Preferance points ?

"kinzysdad" wrote:Could someone help me understand the preference points system?
Let’s say for the sake of argument that I have 10 limited entry points for bull elk.
If I apply for say Book Cliffs rifle early as my first choice, then the late season as my second choice. Then as my third I put Book Cliffs road less muzzle loader. Does my name go in 10 times for each of the 3 hunts? 30 chances?
:-k

I'm not an expert but my understanding is that you would get 10 entries. Each entry is assigned a random number. Your draw number is the lowest of the 10 random numbers. Lets say your lowest random number was 55. Your application would be the 55th one reviewed. If your first second and third choice hunts were taken by hunters with numbers 1 -54, you would not draw. If instead you first choice was gone but your second still had remaining tags you would get your second choice hunt.

Gotcha, thanks for taking the time to respond.

Taken from the proc:
"Before the drawing takes place, a computer randomly assigns a drawing number to you for each species you applied for. The computer also randomly assigns a drawing number to you for each bonus point you have for the species you’re applying for. After the computer has randomly assigned your numbers to you, it takes the lowest number you received, and that’s the number you’ll use in the drawing. The lower your number, the better your chance at drawing a permit."


so here is an example for you:

you apply for moose, 1st choice Cache, 2nd choice Wasatch
you currently have 8 points, therefore the computer randomly assigns you one number for this years application and eight random numbers for your bonus points. your numbers are 1053, 4562, 304, 876, 9, 568, 6783, 742, and 94. Your lowest number is 9. therefore, 9 is your moose number for this years applications, regardless of unit applied for.
Now, lets say this year there are 8 tags for the cache unit, your number is not low enough to obtain a tag. However, lets say there are 22 tags for the Wasatch..... you guessed it! Congratulations!!! =D> 9 is a low enough number to obtain your second choice!
Now check this out.... if your second choice has less tags available than your first choice, then it will be impossible to draw that second choice. make sense? It's a good idea to have second and third choices, even if they dont make sense, because the tag numbers could flip flop in any given year.... the tag numbers are determined in the spring, AFTER the application period. One unit could have a severe decrease in tags, while another could have a huge increase! I hope that helped, I'm really not very good at explaining things without the use of hand signals lol


Now, preferance points are an entirely different game. Preferance points pertain to general deer and antlerless hunts.
here's an example......
lets say you have 2 cow elk points, your first choice is oquirhh/stansbury and your second choice is currant creek. (I know there are different seasons applicable in this scenerio, but I'm trying to keep it simple).
ok, so lets say there are 55 tags for the oquirhh hunt and 200 tags for the currant creek hunt.
62 of the applicants for the oquirhh hunt have three points, they have a random draw for the 62 people for all 55 tags, 7 of them will be unsuccessful along with all aplicants with less than 3 points, including yourself..... sucks to be you.

now, 782 people put in for the currant creek tag
43 of them have 3 points, they all get tags
89 of them have 2 points, they all get tags, including yourself!!! YAY!! :thumb
159 of them have 1 point, a random draw takes place, 68 of them will draw.
491 applicants have 0 points and none will receive a tag, better luck next year. (but as you see, luck has no place in the preferance point system).

How did I do? Any questions?

to confuse you even more...... half of the permits for a LE or OIL hunt get put in a "bonus pool" reserved only for those with the most points.
remember those 8 cache moose tags? well, only 4 of them were available to you anyway. Because 6 applicants for that hunt each had 13 points. And 4 of those guys took the "bonus pool" tags....... the other two guys got put back into the draw relying on their lowest random number.....

and of the 22 wasatch tags.... 11 of them went to the "bonus pool", leaving 11 tags available to you and others..... your lowest random number "9" was of course still low enough to corral your swamp donkey tag......

keep in mind: all my numbers are purely fictional and made up, stricktly for the purpose of this explanation.........
Hopefully I explained it all well enough to get invited on your hunts!!!! lol
GOOD LUCK!!!

LMAO, You've got me rolling. Thanks, It's all clear as mud. J/K. It does make sence. Although I wonder who the brain surgeon was that came up with that plan. Wouldnt it be easier to just put my name in a giant hat 10 times and draw? Kinda like we do at Christmas.

Funny stuff, thanks for taking the time.
You can hunt with me anytime. Book Cliffs Elk work for ya? I only have 4 Moose points so that one will be a few years out.

Gruntsmacker and I (the two best duck hunt game players EVER!) both drew our moose tags with 4 points.....
And yes, they used to draw names out of a hat.... and the public was invited to watch. ahhhh the good old days. I remember when my uncle drew mountain goat, moose, and elk all in the same year. I think it was 1984, I'll have to ask him. Crazy huh!!!

Good posts Chet. Thanks for clearing it up.