I won’t sit here and pretend I’m an expert at applying for hard to draw tags. Most of the hunting I do is in over the counter (OTC) units or locations that have super high draw odds with minimal preference points. However, I have been accumulating points in several states to “save up” for those dream hunts in units I should draw successfully down the road. 

Anyone looking to hunt in premium areas will eventually have to play the preference points game, but we are fairly lucky this day in age to have a pile of resources at our disposal to make draw odds research and decisions on what tags to put in for a little simpler. The rest of this blog I’ll go through how I approach tag draws and walk through the steps of how you might want to start putting in for a hunt. 

Step 1: Pick Species and Region

I don’t know what hunt you are aspiring to go on. It might be high country mule deer in Colorado. Maybe you’ve been dreaming about having a bull elk scream in your face in Arizona during the archery season. Perhaps you really want to scale cliffs and hunt mountain goats in Montana. Whatever dream hunt is, you need to start planning it now or you’ll never do it. The best part is, you don’t have to pick just one, you can start to build towards those hunts every year. 

Once you have picked the hunts you are looking to do in the future you can move on to step number two. 

Step 2: Researching Units and Draw Odds

This task used to be absolutely daunting. Scouring state agency websites for past draw results is clunky and takes hours of sifting through unit maps and drop-down menus. Thankfully, there are some new tools out there that have that information centrally located. Websites like Top Rut and Huntin’ Fool are great resources, and you can start to look at units and areas that you might want to start building points for. Or, if you don’t feel like building points you can look at what units you can draw on zero or one point. 

Bonus: If you have an OnX Hunt elite membership, which gives you maps of all 50 states, you get a free subscription to both Top Rut and Huntin’ Fool. So not only can you look at draw odds, but you can pull up the map of the unit on OnX and do a little E-scouting while you dream of the hunt. 

Step 3: Start Applying!

Of course, this sounds simple enough, but sometimes it can seem like that hunt that takes 10 years to draw is SO FAR AWAY, but I promise, those points build faster than you think. Almost a decade ago, I decided that I would start building points in several states and in the meantime, would just hunt OTC units and easy to draw tags because I’m never going to sit a hunt out. Also, by continuing to hunt, I keep my skills sharp and my freezer full. Then, when the day does come and I have enough points to draw a coveted unit, I don’t put a ton of added pressure on myself to get the job done because I have been hunting all along. If you just wait and wait without spending time in the field, you might come away with an experience you weren’t hoping for, and it will sour you to it because you waited 15 years or whatever to draw the tag. 

So, apply early and often, and know that the money you spend on preference points every year is simply an investment in your future experiences. 

Step 4: Budgeting for Point Build Up

Yes, it costs money to apply for points. 

Most states are fairly affordable, some being as low as $5-$10 per species, while others are higher, perhaps $60-$100 depending on the species. But if you are serious about going on these hunts down the road, just hold off on a couple pizzas or cases of beer throughout the year and put that money towards a trip where the memories will last a lot longer. Also, it helps to know that the money you spend on preference points goes to the state agencies which pays for conservation of the very species you are applying for. Win win! 

Step 5: Ask the Experts

Learn from people who have a lot more knowledge than me about tips and tactics for applying. People like Randy Newberg, Eastmans Hunting Journal, and others have built whole platforms to help inform the general public about opportunities and tag draws. Dive in, treat it like another skill you need to master before hitting the field and I promise that with a little time investment you’ll be on your way to all of the hunts you aspire to. 

That’s it! Of course, there are plenty of little nuances when looking into different states, but the most important thing is to simply get started. Hope that helps you in your quest to complete and go on some of these dream hunts you have brewing up in that grey matter called a brain. 

Good luck!

Bonus Tip: 

Point creep is a real thing. You’ll hear a lot of people talk about this on forums, YouTube videos, and blogs. In certain states, for some species, it might not even be worth putting in. As time goes, the number of points you need to draw simply keeps increasing as more people have started to put in for a real special tag. Example: I quit putting in for Deer points in Wyoming because for the coveted tags, it is almost impossible to catch up with the point creep that is happening. I’ll take my chances on a general tag and just know I need to hunt a little harder in order to get myself on a big deer.