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Planning an out-of-state dream hunt? Here’s tips to understanding preference points and big-game draws

If you have dreams of traveling to hunt somewhere else, whether for western big game or maybe a Booner whitetail, the new year is a great time to start researching options. Many of the best DIY hunts out there require years of preference points and an understanding of a state’s draw system. (Contributed photo)

If you pay attention to the western big-game situation, or the general resident-versus-nonresident issues in many states, you’ve probably noticed that it’s not getting easier to hunt out of state.
The dream of bugling in a bull elk, or maybe belly crawling up to a bedded mule deer, is getting harder to realize by the season. This is a supply and demand issue that is not likely to break in favor of most hunters anytime soon.
The world of buying preference points and applying for limited-draw tags can be intimidating, but it doesn’t need to be.

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