So I've seen that Colorado changed their fee structure. They are no longer requiring the entire fee up front. At first I thought this was great but I didn't realize that they charge $40 to get a point if you don't draw. So if you are building points for elk/deer/antelope you could get charged $120 in fees unless you buy a small game license for $54 from the year before. This would save some money so I suggest buying the license.

At the end of the day I was paying $19 last year to build points for moose, elk and deer. For this I had to give a temporary loan to the state of Colorado. Now I keep my money and just pay them $75 for what I'm applying for. I think I prefer the previous fee structure.

In the past when you applied for $3000 worth of tags on your Visa card, the state of CO would pay VISA $90 in fees. They would then turn around and send you $3000 back minus any application fees. Hardly a good deal for Colorado wildlife. Now they are only paying the fees in the tags that actually get drawn. And also avoiding the expenses of mailing refund checks back.

It was a long overdue correction to a variety of bad business practices and I am happy they did it.

Another improvement seems to be the reduction in mailed out big game and sheep brochures. In the past we would get 4 of each mailed to us since we all applied. Now they are deduping their mail lists and only sending 1 per mailing address. More winning.

Not to mention on-line applications only. I'm thinking that people who used to send in thousands of dollars will see this as a positive but in the end it really doesn't matter.

The only small glitch I've seen is, I couldn't buy my combination small game/fishing license at the same time I applied for tags. That could be user error though.

I like the new system. They don't get to keep several hundred dollars of my money for two months and I like that. Since I've started applying for points for my grandson for sheep and goats, it could have amounted to a lot more than a few dollars for application fees.

First year applying for points here, thought the process was pretty painless. Bought a 2017 NR fishing license to forego the $40 per point fee. The license was $56 + $10 2017 habitat stamp, so if your applying for points for more than 1 species the NR fishing or small game annual is the way to go to not get charged the $40 per point fee. All in all it was $85 for an elk, deer and pronghorn point.

I like the new system but I see more people putting in since they don't have to front money any longer

Now it is more inline with what other states charge for a point

That's exactly what's going to happen--a faster increase in PP creep. Folks are more likely to put in for their wives, kids, grandkids, etc, and more likely to put in for the "expensive" resident licenses--bighorn, goat, moose.

I think this is a sound business practice for CPW given that it is an enterprise agency. Who can afford to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars and expend administrative resources with the old refund process? Maybe there will be PP creep for the hard to draw hunts. I suppose it remains to be seen how many more applicants will be in the system. Happy Trails

A lot more money could be saved by letting hunters that are successful in the draw or OTC hunters print their own tag when purchasing online.Many other states do this now

I think that also allows opportunity for people to fill a tag and then just print another tag. Not saying my fellow man is dishonest, just saying. Also still betting that in the mad rush of the final 1-3 days of the application period, all hell can still break loose.

As far as point creep, I think it is great that more people can now afford to apply for all species. For the same reason I am against tag auctions for sheep, I am for more access to all people regardless of incomes for hard to get tags.

I think it can be programed such that the software permits only one tag can be printed

New Mexico tried this and it was a nightmare for the game wardens. Largely as a result, they have abandoned it this year and will go back to mailing tags to successful applicants.

Missouri has an app for that

No paper licence required anymore

It even has a digital "notch" and literaly in seconds your animal is checked in.

Non-residents had to use the paper application included in the sheep/goat and in the big game (moose) so needed one copy per applicant. Now, one per household is plenty and should be an easy way to opt out with email where then would email you a PDF copy as mail out the printed ones to homes that did not opt out.

Exactly. I was talking to the Gunnison office last evening. It was mentioned that there could be a spike in applications because of the new fee structure. Ill be applying for 66, but struggling with my plan "B" unit. If preference point requirements do what I figure they will, could be my last chance to pull that tag. The next problem will be folks like myself flooding the middle of the spectrum units,raising them to premium point draw units. Between CWD and Colorado overflow,eastern Montana is doomed. There will never be another leftover license in Montana. I like not having to front close to 3K a year for myself and my daughter,but it's a slippery slope.

I just applied for my elk tag. Took all of 5 minutes. Super easy.

Maybe the new system will prompt more folks to apply, but if they are doing the preference point option only it should not cause too much creep for most units. It may be a problem for nonresident hunters in a few years if a hunt falls into the point required category to where 10% of tags versus 35% of tags are available to nonresidents. I fail to see how Bubba has more available credit on his card in June than in April. In the unit I hunt most of the deer tags are drawn with 1 or more points and a couple hundred are drawn with 0 points. So if Bubba applies for that unit with points, he will be drawn and back to 0. Bull elk is an Unlimited License so not an issue for me. I suppose if it gets too hard, I’ll hunt elsewhere. Happy Trails

Good point WAM. Makes sense to me.

Yes,but Bubba can now put in for sheep,goat, moose with little expectation of drawing a tag,but still get pref points and not worry about this card getting hit.In addition he can put in 1st choice for units like 201 and 10 and then put in for 2nd choice for an easy to draw unit or buy an OTC tag..As long as he draws some tag, buys an OTC or small game licensee, he won't get hit with the pref point fee. Each of these scenarios will effect point creep, how much depends on how many more Bubbas will apply.A lot of hunters who will buy an OTC tag will most probably put in for draw of some sort also.

Bubba here.......

I've been loading my credit cards and spending a ton of money in Colorado for a very long time.

I put in for the hard to pull tags year after year and don't expect to ever pull a sheep, goat or moose tag before I die

Another “bubba” here as well and, yes, not having to provide Colorado with a short term loan certainly influenced my decision to start this year. (Already was laying out a big chunk of change for Africa this year so would have applied next year). I started applying for sheep, moose, and goat in other states as well, so it wasn’t totally out of character. Want a freaking sheep before I die and need to start getting the points!

Also, I bought the fishing license but noticed that Colorado will force a nonresident to buy one anyway when applying for the premium animals (per a tiny blurb at the bottom).

. For a long time I was strong supporter of pp but last few yrs I changed my way of thinking. Not a fan of pp anymore, Idaho and Alaska have the fairest system out there.. I’m sure most will disagree..

PPs were not a problem before it got to the point that it's impossible to draw some tags.

Problem is, if they wanted to do away with the current system all the guys who've been putting in for 20 years would be screwed.

I agree Smoke, but I bet some thing will change in the next 5 years, but CPW just has not figured out how . They could stop issuing them , but honor what is already awarded That might take 15 years to even out, but no newbies would draw a tag until them in certain units.This new application method might just accelerate the entire mess

Every system has its warts. Just be glad you don’t have a sorryazzed bonus point system like WA and others. Just a crap shoot. So what if you have 12 points that equates to 144 “tickets” in the draw when 90% of the others in the draw have a ton of bonus points squared? The guy with one point in the bucket can still draw the tag and you sit home. Like the other fools, I still apply for some quality hunts but don’t waste money on points only options in a bonus point system. We drew more special/limited hunt permits when it was just a random draw. The Bonus point system is just a revenue scheme for the state. I just get a resident license and enjoy the scenery away from the October Orange Army. Happy Trails

On a side note regarding the new CO process. Last night I started wishing I had done a different sheep unit. Got messing around on the new site and discovered that for $3, I could change my application that had already been submitted. Pretty nice actually.

I would not delay creating an account and getting your apps in. I still anticipate last minute issues for those who delay this year.

Preference points won't mean much in a few years. They barely matter now for premium units...

I’m not sure I can even comprehend what Colorado’s project model is in game management as far as draws and OTC tags go. Been studying the chit out of the system prior to putting in for all species last week. I just can’t wrap my head around having to draw a deer tag and then competing with every single OTC elk hunter from Georgia to Washington in the same unit at the same time your hunting deer. I’m trying to remain optimistic about this coming fall but I really sense a goat rope in the making. Sure seems to me like all Colorado wants to do is sell as many tags as possible.

It is a goat rope.... near roads, campgrounds, ATV trails, Starbucks, etc.

Millions of acres of public land..... quit bitching.... start scouting.

Same or worse in Washington during all general seasons, especially weekends. Happy Trails

I’ve been a part of that Winthrop/Twist Orange Army pumpkin patch once or twice.... its a friggin’ mess.

That being said..... I’ve enjoyed many days of virtual solitude in the hills surrounding Mt. Baker chasing deer, bears, and cats on general OTC tags.

Same rule still applies...... the further you are from a road.... the further you are from the goat ropin’.

At least Washington gives ya 5 days without cow and spike hunters when you draw a good eastside tag. Oregon dumps em allay the same time