What to do?...4 elk preference points...

[nwsteelheader]

All this talk of the Ches Unit has got me thinking about my 4 elk preference points.

I want to apply for a good hunt that will give me a chance at some nice bulls. I'm not looking to shoot a small bull or a cow, I want to focus this year on a bigger bull.

I've been thinking of putting in for the Snake River Unit. anyone have any advice on that unit? Any advice on where else i should consider spending my 4 points (translation: i've been putting in for 4 years and havn't gotten squat for tags).

I like to get out of the truck and spend the day hiking around in the woods. I don't like a lot of roads, but some roads are necessary so that I don't have to hike 10 miles just to start hunting.

thanks in advance for the help! :tongue:

[Bait O' Eggs]

Good buddy, pal, friend, what you need to do is join me and my buddy in a draw. Dont worry about how may points we have The state will add all of our points up and divide by the number of hunters, so it will all work out just fine for ya. :tongue:

We got some sweet honey holes we would be happy to show you as long as we could get some of your points to work with, I mean added to our point. And that was proper english since it was not plural :depressed:

Seriously, if you want to draw a tag this year, look at the hunts you would be interested in and apply for one that historically has 100% success with 4 points. You know you will go back to 0 points once you draw, so be selective, your 4 years away from getting back to where you are now. Building points keeps making you more eligible for better hunts, but at some point you need to cash them in or it doesnt make sense to build them up. Pick your hunt and your year and get your ducks in a row.

[willametteriveroutlaw]

You sould hold out for Wenaha (like 4-6 more years) or do some serious research on where to possibly go. 4 points puts u in decent-better hunts. 6+ puts u into prime hunts.

[TheRogue]

Get a copy of that "Tags" book, whatever the name is. It'll tell you what it took last year for preference points to draw, and what this year's estimated points will be.

4pts. gets you hunting in most everywhere except Wenaha, Mill Creek, Walla Walla, and a few other premium tags. If you want to hunt now, go for one of the ones that are gonna draw with 4 pts. Personally, with that many points, I'd hold out a few more years for Mill Creek.

One neat thing about Walla Walla is you can buy "extra" spike tags every year, it's always undersubscribed. This way you get to scout out a big boy for when you do draw, and still get to actually hunt for something at the same time. My wife might draw Mill Creek this year (5pts), which is actually inside the Walla Walla, and I'll buy an extra spike tag so I can hunt the same area at the same time.

TR

[ 03-12-2003, 06:23 PM: Message edited by: TheRogue ]

[SeanD]

I agree, get the book. Dad buys it every year, and i spend lots of time looking at which hunts i want to put in for based on sucess rate, and big bull sucess rate. You can see what your statistical chance of drawing whatever hunt based on your number of preference points. Im stacking up the points now, so i'm gonna put in for a hunt that i statisticly have no chance, and choose a hunt for a second option that i have a decent chance of drawing 2nd chance. I never really understood the preference points system until i read the book, but now i can use it to my advantage. It just kills me when my friends and family dont put in for a tag or at least get a point saver every year, only because they dont understand how the system works. Get your point EVERY YEAR PEOPLE unless you draw!

[Bait O' Eggs]

Those 2 guys who write the point system book do a great job, and it does explain how the point system works. But if you want to save your $10, you can stop at an ODFW office and they will give you a copy of the information for free :shocked: :shocked:

You have to do the math yourself but it is all there. It will say something like 3000 people applied for hunt so and so, 80 people with 5 pref points applied, 80 were successful, 275 people with 4 preference points applied, 220 were successful, 400 people with 3 preference points applied, 0 were successful ..... I dont remember the exact way the info was presented but my example is pretty close, it was a no brainer to figure out how many points it took to get the tag. I believe all the info for the book on the stats comes from this free handout including success rates.

Free is a very good price. [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] But your $10 does get it bound rather than stapled

[stick flicker]

NW Steelheader, Are you putting in for a rifle or Bow Tag? I am not sure yet what I am doing, I also have four points for both deer and elk. I have been doing some research into it as well. I got the tag book and found it to be quite helpfull. They really put it together nicely.
I have been bowhunting for the last 3 years and taken a few cows, but this year I am thinking cash in and go for it with a rifle. Murders Crk is what I am thinking. I figure I'll get a bow deer tag and hunt scout at the same time.
It's too bad reading the reports on Chesnimus. It sounds like the place is in need of some law enforcement to control the abuse of our resources. One person should not be allowed to harvest that many elk. It isn't nessary for substance survival .The ice age is over.

[nwsteelheader]

I've spent many hours pouring over the Percentage Tags book by Middleton and Moran. I think I have the last 4 years worth of issues. I built up all these points by going after those walla walla tags each year, when I knew I had like 0% chance of getting them. I'm just getting tired of waiting for a good draw, and i'm not sure i want to wait another 3 or 4 years to get guaranteed for one of those top caliber hunts when I know that there have got to be some other good units/bull tags out there that i can get with points this year. Maybe I'll just bowhunt again this year and keep waiting it out.

[DAB]

I'll take them off your hands.
DAB