draw odds, what is the best way to pick your choices to have a good chance at gaining a preference point yet still drawing a tag? Is it best to sort your choices from hardest to draw to easiest? Or am I looking at this all wrong?

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[Mighty Mouse]

In Colorado if you get your 1st choice tag during the primary draw, your preference point total goes to zero. To gain a point and draw a tag, the tag drawn would have to be your 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) choice in the primary draw or be drawn during the secondary draw, in which preference points don't apply. You could look at historical primary draw stats to see which tags were awarded as 2nd/3rd/4th choices and/or which tag quotas weren't met to see if there are any tags that you could potentially obtain as a 2nd/3rd/4th choice. If there are such tags, you could designate a preference point as your 1st choice and those tags as your 2nd through 4th choices.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Not really an answer to your question but... if I were you I wouldn’t worry about preference points. Especially for Colorado elk. Focus on finding a unit that fits your criteria & then focus on trying to kill elk. Not saving points for some magical hunt in the future. If by default you gain points, then fine but don’t make that your strategy.

 

[banded_drake]

Not really an answer to your question but... if I were you I wouldn’t worry about preference points. Especially for Colorado elk. Focus on finding a unit that fits your criteria & then focus on trying to kill elk. Not saving points for some magical hunt in the future. If by default you gain points, then fine but don’t make that your strategy.

I kinda started to think this way as well, basically pick the units that fit into what I'm looking for and choose the best draw odds as my first choice?

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[Northpark]

It is really not worth chasing elk points in CO. I’m starting to think it’s not worth points for any critter in CO.

Better to hunt the same unit or handful of units every year and learn where the animals are. I don’t have much issue (this year was an exception) taking an elk in an OTC unit every year. 11 dead elk in 10 years and I’ve only ever used my points once and I burned 1 point on that tag.

 

[robby denning]

It is really not worth chasing elk points in CO. I’m starting to think it’s not worth points for any critter in CO.

Better to hunt the same unit or handful of units every year and learn where the animals are. I don’t have much issue (this year was an exception) taking an elk in an OTC unit every year. 11 dead elk in 10 years and I’ve only ever used my points once and I burned 1 point on that tag.

that’s an impressive streak there. good job

 

[5MilesBack]

When it comes to draw odds, what is the best way to pick your choices to have a good chance at gaining a preference point yet still drawing a tag? Is it best to sort your choices from hardest to draw to easiest? Or am I looking at this all wrong?

NM doesn't do points, so there's that. And for CO you'll need to study the draw stats pages to see what units you can draw as a "second choice", but worst case scenario is that you get your PP and pick up an OTC tag.

 

[traviswdalton]

NM doesn't do points, so there's that. And for CO you'll need to study the draw stats pages to see what units you can draw as a "second choice", but worst case scenario is that you get your PP and pick up an OTC tag.

There are rumors that NM is considering a point system. I hope the rumor is false.


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[HuntNTag]

Find a unit that takes many points to draw in CO and put in for that unit as your first choice. Then put in for another unit as your second choice which you know is an opportunity hunt that you will likely draw so therefore you gain a preference point and then also get a tag to hunt for the year.

For example, and just an example, put in for unit 44 4th season rifle as your first choice (assuming you have 0 preference points as of today) and then put in for unit 18 as your second choice (put in for a different season, not 4th) You will not draw that first choice as you don’t have enough pints to draw that unit and then you will likely get a tag for unit 18 for a easier drawn week of the season.

You can check out what was available during the second draw last year which was what used to be called the leftover list. Those are units that you could have drawn as a second choice.

Feel free to shoot me a note if you have other questions.


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[KineKilla]

This strategy was used here in UT for many years.

People would apply for near impossible general deer units as their first choice and the unit they actually wanted to hunt as their 2nd choice. This way they gained a PP for the unsuccessful 1st choice and still got to hunt in their preferred unit every year. Loophole.

A couple of years ago our DWR changed the rules to say that if you drew any tag in any unit, you lost your points. Loophole closed.

While this strategy may still be valid in other states, I would not be the least bit surprised to see them change the rules.

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[cnelk]

Find a unit that takes many points to draw in CO and put in for that unit as your first choice.

There's no sense in doing this ^^^ when you can apply for a Pref Point code as you first choice.

Im of the mindset that 1-2 PPs may be a good thing to have in your pocket, just in case Colorado keeps turning OTC units into draw units.

You just never know

 

[banded_drake]

There's no sense in doing this ^^^ when you can apply for a Pref Point code as you first choice.

Im of the mindset that 1-2 PPs may be a good thing to have in your pocket, just in case Colorado keeps turning OTC units into draw units.

You just never know

Are you saying for a first choice you can apply for a point vs a tag?

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[cnelk]

Are you saying for a first choice you can apply for a point vs a tag?

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yes sir.

It’s all in the Regs

 

[banded_drake]

yes sir.

It’s all in the Regs

View attachment 247991

Good info there. Totally missed that. Am I understanding correctly that my second choice could be selected during the first draw, and the second draw is a complete different set of choices?

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[CoHiCntry]

A couple of years ago our DWR changed the rules to say that if you drew any tag in any unit, you lost your points. Loophole closed

I’d love to see how this would change hunting in Colorado too. Not holding my breath though...

 

[HuntNTag]

There's no sense in doing this ^^^ when you can apply for a Pref Point code as you first choice.

Im of the mindset that 1-2 PPs may be a good thing to have in your pocket, just in case Colorado keeps turning OTC units into draw units.

You just never know

Valid point on the PP app there for first choice.


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[CoHiCntry]

Valid point on the PP app there for first choice.


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There is a time when your strategy is a good one though... in the hybrid draw. If the unit has one, but the OP isn’t eligible anyway.

 

[HuntNTag]

There is a time when your strategy is a good one though... in the hybrid draw. If the unit has one, but the OP isn’t eligible anyway.

100%


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[cnelk]

Good info there. Totally missed that. Am I understanding correctly that my second choice could be selected during the first draw, and the second draw is a complete different set of choices?

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Yes sir. You’re on it now!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Am I understanding correctly that my second choice could be selected during the first draw, and the second draw is a complete different set of choices?

Yes, the primary and secondary draws are completely separate. You could enter both draws with different sets of tag choices.

Tags left over after the primary draw results are released in early June are offered again during the secondary draw. Tags still remaining after the secondary draw is completed are put on the leftover list and offered for sale on a first-come, first-served basis in early August.