Number of applications to selection?

[Yakinthebox]

It's been interesting reading the posts and seeing the numbers. However, the numbers are not a true indication of what kind of luck you may have.
It totally depends on the type of hunt you're looking for & the quality of the trophy you expect to have an opportunity for, on any given hunt.
Personally, I'm not interested in most of the hunt categories, spikes/does, pigs, etc. Therefore, I typically only apply for quality Whitetail & Mule Deer. Although, the last few years I have been putting in for alligator, also.
In many of the category hunts you have a very high chance of getting drawn. And many others of these hunts, you have a very slim chance of getting drawn. Therefore, if you're just looking for a place to go hunt (and there's nothing wrong with that), you could probably get drawn "somewhere" just about every year. But if you're not willing to "burn all your points" on just "a place to hunt", your chances start getting slimmer as you only select the "harder to draw" places, where your chances for a true trophy are increased.

This is spot on. I feel like the ones complaining about never drawing are putting in for really low odds draws. Some of the NWR hunts and Archery hunts, Hog hunts, etc. actually have decent odds. I'm basing odds without accounting for points...

I know LANWR Archery is roughly 50% chance to draw.

People have to go into these drawings basically with the mindset that you'll not ever draw until you get A LOT of points and even then, it's a crapshoot at best. Lol.

Happy hunting fellas and I hope everyone draws your most coveted application!!! Good Luck to Y'all!!!!!!!!!!!

[TXOUTLAW]

I don’t pay for or work all year on a lease. I donate to TPW and anxiously wait for drawing dates. Then prep, trip and potential harvest are my rewards

[tdwinklr]

My sons and I were selected for at least 4 youth hunts before the list below, it only goes back to 2013. And I alone was selected for at least 4 other hunts prior to this list as well. I'd say I've been blessed.

2013 - 6 apps.
2014 - 9 apps. (Had to withdraw from half of them before pick due to work.)
2015 - 8 apps. (Selected for 1 Archery hunt).
2016 - 11 apps. (Withdrew from 2 before pick.)
2017 - 9 apps. (Selected for 1 Gun hunt.)
2018 - 6 apps.
2019 - 6 apps. (Selected for 1 Gun hunt. Withdrew from 1 before pick
due to schedule conflict.)
2020 - 5 apps. (Withdrew from 4 before pick ... don't remember why.)
2021 - 6 apps. (Selected for 1 Gun hunt.)
2022 - 13 apps. (Selected 1 Archery hunt. 2 apps Pending 2nd draw. 2 other apps awaiting selection in Oct./Nov.)

[piercebronkite]

I don’t pay for or work all year on a lease. I donate to TPW and anxiously wait for drawing dates. Then prep, trip and potential harvest are my rewards

Thats my mentality as well. I don't have a lease (yet) and only get maybe 1-2 invites to a private ranch each year. Im simply trying to get in the outdoors and hunt regardless if its a pig or a trophy hunt.

[Top Of Texas]

I only put in for hunts in the Panhandle or the top end hunts down state. But my daughter has been drawn, back sometime 2007-2012 or so, for 1 doe only, 1 turkey, and 1 GDE

According to TPWD records via the online draw system, here's how I've done the last 9 years.
2013: 0/5
2014: 0/1
2015: 0/5
2016: 0/10
2017: 0/4
2018: 0/7
2019: 0/8
2020: 0/10
2021: 0/9
2022: ?/12, currently 0/5

= 0.0%

Yep, you don't want to invite me fishing on your boat. I'm joking, I'm not a complainer, I get it - if you put in for the ones that are hard to draw, it's hard to get drawn.

But I've been to Nebraska twice...so there's that.

[PecanBuck]

2020-2021: 2/36 (won a feral hog and a furbearer/predator hunt)
2021-2022: 2/56 (won an archery deer and a waterfowl hunt)
2022-2023: 3/67 (so far won a squirrel, gun deer, and archery deer all at NWRs, still have 23 yet to be drawn)

About a 5% draw rate. I expect to win a few things each year but I definitely go for quantity > quality right now. I put in for every adult ePostcard category except falconry and I put in for quite a few paid lotteries as well. I intentionally avoid paid lotteries with very low draw odds.

I put in for a lot of hunts but I don't want to take anyone else's space...I've actually gone on every hunt I've drawn except I'm still on the fence about gun deer at Aransas NWR this year.

[Codym]

Thats my mentality as well. I don't have a lease (yet) and only get maybe 1-2 invites to a private ranch each year. Im simply trying to get in the outdoors and hunt regardless if its a pig or a trophy hunt.

Check your PMs


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[piercebronkite]

Check your PMs


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Replied! Thanks!

[jbw899]

So far this year I’ve;
Drawn 2 hunts
Was not selected for 19 hunts
Have 8 pending second draw
And have 30 more that haven’t been drawn.

I put in for a few more this year than last year. I normally get drawn for one or two hunts a year.

[lonestartiger01]

2013-2019 seasons

154 applications, 5 draws - GDE, GDA/S, Javi (x2), Desert Bighorn

none since 2019-2020 (0 for 82)

[Randy]

0/14 2015
1/14 2016
1/14 2017
1/14 2018
3/14 2019
0/14 2020
0/14 2021
0 so far/14 2022

[Yakinthebox]

13 out of 222... 5.85%

Pending the rest of this years draws. This is only my 6th year and I've drawn at least something every year. I didn't make it to all of these hunts mostly due to scheduling or work conflicts.

17'/18'- Drew LANWR Archery, Teniente Archery, E-Postcard Feral Hog @ Gus Engeling

18'/19'- Drew LANWR Archery

19'/20'- Drew Archery @ Chaparral, LANWR Archery, Muzzleloader @ Trinity River NWR(Brierwood), Muzzleloader @ Trinity River NWR (Hirsch)

20'/21'- Drew National Refuge General Deer at Balcones Canyonlands NWR, My oldest Daughter drew Youth Antlerless/Spike at Chaparral

21'/22'- Drew National Refuge General Deer @ Trinity River NWR, LANWR Archery

22'/23'- So far this year, Archery @ Trinity River NWR (I hunted here last year on rifle and I bashed it as terrible, decided to put in for the archery because I had a couple nice bucks on camera before archery season and then when rifle season came around it was a ghost town, We'll see if this archery hunt pans out differently. It's only an hour from my house.)

Updating to show that we're now 14 of 222 for 6.31%
Still pending the rest of this years draws.

[Yakinthebox]

2013-2019 seasons

154 applications, 5 draws - GDE, GDA/S, Javi (x2), Desert Bighorn

none since 2019-2020 (0 for 82)

Those are all great draws! Mine are mostly NWR hunts which have better draw odds but not really better hunting. Congrats on your successes.

[Yakinthebox]

Updating to show that we're now 14 of 222 for 6.31%
Still pending the rest of this years draws.

Updating again!
We've drawn 4 permits so far this year.
My daughters and I are now at 16 of 222 applications. That makes 7.2% for my group all time.