Drawn Hunts Killing Me

[yotethumper]

Second year I have applied and the second time my wife and I have got nothing. I applied for every exotic option possible, hogs, and a variety of whitetail draws. Nada. I spent close to $600 the past two years.

By my count I could have taken that money and my wife and I could have both taken a axis doe or had a fun weekend of hog hunting somewhere.

I know its all "luck of the draw" but not sure I will keep applying especially since the success rates on some of these hunts are low even if you do get drawn.

I think I might stop putting in for the draw and start buying exotic meat hunts, at least that is pretty much a guarantee for the freezer.

At least my money is going to conservation.

Anybody else in the same boat as I?

[BolilloLoco]

I put in for a few one year. But the excitement wore off quick.
I'll never do it again. DocMay might have some input on this subject.

[rjtkdplus]

Second year I have applied and the second time my wife and I have got nothing. I applied for every exotic option possible, hogs, and a variety of whitetail draws. Nada. I spent close to $600 the past two years.

By my count I could have taken that money and my wife and I could have both taken a axis doe or had a fun weekend of hog hunting somewhere.

I know its all "luck of the draw" but not sure I will keep applying especially since the success rates on some of these hunts are low even if you do get drawn.

I think I might stop putting in for the draw and start buying exotic meat hunts, at least that is pretty much a grantee.

At least my money is going to conservation.

Anybody else in the same boat as I?

Yep.

[Txhuntr2]

Drawn hunts are the way to go because you build additional entries every year you are not drawn, as opposed to Big Time Texas Hunts (even though I enter both). But if you expect to win tons of free hunts, save your money. I think if them as buying lottery tickets. One day I might win a hunt I could not otherwise go on.

[JasonS]

I think majority of the time it takes years to draw. Start looking on here at the amount of preference points needed to draw. The more exotic the hunt, more sought after. I think there are people with 10-15 years work of points for the mule deer hunts.
I believe many of the easier ones to draw still need 5ish points/years.
Yes, I’m sure there are people who drew with very few or 1, but not great odds.

[KLAPPER]

I only put in for Audad and the youth hunts so it's really cheap and I'm building points, maybe one day I'll get drawn but maybe not IMO it's worth the money to try. Why dont you narrow it down to a few hunts that you really want to go on and save some money.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[yotethumper]

Why dont you narrow it down to a few hunts that you really want to go on and save some money.

That is probably the best thing to do, I will probably only do a couple a year maybe itll happen someday.

[PapaBear]

my suggestion is to pace yourself. I put in for 3 drawn hunts, gun mule deer, guided gemsbok, guided bighorn and three big time hunts. on the big time hunts I just put in one entry a piece, figure I at least have a chance without putting myself out and the parks and wildlife get a few bucks to help with break room coffee. then I take the money I could have used to enter all the low odd drawn hunts, put it toward a trophy unit point in Colorado for elk, take my refund check from the non-drawn out and put that back for next year and do it all over again. am I disappointed when I don't get drawn? sure. but that doesn't stop me from looking forward to next year and the next and the next. if out west isn't your cup of tea or bourbon or whatever, put it toward an exotic doe hunt somewhere and get your hunt in that way.

[Johnny44]

You ought to find you a club lease over in central Louisiana and be done with it.

[KactusKiller]

Preference points don't really count for much in Texas. It's total luck but I have a lease and other places to hunt. I only put in for the premium hunts that are trophy potential hunts or exotics. I've been very lucky overall I would say as I have been drawn 8 times for these hunts since about 2007.
Like said above if the cost of the draw is an issue I would narrow it down to just the hunts and areas you really want to go on or look for hunts with a better entry/permit ratio.

[SmTx]

4 more years and you'd pay for a lifetime license!

[CTR0022]

I put in for 21 hunts this year, including epost card hunts. Have an average of 3-4 PP in each category, up to 7 in some. And I didn't draw a hint this year.

[150class]

I’m not usually getting excited for draws until I’m in the 8 point range and up

I’d narrow down your focus to save money and keep low expectations for a few years. Meanwhile do the axis for hunt with the misses to pass time until you’re selected

[Deerguy]

No different than Vegas, don't spend more than you are willing to loose. I put in for around 60 each year and pretty much draw every year now. All together in the past 25 years, I have been drawn 16 times (8 times in the 5 years since they made the change to the system a few years ago). But, there are several categories that are hard to draw for that I've never been drawn (15 lps for exotic, 22 lps for pronghorn, 13 lps for gun deer mgmt., 13 for private lands either sex, 12 for gun mule deer, etc.). Maybe cut back on the hunts you really don't care about (hogs?, javelinas?, does?) or the $10 draws that have the longest odds (private lands hunts?), or maybe the areas you really don't care to get drawn for (state park hunts?). But, for sure keep applying for the hunts you like, it'll happen one day.

[John Paul]

Lol. I have put in for at least 12 hunts a year for the past 6 years with my brother and have never even been a stand by. Had a second draw once. Maybe one day.