New Mexico 4th Choice

[mhammond86]

I put in for a tag that usually hands out 10-15 4th choice tags, as a 3rd choice and did not get a tag. Seems a little odd they would hand out 4th choice tags to someone rather than giving them to someone who actually put in for them in the primary draw. I would have put in for a 4th choice but there was one other hunt that hands out quite a few tags and we had no interest in it. Anyone else run into this before or have thoughts on it?

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

If you know people who got the 4th choice tag from it then that turns into they just for their apps drawn first. Meaning your app was potentially pulled after the fourth choice people already had their apps pulled.
Doesn't matter what your choices are on any unit if they got filled before your number popped up.
The system doesn't reevaluate fourth choices it just draws them the same as everything.

My theory is guys got them without having them as a fourth choice too.

There is so many guys with the same idea. Put in for mediocre units to get a tag every year.
Then it's preached and taught everywhere now. "How bad do you want to an elk tag?" Mindset.

Now with all the unit info more easily acquired. More people see units that potentially have elk with "guaranteed" tags. Then they put in for them. More guys have been doing this every year to just have any tag. Nothing is a gimme tag anymore in any unit.

 

[Felix40]

If you know people who got the 4th choice tag from it then that turns into they just for their apps drawn first. Meaning your app was potentially pulled after the fourth choice people already had their apps pulled.
Doesn't matter what your choices are on any unit if they got filled before your number popped up.
The system doesn't reevaluate fourth choices it just draws them the same as everything.

My theory is guys got them without having them as a fourth choice too.

There is so many guys with the same idea. Put in for mediocre units to get a tag every year.
Then it's preached and taught everywhere now. "How bad do you want to an elk tag?" Mindset.

Now with all the unit info more easily acquired. More people see units that potentially have elk with "guaranteed" tags. Then they put in for them. More guys have been doing this every year to just have any tag. Nothing is a gimme tag anymore in any unit.

That’s not how 4th choices work.

OP I would bet more people than usual put in for that unit. I applied for a couple tags that were 100% in 2020 and didn’t get them.

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

That’s not how 4th choices work.

OP I would bet more people than usual put in for that unit. I applied for a couple tags that were 100% in 2020 and didn’t get them.

I'll have to read up on it then. I don't know anyone that's pulled a 4th choice. Haha

 

[trophyhill]

I wouldn’t feel to terribly bad. There is a 5th choice. And a sixth choice. The 5th choice is otc and the 6th is hanging out here while everyone else is hunting otc

 

[SDHNTR]

There were 60k+ more applicants this year. That could easily push what used to be a 3rd choice draw into 4th.

 

[mhammond86]

The 4th choice tags are fulfilled after the primary draw. The success rate is extremely low but I felt like we had a chance know the unit. Seems like it would make more sense to handout the tags to people who put in for them rather than someone selecting a quadrant of the state and selecting any hunt. Oh well.. learned my lesson on that one.

 

[TX_Diver]

I'll have to read up on it then. I don't know anyone that's pulled a 4th choice. Haha

Same. I know those people are out there but I've never met any of them...