Texas Hunting Forum

Out of state hunters draw odds

Posted By: Dan S.

Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 07:11 PM

For years I have been putting in for the Texas big game draw. I know the Texas draw is honest and the California draw for the most part is rigged. I was just wondering if an out of state hunter has ever been drawn. I am hoping to at least get drawn for the Whitetail portion of it as my Daughter Sandi has harvested both Mule Deer and Blacktails. Anyway, just curious. Not a typical Californian, I'm a conservative
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 08:03 PM

Yes. There are no Resident specific allocation requirements like Cali. Unfortunately
Posted By: Mr. T.

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 08:06 PM

I've put in for years and never been drawn, but others here have. I don't think ours is rigged, I just think
a billionzillion hunters enter every year.
Posted By: Blank

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 08:10 PM

All you can do is play and pray. Sometimes you get lucky, but it's harder every year. The multiple applications in every category really hurt the odds of drawing.
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Blank
All you can do is play and pray. Sometimes you get lucky, but it's harder every year. The multiple applications in every category really hurt the odds of drawing.



They need to limit it to Three choices per species regardless of method of take IMO
Posted By: SherpaPhil

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 08:16 PM

Odds for non-residents are the same as for residents - both are equally terrible, especially now that they are cubing bonus points. I quit applying after making a hefty donation for years. It just isn't worth jumping in the pool if you don't have a bunch of points.
Posted By: Adchunts

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/20/21 10:37 PM

Since the TPWD started cubing loyalty points, it has made it exponentially harder to draw anything unless you already had a big pile of points for that draw. A short timer like me (4 years in) has such a small chance it probably isn’t worth the trouble, at least for the popular hunts.
Posted By: Palehorse

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/21/21 12:45 AM

They can stop cubing the points....right after I draw the bighorn sheep hunt! grin
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/21/21 08:10 PM

Originally Posted by SherpaPhil
Odds for non-residents are the same as for residents - both are equally terrible, especially now that they are cubing bonus points. I quit applying after making a hefty donation for years. It just isn't worth jumping in the pool if you don't have a bunch of points.



Yet THF has had a few super slam drawers. End of the day it’s a chance in the hat. I do wish they would limited choices though
Posted By: WileyCoyote

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/26/21 02:20 AM

I started playing the TPW Lottery game well over 25 years ago, before Forums like this were started. Note my THF Member #'s entry date...My Fishing Forum member # is/was older than the one here dating back to when JP was holding local fishing tournaments.

That was then and this is now. I quit posting on all on the Forums I had been active in roughly 6 years ago and am still persona Non Grata in some of them. But that does not keep me from reading for example 24HCF 1st where I had been as active as I was here along with other Forums in Louisiana & Florida for example.

Won a few TPW hunts regularly back in those Pre computerized TPW Lottery Hunts days. Back then you signed up for a TPW printed booklet to be mailed to you, and filled out the coupon entry form and mailed the paper form back in to Austin. I used to have an extensive library of previous years Booklets I'd kept to track the variations in a particular site's changes & success #'s from year to year and regularly won something somewhere almost every year. Still got 21 LP's for SLRSP but nowdays expect to get skunked again.

IMO Since the advent of the current TPW program changes including the overriding TPW effort to recruit Non Resident participants, looking for out of state Hunter's $'s just like the Rocky Mountain states do. What goes around elsewhere should go around in Texas too. Case in Point: I just wish that TPW would follow the same successful super long term pattern that the Texas Insurance Board uses when responding to out of state applicants looking for a Texas Insurance Sales License's. Eye for an Eye..no more but no less $ for $ & Permit for Permit.

FWIW it seems to me like Texas Residents are not receiving the primary effort by TPW in winning Lottery Hunts, concentrating instead on collecting tourist $'s. But at my age I'll be long gone before TPW stops chasing tourist $'s at the expense of Texas Residents who pay the majority of the State TPW Budget.
Ron
Posted By: Palehorse

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 10/27/21 02:13 PM

It seems to me that it would be very easy to help out resident applicants. TPWD could require the purchase of a hunting licence, non refundable, before applying. Most resident applicants buy the license anyway. Out of state applicants would have more skin in the game since most of the hunts are on state land and they don't pay any tax in the state. That's what several other states do and I think it's fair. Applying to hunt federal land is a different matter. Federal land belongs to an out of state hunter as much as an in state hunter.
Posted By: Dan S.

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 11/01/21 10:04 PM

I can understand the resentment of non Texans getting in for the draw to the residents. We have that here also especially for Tule Elk as we are the only place that has them. I will say one thing though, at least the Texas hunts are honest. That's why I apply for the Texas hunts. Its is mainly in the hopes of getting drawn and I can take my Daughter as she has harvested both Mule and Blacktail Deer and I would like to see her get a Whitetail before I go to happy hunting grounds and at 84 it might be getting closer than I like to think about. The other reason is that almost all the Texans and this is no BS that I have met have been pretty decent folks and I have enjoyed their company. So yes, I will put in again next year over putting in for the CA. hunts which are for a good part rigged.
Posted By: Mr T

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/06/21 09:10 PM

how is the California public hunt system rigged? do they ask for your political affiliation? I'm just not a 'conspiracy theory' kind of guy.
I've been applying in Texas for almost 25 years, don't live in Texas and have been picked for deer, exotics, javelina and youth hunts.
Posted By: Exiled

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/07/21 08:26 PM

I believe that one of the winners for this year's Grand Prize hunts (or whatever i's called) was a out-of-stater. I think people sometimes don't pay attention to the numbers of applicants vs. the number of slots available. It's tough to get drawn for the more popular hunts, the sheer number of applicants is huge for some of these hunts. I have 10-12 points accumulated on all the popular exotic hunts (Mason Mountain, Powderhorn, etc.) and I've never been drawn, but in that time-frame I've been drawn for Laguna Atascosa, Balcones and this year for the Palo Duro Canyon Aoudad hunt the week after Christmas.

Keep applying, the money goes to a great place (funding for TPWD), at some point you'll get drawn!
Posted By: Dan S.

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/08/21 08:39 PM

To Mr. T on how it is rigged. A Game warden in one County gets drawn for an elk hunt while the Game warden in that county gets drawn for an elk hunt in his county. An Assistant DA who is hard on wildlife crimes ggets drawn for a very sought after Tule elk hunt. A special youth pig hunt drawing was all Fish and Game personals kids that were drawn. Two fish and game biologists were drawn for a special elk hunt over 6500 others. Needless to say, I could go on and on but you get the drift
Posted By: Ag Hoff 90

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 02:31 AM

Western states have no problem charging out of staters a lot of money for the opportunity to hunt.

Texas does not. IMHO Texas should charge out of state applicants and draw winners more than residents.
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Ag Hoff 90
Western states have no problem charging out of staters a lot of money for the opportunity to hunt.

Texas does not. IMHO Texas should charge out of state applicants and draw winners more than residents.


Not true sir. If I want to shoot a doe in Texas will cost me over $300 to do it. It would cost you about $34 in Wyoming to shoot doe deer. A reduced price cow elk tag in Wyoming is $ 288. All, less than the $ 315 for a NR Texas license. For a few dollars more you can come shoot a pronghorn without having to pay a trespass fee or an outfitter.

Oh yeah, Wyoming sets aside a certain number of licenses just for NR that we can not draw unless some are leftover.

I agree a hunting licenses requirement may be fair for NR to put in for your draws but maybe Wyoming should pass something the same and require all NR to buy a $300+ license to apply for our tags. Fair is fair isn't it ?
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by Wytex
Originally Posted by Ag Hoff 90
Western states have no problem charging out of staters a lot of money for the opportunity to hunt.

Texas does not. IMHO Texas should charge out of state applicants and draw winners more than residents.


Not true sir. If I want to shoot a doe in Texas will cost me over $300 to do it. It would cost you about $34 in Wyoming to shoot doe deer. A reduced price cow elk tag in Wyoming is $ 288. All, less than the $ 315 for a NR Texas license. For a few dollars more you can come shoot a pronghorn without having to pay a trespass fee or an outfitter.

Oh yeah, Wyoming sets aside a certain number of licenses just for NR that we can not draw unless some are leftover.

I agree a hunting licenses requirement may be fair for NR to put in for your draws but maybe Wyoming should pass something the same and require all NR to buy a $300+ license to apply for our tags. Fair is fair isn't it ?



NR gets 7 deer on that license with NO caps on license numbers, unlike WY. Nor do they need to have a license or float a NR tag cost to enter the draw.

Texas is a much cheaper draw application process and no license float.

Texas has the cheapest draw application process of any western state
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 08:07 PM

I agree if you have some access and want more than 1 deer. But does Texas set aside licenses for NRs only like Western states? Nope.

Just pointing out another side to the debate.

If Texans don't want NR drawing their tags then don't be surprised if states start limiting what you can draw there.
Wyoming has reciprocity part of our trapping licenses that states NR can only trap in Wyoming what we can trap in their home state, if that makes any sense.

I get your complaint.
I would love to be able to draw all the leftover licenses we are allowed by state statute but we have to set some aside for NR to draw and that takes away from my chances.
I would agree with Texas limiting how many licenses or hunts NRs can draw and guess what folks in Wyoming are in the process right now of getting more licenses set aside for our residents.
I guess we'll see how NRs feel about that when it happens.

Might get censored, but tit for tat rarely works out for either side.
Posted By: Ol Thumper

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 09:14 PM

Texas needs to keep the draw hunts to the residents of the state and charge an appropriate price for a non resident license like everyone else does or at the minimum make those entering buy a license regardless if they draw or not. It seems we keep holding the bag and paying the bills while we let every swinging ding draw our hunts and hunt the state cheap. Every time I buy a license outside of Texas I’m reminded of how screwed up it is and when you have to put in for a draw to attempt to get a license we should make the residents of that state do the same thing here.
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 10:33 PM

Originally Posted by Wytex
I agree if you have some access and want more than 1 deer. But does Texas set aside licenses for NRs only like Western states? Nope.

Just pointing out another side to the debate.

If Texans don't want NR drawing their tags then don't be surprised if states start limiting what you can draw there.
Wyoming has reciprocity part of our trapping licenses that states NR can only trap in Wyoming what we can trap in their home state, if that makes any sense.

I get your complaint.
I would love to be able to draw all the leftover licenses we are allowed by state statute but we have to set some aside for NR to draw and that takes away from my chances.
I would agree with Texas limiting how many licenses or hunts NRs can draw and guess what folks in Wyoming are in the process right now of getting more licenses set aside for our residents.
I guess we'll see how NRs feel about that when it happens.

Might get censored, but tit for tat rarely works out for either side.


My point is there is no caps on NR license or draw hunts in TX. It's a level playing field for res and nonres. It's not a level playing field in any other Western state.

I apply in a lot of States. Texas is by far the cheapest to apply and the most NR friendly
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
Texas needs to keep the draw hunts to the residents of the state and charge an appropriate price for a non resident license like everyone else does or at the minimum make those entering buy a license regardless if they draw or not. It seems we keep holding the bag and paying the bills while we let every swinging ding draw our hunts and hunt the state cheap. Every time I buy a license outside of Texas I’m reminded of how screwed up it is and when you have to put in for a draw to attempt to get a license we should make the residents of that state do the same thing here.


Texas already maxes out Pittman Robertson tax money via license sales. Making NR buy a licence to apply is other states way of getting more revenue and maxing out PR tax money. It interesting when you dig into it.
Posted By: Ol Thumper

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/09/21 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
Texas needs to keep the draw hunts to the residents of the state and charge an appropriate price for a non resident license like everyone else does or at the minimum make those entering buy a license regardless if they draw or not. It seems we keep holding the bag and paying the bills while we let every swinging ding draw our hunts and hunt the state cheap. Every time I buy a license outside of Texas I’m reminded of how screwed up it is and when you have to put in for a draw to attempt to get a license we should make the residents of that state do the same thing here.


Texas already maxes out Pittman Robertson tax money via license sales. Making NR buy a licence to apply is other states way of getting more revenue and maxing out PR tax money. It interesting when you dig into it.




Maxed out with our own money? I’m asking because you obviously know way more than I do and I’m curious.

They still need to raise the cost of NR licenses and any state that makes us draw they should draw for us.
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/10/21 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
Originally Posted by BOBO the Clown
Originally Posted by Ol Thumper
Texas needs to keep the draw hunts to the residents of the state and charge an appropriate price for a non resident license like everyone else does or at the minimum make those entering buy a license regardless if they draw or not. It seems we keep holding the bag and paying the bills while we let every swinging ding draw our hunts and hunt the state cheap. Every time I buy a license outside of Texas I’m reminded of how screwed up it is and when you have to put in for a draw to attempt to get a license we should make the residents of that state do the same thing here.


Texas already maxes out Pittman Robertson tax money via license sales. Making NR buy a licence to apply is other states way of getting more revenue and maxing out PR tax money. It interesting when you dig into it.




Maxed out with our own money? I’m asking because you obviously know way more than I do and I’m curious.

They still need to raise the cost of NR licenses and any state that makes us draw they should draw for us.


Oh I don't disagree with you at all. I'm on same page.

P&R uses a formula of state area to license sales. Technically the PR tax is collected from Firearm/bow/ammo/arrow etc Mfg. and passed down to us at retail level.
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/11/21 03:44 PM

Like I said I see your pints but the griping is just kind of silly to me. Take it up with your Game commission.

On this note, Wyoming deadline for Super Tag drawing is now Jan 31. Get your entries in before the deadline for a chance at some great hunts not offered in Texas.
Doesn't bother me that you all have equal odds as residents.
Posted By: BOBO the Clown

Re: Out of state hunters draw odds - 12/11/21 03:59 PM

Originally Posted by Wytex
Like I said I see your pints but the griping is just kind of silly to me. Take it up with your Game commission.

On this note, Wyoming deadline for Super Tag drawing is now Jan 31. Get your entries in before the deadline for a chance at some great hunts not offered in Texas.
Doesn't bother me that you all have equal odds as residents.


As it should be because almost every state has the same conservation raffle tag option that exempts once in life time regulations. Texas included.
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