Better odds this year on applications

[grizzly63]

With this new system and people being people, not as many may be able to figure out how to navigate that SOB. If you do, you may have better odds of getting drawn. Now, I speculate they will extend the application window "cause its just too hard and I didn't try till the night before the deadline". I think its a pretty clear warning when list 10 or 12 places you can go see how to do it. Sometimes change is not easy. Personally, I think its not very user friendly but I did manage to get five applications. Got my fingers crossed that I can have some luck this year. People who are really befuddled can always put in a paper application. Lets see how this plays out. Best of luck to you.

 

[Wild Bill]

No attack on you grizzly, but I have zero idea what is so utterly confusing about this new system. I created accounts for myself, my wife, and my father, without any additional guidance, and had no issues. I applied for paddlefish, all turkey draws, and now elk tags without and hiccups. All of our preference points showed up, and all the draws are open and running when they say they will be. Maybe I am in the minority with my experience?

I think a lot of the outcry on social media comes from the same people who b*tch and moan about any changes GFP makes, whether it be season dates, tag numbers, preference points, etc. Lot's of folks just want someone to be mad at, and GFP is an easy target. If most of these people would calmly sit down and take a half hour to properly set up their accounts and explore and learn the new interface instead of immediately throwing their arms in the air and going on facebook to cry about it, they'd see that it is a decent system that once you learn it, works well. Is it perfect? No, but it does have new, nice features.

All in all, I don't think that any confusion or issues with this new system is going to affect draw results or number of applicants. They've already adjusted application windows for turkey and elk draws. If they are still experiencing issues when deer apps open, they'll do the same there.

If there is to be a decrease in apps due to the system, it will be next year. If I remember correctly, I believe all paper apps will be eliminated by next year and all apps will need to be done online.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

It has closed for NR! I’m confused by this program and miss the old one.

 

[Oak]

The only part I screwed up was forgetting the earlier deadline.

 

[Wild Bill]

The only part I screwed up was forgetting the earlier deadline.

It has closed for NR! I’m confused by this program and miss the old one.

Are you guys referring to NR Public Land Archery Deer? Other than that I believe turkey is the only big game draw that has been completed so far (unless I'm spacing out and forgetting something obvious).

 

[Oak]

Are you guys referring to NR Public Land Archery Deer? Other than that I believe turkey is the only big game draw that has been completed so far (unless I'm spacing out and forgetting something obvious).

Ah, I had bad info. I thought the deer deadline was in April this year.

 

[mtmiller]

Ah, I had bad info. I thought the deer deadline was in April this year.

May 1 this year. Chalk it up to a learning opportunity. Get it right next year.

 

[Wild Bill]

Ah, I had bad info. I thought the deer deadline was in April this year.

Better luck next year.
Until then, make sure you get on facebook and raise hell in the comment section. Clearly you have been victimized and screwed out of YOUR deer tag by GFP. They're just a buncha money hungry elitists that don't want people to go hunting.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I see they are hosting application help days. So I think it'll be the same turn out as always imo.

I did get a kick back that my big horn application got screwed up and I need to redo it, so I guess a few folks may end up not being able to apply due to technical issues

 

[grizzly63]

Wild Bill, my problems with it were this, when I would select "limited Draws" nothing would happen, no spinning wheels, no acknowledgement that anything was happening. Then, after a while the selection window would come up. I would click on the season I was applying for and unbeknownst to me, I would have to scroll down to find a "Next " button. After finding my way through the first app, I would try to apply for another. I wasn't having much luck with that so I tried to checkout. After a few attempts, I got that accomplished. Went back and started all over again. This time when I applied for a single application, it would not let me check out because it would be "duplicate checkout". So it was still in the cart and I added another applications. Now the price was different and it would let me check out. I applied for two more seasons and had the same failed check out "duplicate charge" so I went back and changed my contribution amount. This changed the total and Wa-La I was done. This was on my PC, maybe it works better on a super smart phone or something. Maybe my PC is not new enough to handle this stuff. Maybe as time goes by, the bugs will get worked out or people like me will get smarter about using it.
I do not Facebook and never will. Probably why I am on this forum which I like.
I do not dislike the GFP, there are some really great people in there. I have more respect for most of them than I do some fellow sportsmen who cant seem to get it right and be legal.
I do not agree with everything they do and change hasn't killed me yet. The only thing that is constant is change. Good luck in your draws.

 

[Wild Bill]

Good luck to you as well, @grizzly63. Like I said in my first post, maybe I am in the minority with not having any problems? I'm confident they'll get it all sorted out before too long. It's a brand new system for everyone and they've got bugs to work out. All part of the process. I do all my apps on a newer desktop computer at work. I have used the app on my phone and have checked it out on my laptop without any issues. Maybe if your laptop is older or your using a less compatible browser that could make a difference? I use Safari on my mac and Chrome on my desktop.

 

[warmer]

No attack on you grizzly, but I have zero idea what is so utterly confusing about this new system. I created accounts for myself, my wife, and my father, without any additional guidance, and had no issues. I applied for paddlefish, all turkey draws, and now elk tags without and hiccups. All of our preference points showed up, and all the draws are open and running when they say they will be. Maybe I am in the minority with my experience?

I think a lot of the outcry on social media comes from the same people who b*tch and moan about any changes GFP makes, whether it be season dates, tag numbers, preference points, etc. Lot's of folks just want someone to be mad at, and GFP is an easy target. If most of these people would calmly sit down and take a half hour to properly set up their accounts and explore and learn the new interface instead of immediately throwing their arms in the air and going on facebook to cry about it, they'd see that it is a decent system that once you learn it, works well. Is it perfect? No, but it does have new, nice features.

All in all, I don't think that any confusion or issues with this new system is going to affect draw results or number of applicants. They've already adjusted application windows for turkey and elk draws. If they are still experiencing issues when deer apps open, they'll do the same there.

If there is to be a decrease in apps due to the system, it will be next year. If I remember correctly, I believe all paper apps will be eliminated by next year and all apps will need to be done online.

My biggest issue is why? We had a good, reliable system in place. The system before that was even simpler. The “change for the sake of change” is BS. Off my soapbox.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

My biggest issue is why? We had a good, reliable system in place. The system before that was even simpler. The “change for the sake of change” is BS. Off my soapbox.

Wasn't the main logic to be able to combine campsite reservations and hunting in a common website?

I vaguely remember that being the reason?

 

[Wild Bill]

My biggest issue is why? We had a good, reliable system in place. The system before that was even simpler. The “change for the sake of change” is BS. Off my soapbox.

I get it, but are you on the inside? Maybe it wasn't just change for change sake? Maybe the old system was outdated and ran poorly for those who manage and operate it from the inside. I am confident that there is a very legitimate reason they moved to a different interface. State Government does not just up and switch this on a whim for fun, as I am sure this was not a cheap endeavor. I work in state government and I am confident that this process went through a multi-year planning and implementation phase. I can guarantee you that the folks that area handling the issues some are facing and the backlash from certain others are not enjoying this. And there are bugs with any new system. You can plan and prep and minimize risk before going live, but until you go live, you truly will never know all of the bugs that exist.

@SD_Prairie_Goat Yes, bringing the camping reservations into the same interface was one of the major reasons.

 

[Dakota79]

I didn't seem to have any trouble and neither did the several people I helped walk through applying.

 

[grizzly63]

Special Buck has already been ran. Wild BIll, I work for the state as well. In reference to getting better odds, when they changed the way leftover elks tags were drawn, I got back to back anterless leftover archery elk tags. Probably because people do not always pay as much attention as they should. That period ended and I will probably never draw another. I could see how a change like this could have a similar effect. Glad you guys could help people.

 

[warmer]

I get it, but are you on the inside? Maybe it wasn't just change for change sake? Maybe the old system was outdated and ran poorly for those who manage and operate it from the inside. I am confident that there is a very legitimate reason they moved to a different interface. State Government does not just up and switch this on a whim for fun, as I am sure this was not a cheap endeavor. I work in state government and I am confident that this process went through a multi-year planning and implementation phase. I can guarantee you that the folks that area handling the issues some are facing and the backlash from certain others are not enjoying this. And there are bugs with any new system. You can plan and prep and minimize risk before going live, but until you go live, you truly will never know all of the bugs that exist.

@SD_Prairie_Goat Yes, bringing the camping reservations into the same interface was one of the major reasons.

Back on my soapbox.

I get 2-4 emails from GFP every week. Not a single one mentioned any of the reasons you suggest for the change. Not arguing, but some communication from GFP explaining the reasoning would be great. Combining reservations was mentioned by Praire Goat, but GFP hasn’t explained why. Just tired of relearning new systems every 5 years.

 

[brian flatlander]

With this new system and people being people, not as many may be able to figure out how to navigate that SOB. If you do, you may have better odds of getting drawn. Now, I speculate they will extend the application window "cause its just too hard and I didn't try till the night before the deadline". I think its a pretty clear warning when list 10 or 12 places you can go see how to do it. Sometimes change is not easy. Personally, I think its not very user friendly but I did manage to get five applications. Got my fingers crossed that I can have some luck this year. People who are really befuddled can always put in a paper application. Lets see how this plays out. Best of luck to you.

draw odds were worse dont know were your comeing from special buck was every other year not this year very easy to navigate

 

[grizzly63]

Well, the better odds didnt work very good for me. Nothing but a donation so far. Anyone have any luck? I'm going to donate a little more for leftovers which incidentaly there are fewer of. People giving up and cashing in for meat critters. I may do better in the deer draws.

 

[brian flatlander]

you got 5 apps in

With this new system and people being people, not as many may be able to figure out how to navigate that SOB. If you do, you may have better odds of getting drawn. Now, I speculate they will extend the application window "cause its just too hard and I didn't try till the night before the deadline". I think its a pretty clear warning when list 10 or 12 places you can go see how to do it. Sometimes change is not easy. Personally, I think its not very user friendly but I did manage to get five applications. Got my fingers crossed that I can have some luck this year. People who are really befuddled can always put in a paper application. Lets see how this plays out. Best of luck to you.

and your whining wow