Points in Colorado- which draw is most likely to result in a tag?

[Ckleeves]

There isn't really anything random about the Colorado draw system unless your talking about the moose, sheep or goat draw. Deer, elk and antelope are points based. It's not like Arizona, Utah or Wyoming where a certain % of tags are set aside for the random draw and the rest are points based. The only random odds would be if you were right at the minimum points required and half the pool drew and the other half didn't.

Just look at the draw recap to see your odds. Remember that the numbers given for points are pre-draw so everybody that had 3 last year has 4 going in this year

Deer the season dates are the best they have ever been or probably ever will be this year. may be some guys jumping in so if you have 2 points I would look for tags that at least a decent % are drawn with 1 and 100% with 2 just because there may be a increase in applicants with points jumping in.

Plenty of deer tags can be drawn with 2 points, same with elk. Just do your homework.

 

[TRnCO]

Unit 69

SO when I look at the stats for last year in 69, since we don't know which rifle season you hunted I looked at each rifle season, 2nd Rifle had 3 residents with 6 pp's(no one had more pps in this draw then 6) and all 3 drew the tag, 3rd rifle had no one with 6 or 7 pp's and only one with 8 and that person drew a tag, and 4th rifle had 3 people with 7 pp's and it shows all drew the tag. SO something is not adding up.

Once again, IF the draw was random a guy could see that reflected in the stats, where people with fewer pp's were drawing tags, and it's just not there.

jpfrog, the rules and regs. are a mess for this state, I can see why a first timer would be over whelmed trying to figure it all out. All the info. you need can be found the the CDOW&P website, it's just a pain to wade through it all.
As far as antelope go, I'd suggest you look to hunt the Commanche National grasslands in the S.E. corner of the state. Without looking I have no idea how many points are needed for NR, but that's the area I'd suggest since most everything else is privately owned on the east side of the state, although there are other public lands, but the Commanche is closest to you and it's big and has lots of antelope.
It's highly unlikely that you'd draw all four tags in one year with such a low number of pp's. Best I can suggest is pick an area and species and do some leg work to figure out how many pp's it will take for a NR to draw the tag and go from there.

 

[jpfrog]

jpfrog, the rules and regs. are a mess for this state, I can see why a first timer would be over whelmed trying to figure it all out. All the info. you need can be found the the CDOW&P website, it's just a pain to wade through it all.
As far as antelope go, I'd suggest you look to hunt the Commanche National grasslands in the S.E. corner of the state. Without looking I have no idea how many points are needed for NR, but that's the area I'd suggest since most everything else is privately owned on the east side of the state, although there are other public lands, but the Commanche is closest to you and it's big and has lots of antelope.
It's highly unlikely that you'd draw all four tags in one year with such a low number of pp's. Best I can suggest is pick an area and species and do some leg work to figure out how many pp's it will take for a NR to draw the tag and go from there.

Thank you! I have the area for everything but lopes, so I guess I'll just apply for the other species in that area. It's not that I think it's the best area, it just happens to be where I spend a good amount of time in the summer and I know some folks up there with horses and a place to stay who might let me borrow them. If I don't draw, more points for next year. If I do, vacation plans for this fall!

 

[Baboltin]

The draw is still 100% random, points won't get you drawn-- you still have to be successful getting drawn--- once you are chosen, then the points come into play to help get your tag.
2nd and 3rd season for elk/deer overlap. And often times if you get an elk or deer tag you can get an "add on bear tag" , just look for the bear paw print next to the tags you are applying for to see if an "add on" is available.

I've put in for a low points deer tag for the last 7 years and haven't been drawn. Yet I seem to get a lope tag every year and an elk tag every other year (the off years I just buy a season 2 or 3 otc tag)

This is 100 percent inaccurate, Colorado is a strict pp system, meaning you have 3 points and I have 2 you get the tag and I don't.

secondly burn your deer points this year, the season dates this year for 2021 are the latest they have ever been and likely ever will be again. Colorado is planning on letting everyone and there mother hunt the primo rut dates, and slaughter the deer herd with that said burn those deer points and there will be point creep extremely bad so you need to look at units that are 0-1 point draw units in 2020 and apply in that point tear. Hope this helps.

 

[Chadp82]

This is 100 percent inaccurate, Colorado is a strict pp system, meaning you have 3 points and I have 2 you get the tag and I don't.

Agree, but once caveat. If you select hunting as a group, they take the lowest points in the group. So if a unit takes 5 points to draw, my buddy has 6 and I have 2, we effectively get put in at 2 as the group.

 

[big johnson]

Brother and I are hopping to hunt unit 22 4'th season this year for deer we have 25pts it took 24 last year. we have 26pts for elk, going to use those in the next couple years. I just never had the time or took the time untill now.

 

[Baboltin]

Agree, but once caveat. If you select hunting as a group, they take the lowest points in the group. So if a unit takes 5 points to draw, my buddy has 6 and I have 2, we effectively get put in at 2 as the group.

Correct I wasn't aware that the op was applying in a group

 

[Monster Toms]

Few things that come into play 60% of the tags are earmarked for non-residents and 10% for youths.
Colorado's declining quality bucks, are forcing point holders to burn excess points for low point areas.

So you will have older hunters burning 15 points in a 10 point area per se. This will skew the next seasons points to draw.

 

[jpfrog]

Correct I wasn't aware that the op was applying in a group

I'm not, but good info in case it became an option down the road

 

[vancewalker007]

if that were true then with my 7 pp for deer last year I would have received the tag I applied for as it only needed 3 pp.

The draw is random, then preference points kick in-- that's the way they explained it to me at the cpw class

I receive 1 of 2 notices from cpw that confirm this-- I apply for pp each year for turkey---- I get 1 of 2 notices from cpw, the first says " you were NOT successful in the draw but were awarded 1 preference point" --- the other notice I get is " you were successful in the draw so you received your first choice and received 1 preference point"

As far as the 2nd draw (which used to be just leftover tags) -- preference points are not used, lost, or gained BUT youth have 100% preference over adults in this draw-- how would you do a "weighted draw" when no points are used? So other than the youth preference, once again its a random draw

What can happen in these cases is more people with more points than you likely put in that same unit and they beat you to the tags on the first pass because they had either 7 or more points. This is a big part of what causes point creep. People with say 10 points putting in for a unit that should only take 5 to draw.

 

[vancewalker007]

I need some help deciding which tags to apply for this season- I have 2 points each banked for Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Bear. None of the season windows appear to overlap, at least for non-resident draw opportunities, so I would like to be strategic about which I apply for and which I bank some more points for next year. For example, if 2 points is likely enough to get me drawn for elk, I'd like to go for that rather than banking a point for next year and applying for something that 2 points isn't likely to get me drawn for (like a bear).

I can definitely get up there for one hunt this year if drawn, and might be able to make 2 happen. In terms of desire, I'd prefer Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Bear in that order. What do the CO draw experts think a good strategy would be for this season with my tiny collection of points?

Any help or advice is very much appreciated. Thank you!

The Colorado elk, deer, and antelope draw are similar. The goat, sheep and moose draws are a little different on how they handle points. On the elk, deer and antelope there is at least 1 pass (1st pass using bonus points) and then more passes if there are left over tags after the pass. On the first pass all first choice applications with the most points get tags until he tags are exhausted. It is possible for people with more points then necessary, per the previous year, for a unit to be missed if people with more points suddenly jump in on the unit. If there are left over tags after the 1st pass 2nd and 3rd 4th passes are used in a random style draw (points are not considered) until no tags are left.

So, even if you select a hunt for first choice that takes 2 or more for example you could miss because higher point holders may be jumping in. It seems to be happening more and more in CO because more people are giving up building points and they are jumping in. With the whole Covid repression this passed year I suspect there will be higher numbers of applicants in all the western states so lower point holders may be out of luck in a lot of cases.

 

[vancewalker007]

I need some help deciding which tags to apply for this season- I have 2 points each banked for Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, and Bear. None of the season windows appear to overlap, at least for non-resident draw opportunities, so I would like to be strategic about which I apply for and which I bank some more points for next year. For example, if 2 points is likely enough to get me drawn for elk, I'd like to go for that rather than banking a point for next year and applying for something that 2 points isn't likely to get me drawn for (like a bear).

I can definitely get up there for one hunt this year if drawn, and might be able to make 2 happen. In terms of desire, I'd prefer Elk, Mule Deer, Pronghorn, Bear in that order. What do the CO draw experts think a good strategy would be for this season with my tiny collection of points?

Any help or advice is very much appreciated. Thank you!

Just a quick glance at GoHunt, CO, Elk, First rifle, there are a large number of units that should be drawable with 2 points. Good luck.

 

[jasonco]

With the points you have, mine are the same, tags are going to be a tough get, this year on first choice. Better to hold onto them. Point creep this year is going to be a hctib!

 

[Deleted member 107796]

All of the drawing stats for each species and all units, is at the CP&W site.