Can't figure out if it's worth playing the game anymore.

I've built up some credit points on certain hunts but, given the low odds of being drawn, wondering if it's worthwhile anymore.

Does anyone have an opinion on this?

I still like to play the powerball when it gets high enough so I acknowledge my hypocrisy.

If anyone has a success story, I'm all ears.

-Nick

$3 donation isn’t much to blink at for a chance to hunt somewhere different. I’ve drawn with as low as 3 points but have heard some well over 20 points not drawn. Just like any lottery, the odds aren’t in your favor but still possible.
For me, I have 3 boys and someone gets drawn every year. Those youth hunts are free so I kind of see my “donations” for adult hunts supporting this next generation.

I dont think its a scam by any means. I guess some folks might construe it that way if they build up lots of PP's and never get drawn. I've drawn hunts with 1-3 PP's and have 10+ in other categories. My son is 16 and has been applying since he was 9. He was drawn for his first hunt last year. I have heard of people with 25+ points in GDE, but they only put in for one location hoping for a chance at a buck of a lifetime.

The kicker is the hunts for which you are applying. If you only put in for Chap and Powderhorn the odds are already extremely low. At Chap there were over 3000 applicants for 80 spots in the archery hunt and over 5800 applicants for 26 spots in the GDE hunt The implied odds are very low to begin with. Contrast that with Atlanta State Park where there were 648 applicants for 20 spots. The odds are exponentially better.

If you are looking to hunt a highly desirable spot where you have a chance of killing a mondo or exotic, then its a long shot. If you just want to hunt somewhere different than your normal lease/land, then pick a spot with better odds.

I think it truly is a random draw. The PP's help I guess, but in the end it comes down to being a little lucky.

I drew the Chaparral WMA multi species this year and I think it was my first year putting in for it....Second year entering period. 6 permits last year and 1309 applicants...Those are a bit diff because they're free to enter with your APH permit but I gave them a lot of entry fees the last 2 years...Worth it for a chance to go possibly shoot a warthog...

Its not a scam, as the rules are clearly explained on TPWD website. If you mean its long odds....Yes it is for some high profile hunts. But, there are some hunts that have some pretty good odds. If your worried about the 3 dollars you probably should not be applying anyway. I have been on some incredible TPWD draw hunts over the years. I am happy to have my name in the hat for 3 dollars.

I "donate" $70-80 dollars a year through the process. TPWD does good things with the funds, so it's all good IMO. And every once and a while I get a nice surprise as an extra hunt for the season.

This.

My first year putting in for the draw. Only put in one entry for the hunt that I felt was the most attractive per category with the assumption I am just building points and contributing to TPWD. $3 is worth it for the chance of the hunts I was putting in on. If you are reliant on the draw and public land for hunting opportunities I can totally understand the frustration with the low odds.

It's a scam if you don't get drawn.

Like the others have said, I consider it my donation to TPWD. We have seen a great deal more success in actually drawing the youth hunts for the kids.

For as cheap as it is to enter the draws I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t for a chance to hunt some cool places and possibly some animals you don’t normally get a chance to hunt.

No! Got drawn for two hunts this year. One archery, one rifle for either sex deer. Still looking forward to waterfowl draws. Got drawn for a waterfowl hunt last year as well. Very low investment and a pretty darn good return considering this is only my second year to put in for draws.

Many years ago, I put in with friends and/or my boys. We got selected nearly every year, sometimes twice. I believe the high price of leases is driving folks to the public draw in droves and the odds of getting drawn are almost impossible any more.

Scam? of course not, someone gets drawn for every spot every year! Texas is not the only state where your points are squared or cubed. It basically says those that have been applying the longest have the best chance to win.
there are just alot of people applying for not so many lottery hunts, simple as that. your chances are low until you've been applying for years. Even hunts like Javelina will take points for most people drawn. I got drawn for Chap Javelina and had 8 points(ie years) of applying.

No scam---- If you dont trust it go stand by you will see who got drawn and the way it works and have a chance at a spot for someone that didnt show.``` We got drawn on the chap Dec 12-16 either sex hunt with a rifle this is our third time to be drawn at the chap. Oct 2009 bow Jan 2010 rifle and now again this yr. We drew with 12 pp this time. I believe there was 26 permits again this year. 2019 we got drawn for the nilgai in south Texas. You can always go stand buy and try your luck with that and see who has been drawn and how it works . That should answer any questions about a scam.

Gun hunts to shoot big deer, oreven modest deer are really long odds. Archery, we get drawn on a few hunts every year. A lot to learning when and where to go, then what to do once you get there. By the time I start figuring it out, everyone else in the U.S.A. starts putting in and I can't get drawn....
On a serious note, I just got back from a New Mexico/ Oregon deer and elk hunt and Texas needs to raise the rates on anyone coming from the western half of the country. I would love to see a we charge based on how they charge. Not realistic, but would be neat to see. Public hunting is fading away in a hurry if something doesn't change. Too many people, nit enough land and animals.

Odds may not be as good, but the chances of getting drawn are by no means 'almost impossible'. Maybe if you're only putting in for the most desirable hunts. If you bow hunt, you have a good chance of getting drawn every year. If you're not too picky about shooting a monster, then rifle hunt odds aren't bad either.

I only put in for the most sought after hunts, with knowing that ahead of time I know it will be a long time before I get drawn. I am glad that at least here it's not nearly a budget buster to apply and pay for the permits as in other states. Though makes you wonder if Texas were to up the app fee's and permit fee's how many people would quit putting into the draws.

I put in for antlerless/spike hunts. Drew 2 years and and drew this year. For the couple of bucks it costs it is worth it since you can take 2 does on the permit.

Worth the effort. Son was drawn 3 of 4 years in youth categories and shot deer every time. Nice buck his last year eligible 4 years ago. Odds much better for the kids and the parks always put on a good hunt for them.

I have no complaints about Texas residents scoring what ever they put in for....my gritch has always been allowing Non Residents to participate on a equal basis when their particular state of residence penalizes Texas residents trying to draw access to a State Park Hunt . Long time ago I overheard a conversation between a TPW warden & and Texas resident one time, and walked away chewing my cheek bloody after hearing the TPW guy defending the larger income revenue amount brought in by Non Residents...even at the expense of the Texas Resident. Try that in Colorado or Wyoming and see where it gets you.
Ron

Is it a scam? NO If you put in for the powderhorn and chapparall only and are complaining then you need to rethink your grievances. You have to lower your expectations if you want to do some public hunting through the system nowadays. I do not like nor do I agree with the current cubed system but I understand and know what I am paying for ahead of time so if you think it is a scam then you scammed yourself.

Is it worth it? Here is my career in the system, you be the judge

I learned about the system because I wanted to hunt doe in the Sam Houston National forest. So my first year was 2015

2015 applied for SHNF doe tag and won it. Didnt understand the lottery system at the time but I joined up for 3 hunts just to try and didnt win of course.
2016 won the SHNF doe tag again and applied for 12 more hunts but no draws
2017 won SHNF doe tag again applied for 24 hunts and won inks lake doe/antlerless
2018 applied for 32 hunts and won javalina chapparall
2019 complete strikeout
2020 I won 1 NWR hunt and applied for 30 plus
2021 I won 3 NWR hunts and applied for 30 plus
2022 Nada so far!!

Ive won something every year except 2019. This year isnt over so cant count it out.

Exponentially better? 3000 / 80= 2.7% vs. 648 / 20= 3.1%. Almost exactly the same odds.

Looks like to me that if you put in for every location in a given category @ the $3 a pop you possibly could accrues enough LP's to score something/any thing eventually. that's what I used to do in a given category to the tune of at least half or more of the available dates of the chosen locations, and I usually got to go Somewhere most years 75/80% of the time.

I think nowdays that it's the APH thingy with too much TPW influence that screws up my efforts these days IMO. Need to double or triple the daily dose of Prevagen it looks like cause I can't keep up where I've sent $'s in already and TPW won't let you double/triple up on the same most desirable dates.

Oh Well at my tender age of 78 I won't have to worry about it too much longer....OTOH I wonder if I can put my LP's in my Will give to one of my son's....will TPW honor that effort with LP's hmmmm.....gonna call TPW monday and ask about that idea and see if they have good laugh. ...or at least understand what my effort is all about.

All my hunting pards of of the last 35/40 years have all gone ahead of me to the Promised Land, and hunting alone is not nearly as much fun around the campfire, but the Better Half won't let me make a campfire in the back yard and sleep outside and Play Like I'm at Deer Camp ....thinks I must have gotten a new girlfriend back there I think....but the 40'ish neighbor lady that IS at least decent looking but spoiled rotten, thinks the world owes her anything she wants & the widow woman on the other side I cannot stand to be around.

We did have 5 does feed across the length of 8 acre estate behind me last evening until they dropped off down in the gully behind the Mormon Church that faces the Loop. Could be a perfect place for hunting with a silencer if you don' get too close to the Used Car Lot on the corner & must be what happened to the 10 pt'er that used to hang around back there.
Ron

Your comparing an archery hunt to a gun hunt. Comparing gun hunt to gun hunt using the examples given it should be 5842/26 = .45% vs. 648/20 = 3.09%. Or 1 in 224.69 vs 1 in 32.4 chance of drawing. That is if it was a straight up one chance per person lottery.

Being a loyalty system with points cubed there is going to be a very high number of cubed double digit loyalty point holders (1000 to 27000+ points each) who now only put in for the better hard to draw hunts like the Chap. Most of those high point holders are not going to waste double digit years of accumulating points on a hunt like Atlanta. Therefore the draw odds between those two hunts and hunts like them is going significantly wider than the figures given. To add further using the same common sense assumption of not wasting points , those coveted hunts like the Chap and Powderhorn are going to be the hunts that attract the bulk of non resident applicants. Most non residents are not even going to consider hunts like Atlanta.

IMHO Some of those easier to draw hunts from before the change to cubed points are likely even more easy to draw today or soon will be. The popular hard to draw hunts are only going to get harder to draw.

Nothing out there to hunt. Save yer money. Ignore my success posts.