Page 17 - 2021 JAN/FEB Outdoor Oklahoma Magazine

Oklahoma is rich in outdoor opportunities, and the Wildlife So, when you apply the next year, it’s like getting your name put
Department’s controlled hunts are just one more way you might in the hat an extra time for the drawing. So, your odds of being
be able to add to a successful year afield. Don’t miss your chance drawn improve if you apply again the next year. By submitting an
to take part in these special hunts that oftentimes deliver big application year after year, you can build your chances far more
memories. And make sure to gather a few friends to apply as a than those who don’t continue to apply.
group with you in those designated categories. We all know that
when it comes to hunting, the only thing that makes being in the HELPFUL TIPS

woods better is being there with friends and family. To increase your chances of being selected, one of the best
things you can do is to make sure you apply each and every year.
ABOUT CONTROLLED HUNTS Each preference point you earn acts like an extra application the
Controlled hunts are offered for deer, elk, pronghorn and next time you apply.
turkey. They are held in areas where unrestricted public If you have been applying for the controlled hunt of your
hunting would pose safety concerns or where overharvest dreams for five years straight without having been selected,
might occur. Hunters wishing to go on one of these con- then you will have five “tickets in the hopper” compared
trolled hunts must submit to a first-time applicant,
an application, which goes who will only have one.
into the running with all NEW! RAFFLE EXCURSIONS! Those who say they have
other applications. Names Coming this spring, check out a new way stopped applying because
are selected through a ran- they never get drawn are
dom computer drawing for to win a special hunting or fishing trip! actually giving you an
a range of hunting oppor- Raffles will be held by the Oklahoma Wildlife advantage as long as you
tunities across the state. Conservation Foundation; proceeds will help just keep on applying.
Several of the controlled Although preference
hunt choices are highly the Wildlife Department. Stay tuned! points increase your odds
sought after and will most of selection, they do not
likely have many times more applicants than available per- guarantee that applicants with the most points will get drawn
mits. To date, many thousands of hunters have enjoyed unique for a hunt. What is guaranteed is that their odds improve. First-
adventures through the controlled hunts program, including time applicants with no preference points can and do get drawn
youth hunters and people with disabilities. when hunters who have many preference points miss out being
Getting drawn for a controlled hunt is a matter of odds, and if selected. This is because names are selected randomly from the
you continue to apply year after year, it’s likely you’ll get at least entire pool of applicants. The pool size related to the number
one chance to enjoy a controlled hunt with the Wildlife Department. of hunt permits also affects one’s chances of being selected.
How do I participate? You start by submitting a simple, easy- In some categories, hunters may apply in groups of up to
to-complete application online. This gives you a chance to be four people. For group applications, the preference points of
drawn for one of the hunts each hunter in the group will
for which you applied. WATCH A VIDEO be averaged. If four hunt-
Choices include opportu- ers apply together — one
nities such as hunting for Learn about the controlled hunts process in an with no points, one with
a bull elk at the Wichita online video at www.wildlifedepartment.com/ two points, and the other
Mountains Wildlife Refuge, two with three points each
hunting for pronghorn in hunting/controlledhunts. — the group’s preference
northwestern Oklahoma, or points will be two, which is
hunting for deer at one of many Wildlife Management Areas the average of all four hunters on the application. If not drawn in
across the state, often with exclusive privileges not offered at that category, each applicant in the hunt group will earn a single
other times of the year. preference point that carries forward to future drawings.
Even though getting drawn is a matter of odds, you can still Once you are drawn for a hunt, all preference points that you
increase your chances of getting drawn by doing some research have built up in that hunt category are cleared. This is why it is
first. And we’ve done a lot of the hard research work for you in this so important to make sure you apply for hunts on dates that you
article. If you will study the data here and determine which hunts are sure you can attend. You can begin building preference points
you want to apply for based on the information provided, you can with next year’s application again, but it would be disappointing
sway the odds in your favor. to apply year after year only to lose your points because you
For example, you might see that two controlled hunts will be forgot you had to be out of town on your hunt date!
held in the WMA you are hoping to hunt. You notice the selection Regardless of whether you’ve been drawn, it’s important to keep
odds are greater for one of the hunts, so you might decide to applying, if for no other reason than to gain preference points.
apply for that hunt. Here are some other tips to consider:
Every time you apply and do not get selected, you earn a • Rather than looking at the number of permits available for
preference point in that category for the drawings in the future. each hunt, it could be in your favor to consider the ratio of

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