TPWD Drawn Hunts

[ultrastealth]

That's my main rub. NR pay the same as Residents except for the actual license. Still cheap IMO compared to other states.

I agree with most of what Felix is saying. I can't complain much because I have drawn at least one hunt every year for the last six or seven years. Hope I can continue the streak.

Texas could easily double the cost of non-resident licenses and still be comparable to what other western states charge.

[Shane]

That's my main rub. NR pay the same as Residents except for the actual license. Still cheap IMO compared to other states.

I agree with most of what Felix is saying. I can't complain much because I have drawn at least one hunt every year for the last six or seven years. Hope I can continue the streak.

I got skunked last year. This year I have a great lease with axis, and I'm going to Utah on an elk hunt. I really don't want to draw anything, other than the Grand Slam of course. I wish they'd give us the ability to buy points. I'll probably put in for the Chap and other hard-to-draw hunts in hopes of getting points rather than drawing. Usually I put in for hunts with good draw odds rather than the dream places. That's how I've been drawn so many times. It didn't work last year, but sometimes it just doesn't. Sometimes we'll draw 2 or 3 in a year.

[tward1604]

I'm one that just learned of the draw hunts. This thread is discouraging to say the least. I will still try and apply. You can't get drawn if you don't try

[Shane]

I'm one that just learned of the draw hunts. This thread is discouraging to say the least. I will still try and apply. You can't get drawn if you don't try

These threads are the same every year, and people have been griping about the system way before the new computer system came around. There's always something to complain about. Buy your entries and hope for the best. Good luck to you!

Or, better yet.....

Stick it to the man by NOT sending in your $3/$10 entries. That's the only way you can really have any impact with your protest. Don't give them your money until they fix everything to your liking. They don't pay any attention to hate mail, but they'll notice when people quit sending in their application money.

I'll go ahead and send mine in though. Maybe my odds will be better if a bunch of folks boycott the drawings in protest.

[bossbowman]

There are more categories and more hunts than there were 10-20 years ago, but the number of applicants has increased a lot more. Population growth....

No there are not more hunts than 10 yrs ago, I have the old books to prove it, 20 yrs ago I have no clue. Not sure why your trying to defend the current system, its sucks and could be made better. Enought people scream and changes can happen, look at new mexico and their non-resident quota now, look a colorado and their true preference points system where the guys with the most points get picked first (not saying I want a true preference points system).

[grizzman]

I got skunked last year. This year I have a great lease with axis, and I'm going to Utah on an elk hunt. I really don't want to draw anything, other than the Grand Slam of course. I wish they'd give us the ability to buy points. I'll probably put in for the Chap and other hard-to-draw hunts in hopes of getting points rather than drawing. Usually I put in for hunts with good draw odds rather than the dream places. That's how I've been drawn so many times. It didn't work last year, but sometimes it just doesn't. Sometimes we'll draw 2 or 3 in a year.

I don't even know if I still have a lease for this year. I can hunt on my BIL's land but I'm loath to do that since he made a big production out of it with my stepfather when he was alive.

I just found out that I got a 5% raise, so maybe I can talk my wife into letting me use a little money for a hunting trip.

I have put in for hunts with low and high draw odds and been drawn. Surprisingly enough though I can't seem to get drawn for Gun Antlerless.

[picklenav130]

This will be my first time applying since I moved back to Texas last year. After reading this thread looks like it will be a pay and pray exercise. Followed by wash rinse repeat next year.

[SolocamShooter]

I've been entering the drawings since 1989, so I've drawn several hunts in almost 30 years of applying for everything in the book each year. But I've had several years along the way where I didn't draw anything at all. Some years it was only a doe/spike hunt or a turkey hunt or whatever. I got super lucky in drawing the bighorn.

Regardless of the details, it's luck of the draw. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. The more hunters there are applying, the more difficult it will be to get drawn. If one guy is entering 28 times and I'm only entering 3, that's not unfair. I could enter 28 times just like him if I wanted to. And if I did, some guy that just entered 1 might get drawn while I didn't. That's just the way it goes. If they returned to being able to just enter 1 drawing per category, the odds would still be lower now than they were years ago, because there are more people entering the drawings now than there used to be. There are more categories and more hunts than there were 10-20 years ago, but the number of applicants has increased a lot more. Population growth....

That's not the case, it would be if everyone could apply for the same number of hunts which ain't happening. Some people can not apply for that many hunts due to reasons that are their business due to not having the time off work to apply for that many hunts or not having $200-300+ bucks to drop on app fees that will in all likelihood be wasted anyways, etc. whatever there reason may be how is it fair if they can only apply for 3 verses a number of ppl that apply for 20+. If they went back to the way they used to do it everyone would be entering the same number of apps and it would be even for everyone. Again, I know you like the system because you have had success with it but you are the exception rather than the norm. But it is luck of the draw but everyone wants to see better drawing odds not already long odds that get ****tier and ****tier every year.

And population growth don't have much to do with it this new system caters to the people that are too lazy to go to the effort to do their homework, fill out a postcard and mail in a check. And since in general people are lazy as **** more and more people are applying.

[db@100]

I had 20 points before I got drawn for the Chap the last time. Now i'm slowly working my point total back up. I hope to get drawn again before I'm 80.

I do wish that some of y'all that like to complain about it would stop applying so maybe I could get drawn again!

[gemini2759]

I just donated $42.

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

[Landrover]

Its a money maker now for sure. Its really pitiful the small number of people that get a chance.

Bingo........nothing wrong with that either! In my opinion they are leaving money on the table compared to what I send to New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona every year.

Probably both, along with more awareness of the whole draw hunt system too. Even now, every year there are people who are just learning about the draw opportunities.

As long as that Texas public land sheep is in your avatar there is ALWAYS a chance I can get some of your luck!!! Pure awesomeness sir!!!

[justletmein]

I definitely support limiting the applications to one per category, especially with Youth.
Youth seems to have a lot of no-shows and I think that's largely because guys get on and put their kid in for every hunt under the sun without even bothering to look at dates or locations or ask their freaking mom if they can go so when they get drawn they just no-show.

Is there any strategy in applying for more or less hunts to increase your odds of getting picked? Last year was my first year to ever use the system so I had zero points. I applied for 9 hunts and got selected for 3 - beginner's luck??

Every year I read 3 or 4 posts just like yours, and this year we'll see 3 or 4 more. Almost seems as if the system weights heavily for new applicants to hook them in. It would be different if you got drawn once, but every post like yours is always drawn multiple hunts in different areas while guys with 10 pref points 0 out every year.

Non residents are always brought up in these discussions. How many NRs actually apply and/or draw these hunts. Are they really taking up that many permits it has to be a talking point or is it just something to complain about? Where are the numbers to see what resident/NR draw rates are?

Just curious...



If you guys really want to go there, the state should also designate a certain percentage of permits as NR only, just like other states. Can't draw those now....think about it. Odds are now even lower with fewer tags. Careful what you with for.

Agreed, doubt there's a lot of people out of state trying to apply for these hunts they're not spectacular. Maybe the special ones but Gun Antlerless at Choke Canyon, etc? lol just no...

As for the guys complaining about the application fees and such, Texas does charge more for licenses for them. Now I don't have a LOT of experience out of state, but I seem to recall when I applied for Wyoming that the *application fees* are the same across the board, but the Antelope tags/license is where the non-resident gets charged more. Doesn't seem much different here, application fee is the same across the board and non-res pays more for license.

[CEO]

I'm at the point now where I don't even get excited when the drawings happen because I've been disappointed so many times. I just send my money in every year with no expectation of ever being drawn.

[Shane]

That's not the case, it would be if everyone could apply for the same number of hunts which ain't happening. Some people can not apply for that many hunts due to reasons that are their business due to not having the time off work to apply for that many hunts or not having $200-300+ bucks to drop on app fees that will in all likelihood be wasted anyways, etc. whatever there reason may be how is it fair if they can only apply for 3 verses a number of ppl that apply for 20+. If they went back to the way they used to do it everyone would be entering the same number of apps and it would be even for everyone. Again, I know you like the system because you have had success with it but you are the exception rather than the norm. But it is luck of the draw but everyone wants to see better drawing odds not already long odds that get ****tier and ****tier every year.

And population growth don't have much to do with it this new system caters to the people that are too lazy to go to the effort to do their homework, fill out a postcard and mail in a check. And since in general people are lazy as **** more and more people are applying.

If you only have $3 to spend on it and can only apply for 1 hunt, the other guy that applied for all of them still only gets 1 app in the drawing that you applied for. Nobody can apply more than once for any one particular hunt. The guy that applied for multiple hunts in a category may draw one of the other hunts before your hunt is drawn, and he'll lose all his points as soon as he's drawn for that other hunt.

Bottom line: It's a drawing. You're probably not gonna get drawn, but there's a chance.

[Shane]

No there are not more hunts than 10 yrs ago, I have the old books to prove it, 20 yrs ago I have no clue. Not sure why your trying to defend the current system, its sucks and could be made better. Enought people scream and changes can happen, look at new mexico and their non-resident quota now, look a colorado and their true preference points system where the guys with the most points get picked first (not saying I want a true preference points system).

I'm not trying to defend the current system. I wish non-residents had to pay a lot more and/or were limited on how many hunts they could draw. I wish we could just buy a point when we want a point but don't want to draw this year. I wish that nobody knew about the drawings so I'd have a better chance to draw another sheep tag or the Grand Slam or something awesome.

I'm just laughing at the annual cry fest every time the draws are posted. It doesn't matter what changes they implement, a bunch of people would still come around and whine and cry and gripe about it how unfair it is for whatever reason.

It's a drawing, not a guaranteed hunt opportunity. If you don't like it and think it's a ripoff and all of that, don't participate.