CP&W Primary and secondary draws. Who are they 'saving' them for?

[David Platt]

Of course, logic would say the majority of tags go to the revenue generatin' out-of-staters. That's certainly up for debate but that's not why I'm posting. At 70 y.o., I don't likely have that many years left to get out and hunt. Seems to me, the powers that be could find a few more tags for seniors even while they advocate for youth hunters and give them top priorities in the draws. Got no problem with that.

My hunting partner and I have been the recipients of one tag per year between the two of us...meaning only one of us gets a tag every other year. After determining what (multiple choices) type hunts we will apply for among four species, each spring, and then doing the same for the secondary draws, just one of us will be graciously bestowed a deer tag in a given year. Been that way for 7 or 8 years now. Yet, Salida is over run with 'town deer' they won't do anything about. There's a lot of politics involved with doing something about that so nothing gets done. Its a tough call. I get it. But that means the backyard biologists - the amateurs at the ballot box - win again.

And don't get me started on point creep especially pertaining to pronghorns. Grrrr.

 

[longcruise]

Well, the secondary draw is pretty much a youth draw except for some units that may have a large number of tags such as antelope eastern plains. If there are ten tags for a given unit in the secondary and ten youth applicants they will get the ten tags. Not like that in the primary but it's a sure thing in the secondary.

So, I drew zip in.the secondary and guess I'll look at the leftover list but I'm probably not going to find anything there.

You undoubtedly understand that the units you draw for can have widely varying odds of drawing. I'll turn 79 in a couple days and also consider how many hunts I have left. My approach is to apply for a couple sure things rather than be picky about the unit. In other words, id rather hunt with a bigger chance of tag soup than wait for next year.

I hope you get out there somehow or other.