Hunting Preference Point Strategies: Quality Versus Quantity

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My family didn't hunt. I don't have stories of dragging on Dad's shirttails, slipping through the woods, and searching for a game.

Don't get me wrong, my childhood was excellent, but I couldn't start big-game hunting until I was a freshman in college. At that time, I was behind the big-game eight ball. I didn't have a rifle, clothing, suitable boots, etc. I begged, borrowed, and stole while I saved my part-time job pennies. Every dime I made went toward hunting.

However, I didn't have enough jingles in my pockets to apply for tags in my home state, let alone others.

I didn't start applying for in-state tags until I was 23. At 29, I started playing the western tag-draw game in as many states as possible. For this reason, I bring a unique perspective to a pair of preference point strategies: pump and dump and long-term play.

Pump and Dump

If you happen to come across the previous two articles I penned concerning tips for western hunt draws and my thoughts on OTC hunt opportunities, you know there are many ways to play the tag-draw game. Some tags take a lifetime to draw, and there is no guarantee. Then, some require points in the double digits, and a slew of others one can draw with five or fewer points.

The pump-and-dump strategy is simple, and I often use it for big-game species like deer, elk, bear, and pronghorn. I keep an active spreadsheet showing the number of preference points in the states I'm applying for by species. For example, I have two preference points for Colorado's big-game draw this year for elk. According to data from GOHUNT and my analytics, two points give me a 78 percent chance of drawing a unit where I've killed multiple bulls over the years. The unit isn't known for gagger bulls, but I don't care. I aim to hunt elk out West at least once, if not multiple times per year. I followed the long-term playbook in Colorado once in my elk-drawing tenure. It was worth it. While I waited, I pumped and dumped in other states and took advantage of Colorado's OTC elk opportunities. However, from this point forward, Colorado is a pump-and-dump state for me regarding elk.

Going into Nevada's 2024 big-game draw, I had eight points for archery mule deer. Eight may sound like a lot, but it's not, I promise. This is especially true for non-residents longing to hunt big-deer meccas. The Silver State is one such mecca. I was four to six years from drawing the unit I'd been saving for. However, the need to hunt velvet antler bucks in a high plains unit consumed my mind, so I pumped, dumped, and had a remarkable hunt with a great friend.

Using the pump-and-dump strategy, you will hunt more often. The primary drawback to this strategy is you'll likely never save enough points to hunt a unit known for massive critters and ultra-low hunt pressure. But don't fret. I have a bonus strategy coming up. Keep reading, friends.

The Long-Term Play

I'm not just a pump-and-dump tag player. I love the long game. However, until recently, I thought I had a better chance of capturing a unicorn for scientific testing than pulling an ultra-premium big-game tag. Let me explain.

As mentioned in the article, I didn't start applying for points until my mid-twenties, so I was behind. Still, I aspired to hunt Rocky Mountain bighorn, Desert bighorn, mountain goat, and Shiras moose. So, I did my due diligence and applied yearly in my home state. I also researched and applied in any western state that allowed non-resident hunting for the abovementioned species.

In 2021, after 19 long years of applying, I drew a big horn archery tag in my native state. Although my odds are still low this year—everyone's are—I have a respectable chance of drawing Shiras moose and mountain goat tags.

Understand, if you plan only to play the long game, you'll sit on the sidelines more than you'll hunt out West. If you're a Midwest or Eastern hunter with access to whitetail, turkey, and deer nirvana and are willing to wait, this is an excellent strategy for any species, including deer, elk, pronghorn, and bear.

I've also played the long game in Colorado for pronghorn and, currently, deer. Colorado archery pronghorn tags are available over the counter in many units. I hunted Centennial State speed goats for 23 years with a stick-and-string, and then, finally, last year, I cashed in 23 points and had the most magical pronghorn experience ever. Going from dry, arid, scorched plains to low-alpine sagebrush flats, grassy meadows, and pockets of aspen and pine was much welcomed, and the hunting was nothing short of spectacular.

Concerning deer, I do my research each year and have been able to draw a second-choice hunt unit. This allows me to hunt deer while still banking deer points. Ten years from now; if the creep doesn't kill it, I should have enough deer points to hunt mountain muleys in the rut in an area known for 200-inch deer.

Long-term tags require a minimum of 10 points to draw. A decade is a long time; two is longer, and I have a buddy who has put in for big horn for 32 years with no luck. If you play the long game, stay patient. Please don't lose your mind over it. You opted to play the game. Eventually, you will win. Just remember, you can't win if you don't play.

The Bonus Move

The bonus play in the western tag draw game is my jam. If you plan to utilize the bonus play system, you must remain organized, keep a spreadsheet, and spend time planning because you'll be playing the pump-and-dump and long-term games simultaneously.

I have pronghorn points in Wyoming that I will dump this year. Of course, this is by choice. I could hold them for an ultra-premium unit like I did in Colorado. However, my 2025 hunt plan is to hunt pronghorn in Wyoming. I have enough points to draw a decent unit. A unit I know well and one I've had success in. I already noted I'm looking to dump a pair of Colorado elk points, but I will continue to bank points for Utah mule deer, Utah elk, Nevada elk, and others. Those are long-game tags.

When you play the bonus game, you can hunt yearly and still play the long-term game for multiple species in many states. Playing the bonus game keeps you on the field and off the sidelines while allowing you to draw up a few Hail Marys.

Don't Forget

I'm a father, and my children love to hunt. I started putting them in for big-game draws as soon as I could. With three kids, I can't apply for every species in every state.

I don't have deep enough pockets. However, I sit down with each of them yearly, discuss their long-term hunt goals, and work to build them a point platform combining pump-and-dump and long-term opportunities.

Other Opportunities

Two good friends have won premium western sheep tags in non-traditional hunt draws. One pulled a Stone sheep tag valued at over $100K by entering a draw at the Western Hunt Expo. My other buddy has won three sheep tags, one elk tag, and one mule deer tag by entering raffle drawings at various hunting shows and banquets.

I won't tell you that your odds of winning a premium hunting tag are better through a random raffle than through a state's big-game draw, but it can't hurt to buy a few tickets and roll the dice. I do it every single year.

Final Thoughts

If you budget and save, you'll be ready to jump into multiple big-game draws each year. And if you follow the advice in this article, you will hunt big game out West each year while banking points for those once-in-a-lifetime hunts that we all dream about.

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