Book is out online. Good luck to all.

TPWD Draw Hunts

One day when I am 85 I will have 60 preference points for big horn and my great grand son will wheel me out in my wheel chair to shoot a monster.

You'll have to fight me for it old timer!!

feeling real good about my chances this year

Time to make my annual donation.

Just made my annual $45 donation. One of these days!

20 points for bighorn and pronghorn. THIS IS MY YEAR!!!!

Donated

Preference points just give you more names in the hat? Theoretically, I could draw on my 1st entry?

You have to list everyone who would be in your party ?

AgDad and water turkey, yes.

Donated my annual $100, im not very lucky so i see it more as a donation than anything else. But hey im still building my preference points right!

Anyone here ever been drawn before?

Ag 11 said:

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Anyone here ever been drawn before?

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I have, got Devils River exotic 2018 for hunt in Jan 2019. I know this might make some people a little unhappy, but I had no priority points and got lucky. It is a true random draw and possible to be selected.

That being said, I just donated last year and was not drawn for anything.

I did a write up with pictures last year to share info with Burr Oak, you can search for devils river

This may be a silly question, but do the points carry over? I have never entered into the drawn hunts, but plan on doing it this year.

Also, can I purchase as many points as I want?

You are awarded one point per species each year you put in and don't draw. The points carry over each year until you draw, and then they reset to zero.

You can only get 1 point per species per year. You cannot purchase more.

Thank you!

I've been entering for the gun mule deer at Matador and Yoakum Dunes for a few years now, and a few others. Does making a donation get you additional preference points?


As an aside: I went on a guided pronghorn hunt like 6 years ago up in the panhandle. One of the other hunters in camp that week had won the bighorn sheep draw the year before and killed the only one taken in the state that year. The dude was goofy as hell. Just a complete goober. Then, low and behold, he goes out and shoots a monster pronghorn, like a 94 incher or something. Fckn lucky goofy *******.

Ag 11 said:

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Anyone here ever been drawn before?

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I drew an archery exotic hunt at Garner SP a few years ago on my first try. It was freezing cold and wet the whole week and I came home empty handed... it was a great time.

And in the spirit of the thread...

I'll be putting in for the guided package hunts, because those are hunts that you just can't turn down - Bighorn, Gemsbok, and Scimitar-Horned Oryx.

I may also put in for a couple of the exotic hunts, archery and general, because I don't have other ways to hunt those.

My daughter is now 8, so I will be putting her in for a youth exotic hunt.

Since I'm going to CO archery elk hunting for 10 days, hope to go to AZ archery mule deer hunting, and I have two places to hunt whitetails and hogs, I'm trying to limit my TPWD draws to stuff I can't otherwise do... in order to justify it to my wife.

909Ag2006 said:

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I've been entering for the gun mule deer at Matador and Yoakum Dunes for a few years now, and a few others. Does making a donation get you additional preference points?

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"making a donation" is actually a joke. You have to pay a $3 fee for each hunt you apply. Most people never get selected so the saying goes you made a donation to TPW.

One thing of note is you can apply as a group, usually up to 4 hunters, Edit but your group is only tagged with the priority points from the hunter with the lowest number. but your group is only tagged with the average priority points Example

You have a group of three guys that want the Mule deer hunt and you all apply together on the same application with your priority points.

Sarge = 8 points (applied 5 years in a row and was not selected)
Sully = 7 points
E. King = 0 points.

Your group is treated like an individual with 5 points. It is not the cumulative of your group. Something to think about if you are trying to get a group together

Hope this helps. Like I said earlier it's not all about points, I was selected with no points. You can ballpark your odds. The application numbers from the previous year are included for each hunt on the website.

pretty sure they do the average........in your scenario it would be 4 as a group

good idea on entering the kid.........its free and great for scouting out places for when you get drawn.

nieces got drawn for a hog hunt a few years ago and it rained the entire weekend. the area desperately needed it so we were not too upset.

They average the points of the group members, not take the lowest number.

BurrOak said:

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They average the points of the group members, not take the lowest number.

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That's right. I will edit my post. Thanks

ought1ag said:

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pretty sure they do the average........in your scenario it would be 4 as a group

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That's right. I will edit my post. Thanks

The best way to go on a drawn hunt is to enter your kids in the youth hunts and accompany them. While you won't get to hunt, the odds of a successful youth draw are much greater than the regular "adult" draws.

Before my kids aged out a few years ago, they drew youth hunts at Daughtrey WMA three times, Chaparral WMA twice, Colorado Bend SP, Mason Mountain WMA and Big Bend Ranch SP. They harvested animals each time with the exception of Big Bend Ranch.

About to get with the group and make our selections. I've been very lucky and have drawn something in 7 of the 10 years I've been putting in. There have been 2 hunts that I was drawn for that I couldn't make. First was the 1st year I put in and was hired for new job and in training, no missing a single day. The next was a turkey hunt in San Angelo, I live in Dallas and had 3 day hunt my daughter had minor surgery on day 2 wasn't going there and back there and back.

I just saw that they are doing something new this year. At least I think it's new.

They are now cubing the number of preference points you have and that's how many times you will be entered into each drawing.

So:
1=1
2=8
3=27
4=64
5=125
....
20=8000

I guess I'm in the pronghorn draw 8000 times then.

Log said:

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I guess I'm in the pronghorn draw 8000 times then.

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You and no telling how many others. Good luck.

I'm at 18 for Gun deer either sex. Maybe this will be my year for Matador.

I drew Gun Deer Either Sex at the Chap with 13 points 2 years ago. I probably have 15 or so for antelope and mule deer. Hoping to get drawn in the next 15 years. The dream would be to pull the Bighorn Tag. I have drawn a hunts on the Daughtry, Gene Howe, Cap Rock Canyons. Some quality land to hunt.

This year they are taking your points cubed so I really like my odds of drawing with 20 points in some categories. Last year I killed a great buck on The Matador

I was drawn for gun deer (doe only I think) for one of the east Texas draws a few years back. Wasn't able to make it. Haven't been drawn since, so just put my money in the donation pot every year now.