a little help with Colorado preference point system
 

can someone explain the preference point system to me please? from what i understand, to be guaranteed first week in the draw you need 1 preference point. for a non resident, you pay they entire fee of $586 plus $40 bucks for the preference point the year before, then you get the licence cost of $586 back because your just applying for the point.

am i missing anything with this?

Are you just trying to buy a point, or win a draw?

i want to win the draw for 2017 for the first week, but as a party with 7 other hunters.

Ok, not enough details in your post. I recommend that you call a hunt planner at the DOW office.

Here's the main number. Just ask for a hunt planner. They get paid to help you with all your questions.

303 297-1192

What are you missing? A Lot!

Calling them is a good idea but I will give you a short rundown. Here is a good link to give you the places to call or click on: http://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/PlanYourHunt.aspx

First there are no guaranteed tags. Each year it depends on how many tags are issued and how many people applied. If there is a bad winter between now and 2017, they could lower the tags they issue. Or more people could apply for that particular season. Because of that if it currently takes 1 point for a tag, and you are going in 2017, you can have 2 points by then, so I would apply in 2015 and 2016 to help make sure you get drawn.

Second: points are issued by species, so you have to put in for the specific species (elk point) and put up the full tag amount, even if only applying for a point. That said, if you apply for an elk point, they allow you to just send in the amount it costs for a cow tag. Looking at your price numbers, you are talking elk. So currently you would send them $454 total (not that plus $40) and they would refund you that minus $43 after 2 & 1/2 to 3 months months. The $3 is the application fee.

Lastly, the GROUP goes in the drawing using the preference point of the lowest member in the group. So everyone has to have enough points to draw. Example. 6 guys have 2 points, but 1 guy has only 1 point, your group would go in as if EVERYONE has only 1 point (there is no point averaging).

Applications generally open around March 1st and close shortly after April 1st.

thank you. sorry i didn't specify species , i was on my phone.

so you pay the cow elk price when applying for the point, even if you apply for the bull tag later on? the preference point isnt linked to either cow or bull?
the group points was semi explained to me so i do believe we are all applying for 2 points the next 2 years just to be safe.

thanks for the explanations

I've just been building points for elk. I haven't kept up with the laws. Has anyone ever used a hunt planner that works for DOW?

I looked it up after the post above. Not what i thought it was but, it does look helpful.

Preference points for CO are by species, not by the sex of the animal of the species. So, elk points can be used for either bull or cow. The number required in many units may be very different though. For instance if you want to hunt a bull in unit 2 it will take you at least 22 non-resident preference points but you can hunt a cow in unit 2 with 1 or 2 preference points.

we will be hunting in unit 55 which is gunnison national forest i believe.