Tpwd new draw system is a failure

[Budman68]

In the last 10 years I had never been picked, last year I won two hunts. Hard for me to dislike it. It's easy and simple, but yes pricey if you win one. I hope they work the bugs out for you guys.

[BrianL]

lol... before you had a 99% chance of NOT winning, and now people are mad that it is 99.5% chance of NOT winning.

[Budman68]

I will tell you the harvest info is wrong at the place we hunted. I killed a buck, doe, pig and the other guys killed bucks, does, goats, and pigs. They have the total kills listed as one buck. Interesting.

[bossbowman]

lol... before you had a 99% chance of NOT winning, and now people are mad that it is 99.5% chance of NOT winning.

Wrong, your odds of drawing have gone down exponentially. I think alot dont realize how many more hunts and permits they used to award as well. The archery category is a shadow of its former self, there are a whole lot less # of permits up for grabs than their used to be. I will do some digging tonite on some old draw hunt booklets and give an idea of how may permits their "used" to be a decade ago and earlier, its almost like they are trying to phase out the draw hunts slowly.

[BrianL]

Wrong, your odds of drawing have gone down exponentially. I think alot dont realize how many more hunts and permits they used to award. The archery category is a shadow of its former self, there are a whole lot less # of permits up for grabs than their used to be. I will do some digging tonite on some old draw hunt booklets and give an idea of how may permits their "used" to be a decade ago and earlier, its almost like they are trying to phase out the draw hunts slowly.

I agree to a point, but there are WAY more bow hunters today than 10-20 years ago. There were many years I would put in for the Draw hunts and have never been drawn. I did get drawn a couple times at Matador WMA archery, but that was when they drew at Matador. Either way the odds have ALWAYS been way against you. You just went from really bad odds to terrible odds.

[J-Bob]

I like the new system a LOT better. Easier to use and I can choose multiple places in the category or categories I care about rather than having to put in only one in each category hoping to win a hunt. The other piece they added that I like a lot is the secondary drawing when someone doesn't pay. I won a couple last year on that secondary drawing.

It is ironic that people complained for years to TPWD about only being able to choose one hunt per category. And now that they changed it people are complaining about the change.

[Mjjust]

Tpwd new draw system is a failure

Sounds like a win for the financial people at tpwd, $3 per application adds up.

They likely tripled their application revenue.

I would rather they triple the entry fee to $9 if they want revenue. I hate the multiple apps per category. It takes away the level playing field of the old way. If you have lots of time off, job flexibility and money you can put in for everything and increase your odds and if you have little time off, job flexibility and money you likely put in for only 1 or 2 and your odds go down now. The first guy likely already has a place to hunt and the second likely doesn't and now his only chance to hunt at all has decreased.

I do like the online part and the second chance drawing.

I've kept every book back to 1999 so tonight I will look at some to see how different the number of hunts may be.

[jkelbe]

I would rather they triple the entry fee to $9 if they want revenue. I hate the multiple apps per category. It takes away the level playing field of the old way. If you have lots of time off, job flexibility and money you can put in for everything and increase your odds and if you have little time off, job flexibility and money you likely put in for only 1 or 2 and your odds go down now. The first guy likely already has a place to hunt and the second likely doesn't and now his only chance to hunt at all has decreased.

I mean doesn't that guy always win. He has tons of time off, tons of money to play with.. how does that guy ever loose.

[bossbowman]

Anyone know about Richland Creek?

[James]

Anyone know about Richland Creek?

It is flooded and not offering hunts. First thing that popped up on website

[bossbowman]

It is flooded and not offering hunts. First thing that popped up on website

Flooded this way in 2007 and they still offered the hunts, deer were killed, I know they did cancel the hunts there in 2009 for flooding in the fall.

[bossbowman]

I completely agree and stated the same on the other thread.

I have 10+ points in a few categories because I typically put in for hard to draw places like the Chap.

The applicants for the Chap literally doubled last year from it's average!

Now those hard to draw spots will have many more people applying much like the one and only Antelope spot. With no risk or care.

James Daughtrey had over 1300 applicants for 10 spots...PP are all but useless.

I do like the online side of it...

Look more closesly, that # is 1300 APPLICATIONS , you can put up to 4 applicants on an application, most of these hunts now have less than a 1% chance of drawing,

[Etxbuckman]

I wonder if mother nature culled enough of the deer herd in 2011 & 2012 that the TPWD simply didn't need to offer as many hunts as in years past?

I think I may wait one more year to start applying again after reading about these issues. It's going to take time to tweak the system and work out the kinks so hopefully next year it's not so dire.

[Timemachine]

My son and I got drawn last years PLUS he got drawn for Youth hunt.....BOTH on the SAME weekend. Lost our points!! Hunedt three days in the pouring rain for one doe! All those points....shot to hell!

[Cuz]

My son and I got drawn last years PLUS he got drawn for Youth hunt.....BOTH on the SAME weekend. Lost our points!! Hunedt three days in the pouring rain for one doe! All those points....shot to hell!

Why would you apply for two hunts on the same dates if you weren't prepared to lose one of them if drawn on both?