1-yr old with bonus points (MT)

[whiskeydog]

Thanks to our messed up state regs and bonus point system (thanks Montana State Legislature ), this little girl is now the proud owner of her very own ALS# and her first of many bonus points for Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, and Elk...even though she won’t be able to apply until 2028! By the time her and her brother are old enough to apply for tags, we will have over $1k invested in bonus points between the two of them. The worst part? All this and I don’t even know if she’ll want to hunt or not...​

 

[GearJunky]

Wow, I didn't know you could do this. Guess I better start stacking up points for my kids.

 

[whiskeydog]

As of last year you can...they have to be at least one. No 11 month olds...gotta draw the line somewhere!! You can also buy points for yourself during the 7 year waiting period now too.

 

[JBS]

I pressed the less than 1 year old issue last year unsuccessfully. My 18 month old twins registered last year and not surprisingly are ALS # 1 and 2. They each have elk and Goat bonus points. I decided that the sheep and moose odds are so bad that they will have to be really lucky to draw with or without points and my investment might only get them from sub 1% to maybe 2%. It seems that Goat and Elk have good enough odds that the points might make a more significant difference.

 

[Schaaf]

Damn whiskey dog, you let the cat out of the bag

 

[MTGomer]

I would like to disagree with this, but if we are to have a bonus point system that Fs over the future generation, you might as will minimize the damage it will do to their chances as little as possible

 

[greatwhitebuffalo]

^ Yep. Let's hope the states continue to come up with creative solutions.

 

[LCH]

Way cuter than your average MT point holder!

 

[whiskeydog]

I get it on not doing sheep/moose...but what’s $30/year? Or $60 for you J
And Gomer, I agree 100%...this system is BS. I’m 40 and have shot a moose and a goat...I’d vote (even retroactively) for making those OIL tags! I’d vote for getting rid of squared points. Maybe a percent of tags on a bonus point draw and a percent on a 1 entry 1 chance draw! We need to get this system changed!

 

[whiskeydog]

My 18 month old twins registered last year and not surprisingly are ALS # 1 and 2.

and my little girl, who is 20 months, is #2...which means there is someone else in the state who is on the ball! Now, my 4 year old, who I registered last year, did get #1

 

[BearFoot]

Congrats

 

[MT_elk]

The system is indeed flawed. In my opinion, it's all about making money, not managing.

 

[flyingvmt]

Thanks for the info! Avery and Finley are gonna have a boatload of points by the time they are old enough to hunt here in Montana!

 

[whiskeydog]

Thanks for the info! Avery and Finley are gonna have a boatload of points by the time they are old enough to hunt here in Montana!

yeah...Sawyer and Sylvie too...but with inflation, a boatload ain’t gonna be worth what it is today!

 

[AtenJones]

Shoot - I meant to do this for my 15month old this year. Has the deadline already passed?


I'd hate for him to have to wait until he's 76 instead of 75 to go on a sheep hunt...

 

[Mason326]

That lynx is biting it's lip, doesn't want to complain about all the wacky western draw systems...

 

[whiskeydog]

AtenJones…
You have until the end of Sept to buy the points. Points can be bought online, but you can't get a kid an ALS number online...I'm not sure if you can do it over the phone or not as I've always gone to the FWP office.

 

[cowboy]

Way cuter than your average MT point holder!

Agree: She takes after her paternal grandfather

 

[Jape]

I would like to disagree with this, but if we are to have a bonus point system that Fs over the future generation, you might as will minimize the damage it will do to their chances as little as possible

Exactly.

 

[dcreiss]

I think this is about the only way to give kids a fair shake at obtaining a license in the future with rampant point creep playing out in many states. I just called SDGFP to check and see if this is a possibility as they made a move to cube preference points in a tiered draw system which completely marginalizes entering hunters in high demand draws. I may have to petition the South Dakota GFP Commission to consider a move like this if it is not currently available, my 3 kids deserve at least a decent chance to hunt elk in-state before they are 40.