Once you figure out the system you can get a point and still hunt. I do it all the time.

You get to have three choice. If you don't get your first pick you get a point for the next year. If you get your second choice. You get to hunt. Sometimes you get your third choice and you can hunt, but that a bit harder to do.

So, what I do is pick a second choice that I know I can get, and pick a long shot for my first choice. I've never gotten the long shot first choice, but I get the point, and I always get my second choice and can hunt.

The more points you get gives you more chance to hunt the popular areas. The problem is once you get your first choice you lose all your points and have to start over.

That's what we get for living in a popular state to hunt. I hunt every year though. You just need to understand the points system. It's much more involved than my post, but you'll figure it out in time.