How do you best "play" the preference point game?

Spent quite a while online tonight reading before making sure my application went in, but I have to say I still have no idea how to best navigate the preference point system. I grew up in Nebraska where the process was a lot more simple, and since moving here have not done any serious hunting. I decided this year to try to get back into it, at least to try to start building up points.

Do you guys apply for a preference point for every species every year, just to build up the points? They all get refunded if you did not have a 2nd successful option, right? Even something like moose that didn't prompt for a refund option (I'm assuming because there are no other options?).

What a confusing mess. At least I had an annual license last year to avoid the "new" fees.

For elk, deer, antelope and bear, if you are not successful on your first choice you will be given a point. Points are not used or awarded for second choices. If you do get your second or third choice you will still be given a point for not drawing your first. Tags go to the applicant with the most points. Moose, sheep, and goat are a little different. You have to apply for three years before you are even in the draw. It's a very confusing process for these three species. Just keep applying until you draw. Good luck.

I draw for PP's for elk every year. I got up to 11 pp's and then used them to hunt unit 61 archery 2 years ago. It was an awesome hunt. For a normal year, I apply for pp's and then archery hunt in an OTC unit. For antelope, I apply for pp's every year and then also a late season doe tag for my preferred unit which is almost a guarantee to draw, so I can hunt antelope pretty much every year, and get a pp. and will eventually hunt for buck in a premium unit. For deer I apply for pp every year and one of these years I will apply for a premium tag. I don't hunt deer otherwise in Colo., I have farm access in KS. to shoot deer on. I apply every year for moose, sheep, and goat and hope some day that I draw before I'm old and too crippled to get up and down a mtn.

I apply for the unit and season I want to hunt as first choice for deer and elk every year and then put in for Doe and Cow tags as second choice. For Pronghorn, I have been putting in for Buck and then try to find a leftover doe tag in WY or CO, but those are getting more scarce. I put in for Doe this year. I used 7 points on a Buck deer tag, 3 points on a Bull elk tag and 13 points on a buck Pronghorn tag doing it this way. Some years I get 2 tags, some years I end up with 4 or 5.

Now that the 12 year old is hunting, I am going to start racking up points for Mountain Goat, Bighorn and start putting in for Moose again. I always look to keep the freezer full first and then hunt the "trophy units".

Is anyone grabbing points for kids? It looks like you can do that, right?

I didn't think you could until they are 12. And they have to have a hunters safety too? Please correct me if I am wrong as my 2 year old will be taking the next available hunters safety! Get that kid some points!

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Originally Posted by sniper7

I didn't think you could until they are 12. And they have to have a hunters safety too? Please correct me if I am wrong as my 2 year old will be taking the next available hunters safety! Get that kid some points!

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I am pretty sure they cannot get points until they are 12. Also the bad thing is point creep, you start accumulating and the points go up every year. Moose and some with weighted work because after a few years they are by drawing. Elk units that were 12-15 10 years ago are now 22+

The reason you cannot always accumulate points is that some units you cannot draw second choice. You will have to review the division website but basically if they receive more first choice draws than licenses, you cannot draw to hunt their as your second choice. So you have points but no license. I had about 7+ Elk and gave them up to hunt our unit. Now I have 2+ elk down over the years.

For youth, to apply for a tag (and preference points) they have to have hunter safety, a SSN and tunr 12 before the last day of the season. My kids took hunter safety at 8 years old and the 12 year old shot his first deer at 12 years and 1 day.

Youth have a lot of opportunities. RFW and elk conversion tags are the best. You can put them in for a point, a 3rd or 4th season elk tag and if they do not fill it, they can convert a bull or either sex, or just use a cow tag in the late season. They are area restrictions, and late season is colder and snowy too. That is what I do with my kids.