Planning 3rd CO elk hunt - question about preference points

[Finch]

So my buddy and I are planning our 3rd trip out west to chase elk with a bow. We both got our vacation picks in and are off from work Sept 17 until the end of that month. We've never hunted the 2nd half of the season and we are hoping it won't be as warm and that the elk will be more vocal. We've banked 3 preference points so far and would like to unload them. Did I understand the regs correctly when I read that if we are drawn for our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choices that our PPs will not become void and that we will actually receive another PP? Do many people pick an unattainable unit as their 1st choice knowing that they won't draw and then hopefully be selected for their 2nd or 3rd choice in order to keep building their points?

Will 3 points really put us in a better unit over an OTC unit? FYI - We've hunted unit 15 both times and were not impressed.

 

[tyeager2964]

I can only answer one of your questions accurately. If you dont draw your first choice you keep your accumulated preference points and be given another. So you would then have 4 going into 2020.

Now what you may or may not have confused is that if you pick an unattainable first choice then your 2nd choice will only be awarded to you of they dont fill that units tags on people with it listed as a 1st choice.

That means that is you pick unit 2 and dont draw first choice then you will be placed into the 2nd choice draw. If your second choice is unit 23 and has 300 tags available but 300 others put it as 1st choice you will not draw the tag. If 150 put unit 23 as 1st choice then 150 tags will be awarded to them and 150 tags will go to the 2nd choice draw.

That is why they break down the 1st and 2nd choice draw odds on their draw statistics. You also have to look at resident vs non resident stats as well

Other states draw the person and look at all choices but Colorado only looks at 1st choice for everyone then 2nd choice for everyone.

That is my understanding.

 

[cnelk]

Ive been applying in Colorado for 30+ years and the above post confused me!

Years ago, the DOW [now CPW] did not have Pref Point code. Thats when we applied for the high PP units to get a Pref Point.

Then they started the Pref Point code which made it much easier to collect points and draw your 2 - 4 choices or hunt OTC.

To the OP.
Yes, 3 PP will get you into a better unit than OTC. But than only means its LIMITED and not everyone and their BRO boys will be there.
It doesnt necessarily mean better quality bulls, but it can.

With Pref Point creep, be sure to look at units that took a minimum of 2 PPs to draw. that way you'll be good with 3 PPs.
If you concentrate on a unit that took 3 last year, you may or may not draw. It all depends.

If you and your buddy are going together, maybe put in as a GROUP. That way you will both get a tag [ or not]

Good luck

 

[Finch]

Ive been applying in Colorado for 30+ years and the above post confused me!

Years ago, the DOW [now CPW] did not have Pref Point code. Thats when we applied for the high PP units to get a Pref Point.

Then they started the Pref Point code which made it much easier to collect points and draw your 2 - 4 choices or hunt OTC.

To the OP.
Yes, 3 PP will get you into a better unit than OTC. But than only means its LIMITED and not everyone and their BRO boys will be there.
It doesnt necessarily mean better quality bulls, but it can.

With Pref Point creep, be sure to look at units that took a minimum of 2 PPs to draw. that way you'll be good with 3 PPs.
If you concentrate on a unit that took 3 last year, you may or may not draw. It all depends.

If you and your buddy are going together, maybe put in as a GROUP. That way you will both get a tag [ or not]

Good luck

I didn't quite comprehend either but that is the reason I'm here asking the question...it's a bit confusing to me. Just curious but why would we NOT put in as a group if we both plan to be hunting? So in a nutshell, you're suggesting to apply for a 3PP unit but just understand that we may not get it and to have a couple units that require 2PP as our backup choices?

 

[cnelk]

So in a nutshell, you're suggesting to apply for a 3PP unit but just understand that we may not get it and to have a couple units that require 2PP as our backup choices?

Perfect

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Just curious but why would we NOT put in as a group if we both plan to be hunting?

If you apply separately, one of you may draw, the other may not. Especially if the draw odds are close. Its happened before.
Applying as a group will alleviate that.

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Finch
I sent you a PM

 

[davsco]

If you apply separately, one of you may draw, the other may not. Especially if the draw odds are close. Its happened before.
Applying as a group will alleviate that.

the prob, or at least something you should consider, with group registration as i understand it, is if there was one spot open and your group of 2+ applied for it, no one in your group will get it. so if you get skunked on group draws, no one in your group is going hunting, at least via the draw process.

- - - Updated - - -

With Pref Point creep, be sure to look at units that took a minimum of 2 PPs to draw. that way you'll be good with 3 PPs.
If you concentrate on a unit that took 3 last year, you may or may not draw. It all depends.

ok, wth is point creep, i see it mentioned a lot but don't understand the concept? is it simply that a certain tag is taking more points to draw than in a prior year? and i guess it's taking more points not because the unit's stats improved ('paying' more for a better chance at success) but some other outside factor going on? thanks!

 

[ckleeves]

ok, wth is point creep, i see it mentioned a lot but don't understand the concept? is it simply that a certain tag is taking more points to draw than in a prior year? and i guess it's taking more points not because the unit's stats improved ('paying' more for a better chance at success) but some other outside factor going on? thanks!

Point creep is simply supply and demand. Let’s say there are 10 tags for unit XXX. 100 applicants that all have 20 points put in for it. Only 10 are drawn out. So the next year 90 applicants go into the draw with 21 points now. Only 10 are drawn out again. Next year 80 with 22 points, etc, etc.

Guys get frustrated because their buddy drew with 17 in 2014 and don’t understand why they have 17 now and didn’t draw but in reality they are 5 years from drawing.

Then you have guys dropping out of the top tier units because they see the writing on the wall that they are 5 years minimum from drawing and using their points in a much lower unit. You can see in the stats there are always a few guys that dumped 15 points on a 7 point unit. Some entered the code wrong but others are just getting out.

The problem that creates is the guy with 7 points applying for that unit that’s taking 7 just got bumped out by the 15 point guy. So now he has 8 going into the draw the next year and the cycle repeats itself on the lower tier unit this time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Phaseolus]

Finch, You say you are going to start your hunt on the 17th of September, I assume you know that Colorado archery season will be over on the 23rd of September? You aren’t giving yourself much time to hunt.

 

[cnelk]

Finch, You say you are going to start your hunt on the 17th of September, I assume you know that Colorado archery season will be over on the 23rd of September? You aren’t giving yourself much time to hunt.

That was last year's date

This year the season ends on Sept 29

 

[Jbehredt]

Finch, You say you are going to start your hunt on the 17th of September, I assume you know that Colorado archery season will be over on the 23rd of September? You aren’t giving yourself much time to hunt.

Reset this year will put the season from 8/31 to 9/29

 

[Phaseolus]

That was last year's date

This year the season ends on Sept 29

Dang, I checked the internet before I posted. Thanks for correcting me.

 

[sndmn11]

So in a nutshell, you're suggesting to apply for a 3PP unit but just understand that we may not get it and to have a couple units that require 2PP as our backup choices?

Preference points do not come into play with 2nd choices and beyond....and if something takes points to draw, it wouldn't be available past a first choice anyhow unless all allocated first choice residents are satisfied but the tag quota is not reached. You would have to really study the draw stats to find a hunt code like that and have a lot of faith that the numbers will stay the same.

 

[tyeager2964]

I'm not being rude by saying this but I think you need to call the hunt planners or find someone to sit down with that understands Colorado's draw.

It can be hard to explain online and I would not want you to apply without fully understanding.

If you dont draw your first choice points dont come into play as was said. If you want to draw a second choice then it has to have tags that were left over from the first choice of every other person that applies in colorado.

Just make sure you understand before you apply

 

[bz_711]

Donnie...I hadn't been on here in a few months... so just seeing this...PM me if you still have questions.
Glad to see you heading back out...3rd times a charm right? Good Luck!

 

[larsonbarkurn]

So my buddy and I are planning our 3rd trip out west to chase elk with a bow. We both got our vacation picks in and are off from work Sept 17 until the end of that month. We've never hunted the 2nd half of the season and we are hoping it won't be as warm and that the elk will be more vocal. We've banked 3 preference points so far and would like to unload them. Did I understand the regs correctly when I read that if we are drawn for our 2nd, 3rd, or 4th choices that our PPs will not become void and that we will actually receive another PP? Do many people pick an unattainable unit as their 1st choice knowing that they won't draw and then hopefully be selected for their 2nd or 3rd choice in order to keep building their points?

Will 3 points really put us in a better unit over an OTC unit? FYI - We've hunted unit 15 both times and were not impressed.

I plan on dumping my points at 4 preference points... We will see if that is the way to go. I think learning an area is vastly more important than chasing success rate...