Never participated in the draw before, dropped about $500 now that I'm back in Texas. I thought points accumulated one by one per year, so I figured I have about 15-20 good hunting years left in me, let me start investing now. Didn't know about the new cubing system until after I had put in for the hunts. I guess my question is, how is anyone supposed to win this way until they have 30+ points? Figure my chances are astronomically low now, who thought this was a good idea? Maybe doubling points would have been helpful for those who are unlucky, but cubing? That's outrageously favored to only those who have been putting in for many years. Just sounds like a major discouragement for those of us barely starting out, zero incentive with no chance to win.

It's a racket! And will only get worse. The state should be using the money to buy more land but that would cut into their profits.

If you have lots of points in a category, apply strategy as jayelbee said.

In categories where I have few points, I'll shamelessly spray and pray.

And no, you don't need 30 points to be selected.

I applied for 47 last year and started to think that I was out of my mind. 104? You go boy!

I'll repeat what I've said before. The state should be reducing the odds for out of state hunters and making them pay more just like every other state does.

So yes the new cubing system is a little much, I would be ok with a squared system so there is some advantage to the higher and longevity but not to the point that cubing it gets. Also Non-Res needs to pay more.

You will draw at least a hunt for sure. With that many apps out one is bound to hit. But as mentioned you can spray and pray in a few categories but be more focused in others and have the best of both worlds. Ive been putting in for the last 12 years pretty solid and have only not drawn in 2, I get it things have channged, but theres still a chance.

Also, don't forget there are standby chances too, PS some of the hunts they will take 60-100% of the people that show up for standby.

My main question to TPWD regarding the Texas Public Hunt Drawings is why they don't include a hunt code for loyalty points only! I'm hunting out of state this year and don't have the vacation time to burn on a week long deer hunt in Texas but I still want to build loyalty points. No one at TPWD can answer that for me. Many western states have a option for purchasing bonus/preference points without taking the chance of drawing. I know, I know, First World Problems!

From the old man shouting at a cloud....

I thought I was crazy for applying for 27 this year...

Furlock Bones said:

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I'll repeat what I've said before. The state should be reducing the odds for out of state hunters and making them pay more just like every other state does.

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Honest question, how many out of state hunters are applying? We're kinda bottom of the barrel for public opportunity.

Last year I spoke with a bowhunter at one of the hunts who was drawn.

26 years for him.

I spent $400 last year on apps before realizing they went to cubing. I only had 2-3 points in each category and would have only applied for a fraction of the hunts had I known about cubing and the fact that my odds of drawing were much much less likely. Didn't draw any of the standard hunts.

I did buy an APH and applied for some E-postcard hunts and drew 2 of those(Big Lake Bottom archery and Richland Creek South archery). Those are tough hunts with very low odds of success and therefore decent odds of drawing but they were fun hunts. There are no points for E postcard and the odds of drawing those hunts are way better than the standard hunts. Also I believe there's only a 2 week window form the time the APH goes on sale(you have to have an APH in order to apply) and when those first archery e-postcard hunts are drawn so a lot of people probably miss the app deadline which is why the odds are better.


In 3 years of applying for the standard draw hunts I've drawn 1 out of about 200 apps and that was 2 years of the old system where the odds were significantly better with low points. So whoever said he'll definitely draw one out of the 104 I wouldn't be so sure about with 0 points. The odds are much greater that he won't draw anything this year. There's a chance of course especially on something like Laguna Atascosa where there are a huge number of hunters and the odds are pretty good.

Because of cubing now I'm only applying for a handful of the hunts I really want to draw to continue accruing point. I'll keep doing E-postcard and some out of state apps now since the odds are much better in those.

Wow. $500 is about a NR tag in most western states, could be hunting mulies/elk every year for that.

meggy09 said:

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Wow. $500 is about a NR tag in most western states, could be hunting mulies/elk every year for that.

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Mullie, yes.

Elk (unless a cow), a little more than half plus the license and other miscellaneous fees.

So when do they draw 9/1 deadline hunts? Tonight, tomorrow?

I was excited to check this AM, then realized that the deadline to enter is today, so probably wont draw until tomorrow.

Also, how does standby system work? I know someone above said don't bring it up, so a PM might be necessary.

They did this because people were complaining about the people with 0 points who were getting drawn for the Elite hunts. I can see where they are coming from.

I was lucky enough to get drawn for multiple great hunts while I was young and had low points. I am not expecting to be drawn much in the future.

So when you get drawn, do you go back to zero in that category? What if you get drawn but can't make the hunt and decline, do you get to keep your points?

jpb1999 said:

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So when you get drawn, do you go back to zero in that category? What if you get drawn but can't make the hunt and decline, do you get to keep your points?

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Yes

No

jpb1999 said:

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So when do they draw 9/1 deadline hunts? Tonight, tomorrow?

I was excited to check this AM, then realized that the deadline to enter is today, so probably wont draw until tomorrow.

Also, how does standby system work? I know someone above said don't bring it up, so a PM might be necessary.

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The TPWD website answers most of your questions.

For today's deadline, drawings will occur tomorrow.

SanAntoneAg said:

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jpb1999 said:

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So when you get drawn, do you go back to zero in that category? What if you get drawn but can't make the hunt and decline, do you get to keep your points?

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Yes

No

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O.K., so it seems it will average out over time with the ccubed system, no? The people with lots of points will get drawn and go to zero, while the people with less points will continue to increase and eventually also get drawn...?

Really, so that would be a huge negative in putting in for lots of categories. I was hoping that if you happen to get drawn for 2 hunts that overlap, you could decline one and not lose your points.

A few year ago I had 26 points for Gun Deer Either Sex (GDE). And I finally got drawn.

My son got drawn for a Youth Mule Deer hunt.

Both hunts were on the same weekend.

My 26 points disappeared like Biden at a post press conference Q&A.

They've got to turn course and go to squared or back to a loyalty point

jayelbee said:

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The problem with cubing the points is it puts it almost out of reach for anyone without a lot of points today. There aren't enough hunts awarded in a given year on a lot of hunt categories to clear out the top relative to the number of people who apply, so if you're starting out now, in 15 years the top guys are going to be getting 40,000 or 80,000 entries or more vs your 3375 instead of 35 or 45 vs your 15.

If you're lucky, you'll outlive some folks and then get lucky enough to draw once you're in your 70s.

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I've got 10,648 pronghorn points.

Well, anyone get drawn? Nothing but strike outs for me

jayelbee said:

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The problem with cubing the points is it puts it almost out of reach for anyone without a lot of points today. There aren't enough hunts awarded in a given year on a lot of hunt categories to clear out the top relative to the number of people who apply, so if you're starting out now, in 15 years the top guys are going to be getting 40,000 or 80,000 entries or more vs your 3375 instead of 35 or 45 vs your 15.

If you're lucky, you'll outlive some folks and then get lucky enough to draw once you're in your 70s.

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Yep, will turn into a point creep situation like all of the western state draws have become.

The only difference is that you still technically have a minuscule change at drawing even with very low points.

I did, started another thread trying to get recommendations as I have no idea what im doing lol. Actually ended up putting in for about 75 more hunts on top of the ones I had when I started this thread.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/3222557

jayelbee said:

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The problem with cubing the points is it puts it almost out of reach for anyone without a lot of points today. There aren't enough hunts awarded in a given year on a lot of hunt categories to clear out the top relative to the number of people who apply, so if you're starting out now, in 15 years the top guys are going to be getting 40,000 or 80,000 entries or more vs your 3375 instead of 35 or 45 vs your 15.

If you're lucky, you'll outlive some folks and then get lucky enough to draw once you're in your 70s.

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Unless your name is ontherocks.

CS78 said:

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It's a racket! And will only get worse. The state should be using the money to buy more land but that would cut into their profits.

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Hell no they should not be buying more land as they already confiscate too many acres and squash private property rights that are a right given to us by God.

In fact, they should give back what they have taken over the years.

(Ya I know, get off my lawn)

_89

I'm of the opinion we need more public land hunting opportunities. For those that don't have any private land available to them, there are very few opportunities to hunt in the state, especially if you don't own a bow for archery hunting.

Being in the DFW metroplex, you have to travel a ways to get to small areas of public land that are overpopulated already.

texag_89 said:

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CS78 said:

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It's a racket! And will only get worse. The state should be using the money to buy more land but that would cut into their profits.

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Hell no they should not be buying more land as they already confiscate too many acres and squash private property rights that are a right given to us by God.

In fact, they should give back what they have taken over the years.

(Ya I know, get off my lawn)

_89

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Do what?

The Comanches have something to say about that.

TX is 98% private. Which is basically a travesty, but we can blame the post-1836 crowd for that highway we went down (out of necessity at the time). Unless you've got a lot of free cash or family/friends connections, hunting isn't on your horizon for most part in TX. TX likes to tout itself as a hunting paradise, but recruitment of new/searching hunters is absolutely horrible compared to other states. Every extra piece of land in TX that goes back into public state ownership and is eventually opened up to public access/hunting is a GOOD thing.