Buying my child points

My 4 month old son just got his ALS number today - #1. As previously stated by others, if he ends up enjoying hunting that'll be a great deal for him - he'll have around 17 points for sheep/goat/moose in MT by the time he finishes high school. If not, no big deal. I can't even say what that will mean in 18 years, but it's better than not having 17 points. I myself am far too late to get into the sheep/goat/moose point game, it'll have to be Canada or Alaska for me, but I want to make sure he has a chance to do something I won't be able to.
This is the answer...in 17 years I'd much rather have 17 points than no points. I'm glad I've never listened to guys like zim...I wouldn't have drawn some great tags if I did.
 
I've bought points in Montana for my 6 year old since he was 2, and my 2 year old has 2 points. They don't even need to know about it. If they want to do it, great. If not, also great. And if I can't afford spending a few hundred bucks on them over several years, I probably don't have any business hunting and buying out of state tags myself.
 
This is the answer...in 17 years I'd much rather have 17 points than no points. I'm glad I've never listened to guys like zim...I wouldn't have drawn some great tags if I did.
BH, As I asked Gbanana, why single me out in this thread when the vast majority posting here AGREE with me? There is no shortage of other guys with sound financial plans for the OP’s kid while you in the minority would have him piss that money into the wind. Just ludicrous.
 
Last edited:
This is the answer...in 17 years I'd much rather have 17 points than no points. I'm glad I've never listened to guys like zim...I wouldn't have drawn some great tags if I did.
Anybody who listens to guys like zim deserves what they get which would NOTHING since according to him there are no states worth applying for. ;)
Seems if things were really as dire for non-res hunters as he makes them out to be there wouldn't so many people here telling is about the great out of state hunts they got to go on.
 
Last edited:
BH, As I asked Gbanana, why single me out in this thread when the vast majority posting here AGREE with me? There is no shortage of other guys with sound financial plans for the OP’s kid while you in the minority would have him piss that money into the wind. Just ludicrous.
I didn't single you out...I said "guys like zim"... BTW, confirmation bias doesn't make you right.
 
I didn't single you out...I said "guys like zim"... BTW, confirmation bias doesn't make you right.
What about that response does not single me out??? As Mike Ditka says........."Who ya crappin?”
 
Last edited:
Anybody who listens to guys like zim deserves what they get which would NOTHING since according to him there are no states worth applying for. ;)
Seems if things were really as dire for non-res hunters as he makes them out to be there wouldn't so many people here telling is about the great out of state hunts they got to go on.
Hello Gbanana..................Anybody home?

This thread is about the OP's 2 year old son's point building, not your last 17 years of adult big game applications. He's not even eligible to apply in 90% of your draws! WTF

I've posted time and again with rave reviews of several of my great hunts in Arizona (5), New Mexico (5), Iowa (6), Wyoming (5) & New Hampshire (1) to name just a few, and suggested others apply for these well managed states. But once again, this does not help the OP, as I don't believe 2 year olds can build points in these states. I'm not up to current regs on this issue though, as they don't affect my 30+ year old sons.

For adults, the states I mention are very worthwhile applying in today, except for New Hampshire, which I believe suspended all nonresident moose tags last year. I say today, because who knows what the future holds with regards to NR quotas, fees & odds.

Now since you are the expert here, why not explain to BB why Maine's moose draw is such an outstanding place for him to invest his hard earned cash from the ground floor? Please back it up with real world numbers. I presented my case against it in post #39.
 
Last edited:
I wish someone had started building points for me at a young age so I’m gonna make that happen for my two daughters. No hard feelings if they don’t wanna use them or don’t hunt at all.
 
It would be cool if the only people that applied for tags were the hunters that are actively hunting. I wonder how much easier it would be to draw good tags if that were the case...
As of now, in MT you don’t have to apply for a tag to get a point. So people who just buy points have no impact on the drawings themself. Buying my daughter an elk point isn’t going to magically make drawing an Elkhorns permit easier.
Like Golfer said earlier though, the ability to buy people who are not eligible to actually hunt could change soon via the Legislature.
 
As of now, in MT you don’t have to apply for a tag to get a point. So people who just buy points have no impact on the drawings themself. Buying my daughter an elk point isn’t going to magically make drawing an Elkhorns permit easier.
Like Golfer said earlier though, the ability to buy people who are not eligible to actually hunt could change soon via the Legislature.

I personally wouldn't mind them changing it to you have to posses a hunting license to acrue points.
 
As of now, in MT you don’t have to apply for a tag to get a point. So people who just buy points have no impact on the drawings themself. Buying my daughter an elk point isn’t going to magically make drawing an Elkhorns permit easier.
Like Golfer said earlier though, the ability to buy people who are not eligible to actually hunt could change soon via the Legislature.
Buying points is one thing, I'm talking about applying for special tags. I know many people who enroll their non-hunting children, wives, and girlfriends for moose, sheep, goat, special elk/deer permits, etc. Personally, I think special permits and the opportunity to draw special permits should be reserved for the keen and active hunter. On the topic of buying points, though, you can't guarantee your daughter will care at all about hunting the Elkhorns at age 16 if she gets drawn.
 
I started buying my two boys points when the passed the Maryland hunter safety course. Fourteen years later they have plenty of points in CO and AZ and WY.

Both went off to college so that pretty much wipes out those years. One went to grad school so more time is gone (other soon to follow). By the way, those applications get expensive when they turn 18...FYI.

So where am I? As of this date neither of the two has been out west with me minus my youngest who hunted antelope in NM as a senior in high school. He drew that tag so the point system was of no help.

Would I do it again? I guess however I am not sure I would recommend it to others. Life is journey that takes many turns and tags can be acquired in many different ways. Unless someone is clairvoyant enough to see their son or daughter wants to hunt out west and will have the means and ability to do so at as an adult, the investment may be a big "nothing burger". Will my grand plan pan out? Stay tuned...My oldest is applying with me for elk in AZ this year so my fingers are crossed. Did I mention if he draws a tag I will be fortunate enough to cover all hunting costs, LOL? That's the other part of the planning I didn't figure but will be happy to be able to do.
 
IMO cost is not one of the main factors in buying your kids points. It is the message it sends. Maybe 1 of 1000 people is a NR PP hunter, and 1 of 100 is a resident PP hunter. Why in the heck would you want to write such a narrow script for your kid? It would be like if my parents invested for two decades in a system for me to get a huge head start in being a pilot or a diver or a concert pianist. Then in my late teens, I realize that I my passion is not the thing they set me up for, and how do I communicate that to my parents that I’m going to leave everything on the table without appearing ungrateful?

You say now, “Oh, if they don’t want to use the points, they can just walk away, no expectation.” Maybe you truly believe that, and will follow through with that. What you can’t control is your kids’ ability to accept that message. You’re going to have a serious challenge convincing them that it’s ok to walk away without it disrupting your relationship.

I think the reason we get tempted by this trap is we are the 1 of 100 or 1 of 1000 who work the point systems. We think, “What would be the most epic gift my parents ever could have got for me?” “Ground floor PP for every species in every state!!” We think, “Well, I didn’t get the epic gift, but...I can get it for my kids!” You’d be the raddest dad in the universe.

Living through your kids is never helpful to them. They will be their own persons someday - don’t get in the way of that happening. Some of us know “that guy” who got to go on multiple OIL hunts in their 30s because their parents set them up with PP’s. Yes, there will always be a rare exception to the odds - so what? We get a wet dream over those rare instances and don’t want them to miss out?

Really? They are going to “miss out” if they can’t ever hunt primo units until they’re planned and invested for decades like you had to do. Maybe offer them an opportunity to learn how life actually works rather than pay and plan their way to the front of the line. What sort of character are you thinking that’s going to produce in them. But oh wait, they’re going to have a bighorn sheep on their wall that you paid for.

PP for kids in diapers should be illegal. It’s not. Just because it’s possible to buy them and you can afford to buy them doesn’t mean you should buy them. It’s my opinion only and I’m well aware there are many different opinions.
 
I have been buying points for my kids for the last 6 years (from 12 years old). I figured if I liked hunting / travel there is a good chance my kids will too.

At this point my daughter isn’t interested in a western hunt but my son definitely is.

My view is doing a western hunt is such an amazing adventure (the people, scenery, culture etc) I wanted to share this with my kids. I’m happy with my point buying and glad it opens up an option to have a shared experience with my kids.
 
Advertisement

Forum statistics

Threads
113,450
Messages
2,021,669
Members
36,175
Latest member
Steiger
Back
Top