question on groups for the draw hunts

I am thinking of signing up with one of my buddies but I am not 100% sure of his reliability in going

What happens if we both get picked as a group for a hunt and he decides not to go? If I pay his entry fee can I just go by myself? Or do we lose the whole thing?

Are the odds better to be picked as a group vs a single? he has no loyalty points or maybe one, not sure, Does that bring my chances down when I have 3 loyalty points?

just curious

thanks

If he backs out, you can still go. If he pays for his permit after being drawn and does back out, it helps the guys running the hunt to call and let tpwd know he is not going, so they know in advance the spot will be open for standby.

When you apply with others as a group, the system will calculate the average number of points for everyone on the application and rounded by “standard round half up” rules and apply that number of points to the applications. So yes your odds are reduced. If you have 3 and he has 1, you will apply with an averaged 2 points instead of your 3. The difference between 3 and 2 loyalty points is so small I would not worry about it. Now if you were like me with 25 points in one category, adding a 1 point person on my application cutting that to 13 might just hurt my odds.
https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/hunt/public/public_hunt_drawing/loyalty-points.phtml

The other thing to remember is that if he is drawn for a permit, whether he pays or not for it or backs out at the last minute, he has used his points and they will be reset to zero. Calling the WMA Manager is always appreciated, as SJ said, they can have another possible standby person or group. They are using these hunts for population control after all.

thanks