I feel your frustration. I have never been successful at getting a leftover since they went to the online system.
I feel that it should be limited to those of us who bought the qualifying license and applied unsuccessfully, but they didn’t call and ask me.
I’ve heard that people who are more tech savvy than me have programs that auto fill login and CC info to be the fastest on the draw when the tags go on sale. I don’t know anything about it but a CPW employee told me the tech is out there.
Check back next week, you might get lucky.
I agree that they should notify previously unsuccessful applicants of an available tag they applied for, before posting it as a leftover.
Pardon my ignorance…but how can there be a leftover tag if folks had applied for that tag and were unsuccessful in drawing it? That means there were more applicants than tags, right? Maybe you’re referring to folks who applied for any tag unsuccessfully, should have dibs towards the leftovers?
Is this dealing with returned tags or a system like Idaho’s where you need to buy it before a particular date or else it is forfeited?
The leftovers are tags not drawn for lack of applicants, returns, or unpaid for tags that go first back into the leftover draw and then any that come back or are still left get posted to the leftover list to be bought on a first come basis.
Leftover draw gives 100 percent preference to youth applicants.
The beef I have it that to apply in the primary draw you must buy a small game or other applicable license. In the secondary draw and leftover list you don’t have to buy a license. I see no reason to not give preference to people who already have some skin in the game by buying a license and paying application fees. With it all being computerized they could have a weekly drawing for available leftovers from the pool of applicants for the that unit since their info is already in the system.
Another peeve of mine is that when I buy a small game license for approximately $100 and don’t draw but decide to go buy an OTC bull tag I’m still out the full cost of the bull tag. Whereas if you just go buy an OTC bull tag without applying for the draw and buying the required qualifying license you pay the tag fee and that’s it. I would have to check but I think you’re allowed to hunt small game if you have a valid big game license. I’m not driving 600 miles to go hunt rabbits anyway so the small game license does me no good other than allowing me to apply for the draw.
