I've got another question now that I know you can do that. Can you opt-out of using your bonus points for a draw and then buy your point after the draw has occurred?
I don’t know for sure, but I don’t believe so. I think you can buy an unlimited sheep tag and still buy points, but I don’t believe you can apply in the draw, opt-out of using your points, and then buy another in the points only period. But… it would be an interesting question for FWP staff.
No you can’t. If you put in for a permit draw and elect not to use bonus points you cannot buy a point later in the year. You can only buy a point if you didn’t put in for the draw.
I’ve usually chalked it up to mistakes, group apps/pt averaging, or people that don’t what they’re doing.
Yeah, I've seen a few instances of people with 10+ points burning them on an archery tag. The units also had rifle tags so it had to be a huge mistake..
I drew a CO deer tag 2nd choice a few years ago that someone had burned 12 points on, figured it had to be a mistyped hunt code
Is that something they changed? You used to be able to buy a bonus point if you didn’t use bonus points as long as you were not successful on your first choice. I did it for a ewe.
Some of the very best hunting in MT comes with 0 to very low points and often were drawn in past on 2nd choices. What are people making a mistake about when they opt to hunt as opposed to tally points?
Leave it to MT FWP to have conflicting bonus point info for different species. The yellow highlights is from deer/elk/antelope regs and the other is from MSG regs. From how I read it, I think we’re both right. Can’t do it for elk or deer but if you put in for a ewe tag and don’t elect bonus points it appears you’d be able to purchase one. Thank god Hank is working hard to simplify things!
I wasn't talking about anyone opting out. I'm talking about burning points on archery tags that have a draw success of +70% with no points.
I totally understand what you said, and I said people can “opt” to do something different(and certainly draw and hunt) not “opt out”. Best hunts in montana nowadays are archery easy to draw that also have rifle hard to draw and archery is the better hunt. Just depends on what you want to do. 10 points and have a gamble to draw a decent rifle hunt, or throw in for archery and have a the best hunt, same area, and sure to draw. It is not a mistake for some.
Right. I enjoy great hunting in general units and I know people who have great hunts in easy to draw archery units. If someone burns 10+ points on a unit that takes no points to draw they arent 'opting out' they are burning 10 years of points on a unit that doesn't take any points to draw. But you could 'opt out' and keep your points and probably draw the easy to draw tags. Makes total sense. Opting out was also explained above in the thread.
Thanks. I was wondering this as well. Makes sense....
