West hunt - pref points???

[J-dog]

I realize you apply for a license if you do not draw you get a point?

If you are just looking to build points - what happens if you actually DO draw? can you just buy points? without a plan of using them THAT yr.

Planning a hunting present for myself - but 2016/17 time frame. Thinking I need to start in the 2015 yr gathering points so I can get to a better area.

Looking Colorado and target Mule deer in open country just to get my feet wet with western hunting. Go wherever I can see the most amount of miles standing in one place. the polar opposite of eastern NC -  

[J-dog]

Thanks for any help --

[sveltri]

Are you looking for mountains or plains?

[Altiman94]

Each of the Western states can be/are different.  I don't know CO specifically but if a state offers preference points for an animal you want to hunt - you best be buying them.

For WY (I've hunted there and am familiar) you don't automatically get a pref point if you don't draw your first choice unit - you have to select the option to do so.

Also for WY - you can just put in for points and not for tags.  I know some states make you put in for a tag and then you get a point if you don't draw.  

I'd start looking at units and draw odds now.  You may be able to do an OTC hunt and build up points for a more sought after unit.

[Matty]

You can buy points.. You don't need many points to hunt in a decent mule deer area in colorado. When you don't draw you get a refund. When you do draw you go hunting. If you do draw, and can't go you can still get your points back but you have to decide that before the season starts.

[Matty]

Ps. there's no over the counter units for mulies in colorado. However there's many units that just need the 1 point. And there are a lot of deer in most units. Trophy well that's another story...

[old_goat2]

http://cpw.state.co.us/thingstodo/Pages/Statistics.aspx

There is a wealth of information on the linked web page for Colorado. You can see the minimum required PP's for all units in the previous season. Just remember though, just because a unit might have needed zero PP's for the previous season for example, it doesn't necessarily mean that everybody that had zero points were able to draw that unit, it just means some did.  Also some times the amount required changes year to year if word gets out about lots of animals seen etc.

[Roadkill]

In Nevada you can buy points.  The only big game you can buy OTC is lion, all else is draw.  Mulie, elk, sheep , goat ,antelope and bear are applied for in April

[Bobaru]

In Colorado, you can ask for preference points only.

In fact, if you send in for preference points in April, then decide you want to  hunt an OTC area, you can still buy an over the counter tag for that area.

For Colorado, get your points by the end of March.  The deadline is usually in the first week of April.

[J-dog]

Looking for mountains or plains?? Open country --

I am not even thinking about antlers! I'll zap a fat doe in a heartbeat - if legal of course, but a forkie is awesome if does not legal. If I shoot anything considered "trophy" buy headgear standards then you know that was the first animal I got a shot at.

Just want to hunt, be able to camp where ever the day ends, have decent chance at animals.

Y'all answered my question - I may just get a point in a couple states,  Nevada, Colorado, and Wyoming this spring and study further to see where I really want to head in 2016 - or at the most some OTC in 2015.

At 41 gonna be 42 I want to get some western hunting in - in good shape (flatlands@sealevel) but just don't want to be old looking back saying I wish I woulda started sooner!

I appreciate all the info/responses.

[old_goat2]

Most archery tags in Colorado are either sex and no antler point number restrictions for deer and there are a lot of units that are zero points required at least for residents, I've never paid attention to the non resident points required.

[tracker12]

CO,WY,UT you can just a point and do not need to apply for a unit.

[J-dog]

Colorado seems to be the Mecca for hunting! That kind of tag is what I need that way I could take what is presented.

[Bivyhunter]

J-dog, I'd focus your efforts of CO for mule deer if I were you. There are plenty of units you can draw with one point, so you'd be able to accumulate that point in 2015. I've hunted most of the western states and have found CO be be consistently the best combination of quality and deer numbers on the average. It is on my "must hunt" list every year.

[old_goat2]

It's on my must hunt every year too South!