I'm relative new to putting in for out of state draw hunts and I am a bit confused. I put in first choice in CO for a preference point. Then put in for units X,Y, and Z for second through fourth choice. I did not draw in the first draw. I'm looking at the secondary draw units available and all three of the units i put in for are available. Why would I not have drawn in the first draw? Please forgive me if this is a dumb question. Thanks for any clarification.
Colorado Elk Draw
- Thread starter bf1002
- Start date
huntandfly
Well-known member
Tags available in the secondary draw are a combination of unallocated tags, as well as tags that people turned in right after the initial draw. There are a lot of good units with tags available in the second draw due to turn ins, but unless you are a youth you won’t be able to draw them. Youth have 100% preference in the secondary draw
You drew your first choice - a point. If you wanted a chance at drawing a second choice, you shouldn’t have listed a point code as your first choice and instead put a unit you couldn’t draw with whatever level of points you had. Hope that helps.
Bluffgruff
Well-known member
That's not how Colorado's draw works, but, then again, who am I to give people tips... I can't tell if you are trying to lower point creep or if you aren't clear on the way the draw works.
The OP's situation was he got a point like his first choices indicated, but his 2nd-4th choice hunts weren't available by the time 2nd-4th choices were being looked at (after every other applicant's higher level of choice), so he didn't draw any of them. People who DID draw those tags then either didn't pay for their tags, or surrendered them in the surrender period, so they are in the secondary draw because for low point hunts, Colorado doesn't give the tag to the next person in the draw order or try to call people to give out the tags.
Tough luck, but the lesson is that one should apply for the hunt one wants as first choice if one absolutely wants a tag.
Thanks! Good to know as I need to do my homework again. I’ve always operated under the impression that if you put a point as your first choice, you can’t draw a second, third or fourth choice - period. All these years that’s the way I have applied so it’s good to know you can use a point code as your first choice and still have a chance at those other tags.
Wasn’t trying to offer up bad advice… doh!
Thank you for the information. I did draw what I wanted for my first choice. I didn't realize that surrendered tags were put back in for the second draw. I thought they automatically went to the leftover draw after the second draw. That makes complete sense now that I think about it.
