Would you burn your points?

[WiscoHoundsman]

I currently have 10 Colorado elk preference points and was looking into drawing gmu 20, 48 or 501 for first rifle. Am i crazy for burning points on one of these units? These last year took between 5-6 points to draw. I am looking for a rifle hunt and feel that I am in no mans land with my points out here. I would like to get to where I am just apply for a tag and not worry about points ie just applying for 0-1 point units and bouncing around some until i find a place i like. Was originally saving them for a muzzleloaders hunt with some relatives but they stopped going. I only have one season of elk hunting experience ( gmu 12 & 24 first rifle). I am also considering applying for a Montana general tag.

Any thoughts?
Thanks!

 

[Bull_n_heat]

I probably can't say specifics on the quality of those units. However I can comment on using points to get a hunt. Don't think of it as "overspending on points". If you have points to draw the HUNT YOU want, then it is far from a waste of points.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

Yeah, not looking for specifics on units. I like the mindset of not thinking of it as over spending. I may even look at a few other units as I decide then.

 

[cnelk]

I’ll find you a hunt unit better than those for 10 PPs

I’ll send you a PM

 

[DanimalW]

I wouldn’t keep dropping $100/year to keep adding points unless you’re close to drawing a hunt you’re after.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I wouldn’t keep dropping $100/year to keep adding points unless you’re close to drawing a hunt you’re after.

I don’t even have a hunt I am after. I just know I have spent ten years building points when I should have been hunting.

 

[Elkoholic87]

I wouldn’t keep dropping $100/year to keep adding points unless you’re close to drawing a hunt you’re after.

$8.33 a month is nothing, especially when it’s for elk hunting. Gotta pay to play.


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[Mudslinger]

I've been considering burning 12 points on 20 myself, just to do the same as you to get out of points and do it every 2-3 years. I've been hunting other stuff with limited vacation time and points just start adding up.

 

[cnelk]

You guys realize that unit 20 is pretty much torched from fires - right?

 

[oake]

You guys realize that unit 20 is pretty much torched from fires - right?

Brings another twist to burning points….

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

Yeah, I realized 20 had some burns in it but haven’t looked that close. I also don’t like all the private land there that could make things more challenging.

 

[tntrker]

I wouldn't look at it as "burning them". Go where you want to and think of them as "Guaranteed points" and have a great time!!

 

[5MilesBack]

Not that I want even more bowhunters out there, but I would pick up a bow, learn to shoot it, get it ready for the season, and put in for a decent archery tag over burning 10 points for 1st rifle in those units. Seriously.

 

[AaronMColeman]

I have 4 moose points in wyoming. I may only be 3 decades from drawing one. I'd gladly burn my points on the hunt I want

 

[AaronMColeman]

Not that I want even more bowhunters out there, but I would pick up a bow, learn to shoot it, get it ready for the season, and put in for a decent archery tag over burning 10 points for 1st rifle in those units. Seriously.

I feel like archery elk hunting and rifle elk hunting might as well be two different species and two different categories of hunting. One isn't better than the other (I much prefer archery though), but when people ask about points and hunts the first question always has to be rifle of bow?

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

It won’t be a bow hunt because I am typically chasing black bears in Wisconsin for the month of September.

 

[Maverick1]

Depends. Do you think it’s better to go to a unit that is perceived to be “better than good” every several years, or just a unit that is perceived to be “slightly below good” every year? And how much importance or weighting do you place on familiarity with a unit, and how that familiarity could impact your definition of success on any given year?

I know of several guys that hunt OTC units every year, know them like the back of their hand, and fill their tags on a regular basis, and they have zero desire to hunt elsewhere.

I know several different guys that play the points game, jump from one unit and/or state to the next on a yearly basis, have mixed results in filling their tags, and say they are very happy.

Of course, most people would like to elk hunt in “the best unit in the entire state” - every single year, get to know the unit exceptionally well, have zero competition from other hunters, with gigantic bulls that run in on a string….but that’s not reality for most….

 

[5MilesBack]

It won’t be a bow hunt because I am typically chasing black bears in Wisconsin for the month of September.

You said you were originally saving the points for a ML hunt........which would have been right in the middle of Sept.

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I guess over ten years my priorities have changed in life. I also gave up bow hunting white tails in Wisconsin during the past ten years. I was buying points without having a good understanding of what I was doing because I figured I would be going with relatives. I would guess there are plenty of other people like me with the thought of someday I would like to go elk hunting. Last year I finally decided to go hunting and picked up a tag in the secondary draw. I’m just done wanting to build points without a goal in mind.

As for what I’m looking I would say that I would like to find an area I can go back to every other/few years but also go exploring to some new areas some years.

 

[5MilesBack]

I guess that's kind of like me with deer. I have 18 points but have no real burning desire to use them. Although I wouldn't mind picking up an archery buck tag every now and then just to spend more time in the high country. But since they changed the seasons, and moved deer to Sept 2 as well as elk, I have less desire even for that. Sure wish they would have moved deer to Aug 15 every year, then I'd dump these points and hunt deer every year before elk season starts.