First time LEH...

[elkrub]

Question about LEH,Is there a Strategy....
Myself, my wife & son-in-law all new to the LEH system.
We'd like to apply for the moose hunt, is it best to apply individually or should we apply for a group hunt or partner hunt?
Anyway to "up" our odds of getting drawn?

[KootenayKiller]

Question about LEH,Is there a Strategy....
Myself, my wife & son-in-law all new to the LEH system.
We'd like to apply for the moose hunt, is it best to apply individually or should we apply for a group hunt or partner hunt?
Anyway to "up" our odds of getting drawn?

You have higher odds of getting a tag, if you all submit separate applications. Although, that means that only the person who is awarded the tag can pull the trigger.

For group hunts, The entire group is treated as one application in the draw. This means you don’t get “extra chances” by applying as a group - your group has the same odds as a single applicant. If drawn, everyone in the group gets an authorization (i.e., all members listed on the application are eligible to hunt under that LEH authorization). You can apply to any draw as a group.

Shared hunts are similar to group hunts, except they only apply to hunts specifically designated as 'shared' hunts. Also, you don't get a tag for every person in the group. It is a single shared bag limit, so basically anyone in the group can shoot the animal, but there's a bag limit of usually 1 tag that applies to the whole group. In other words, once the bag limit is filled, nobody else in the group is allowed to shoot an additional animal.

Hope that helps. It can be a bit confusing. If your family can only use 1 moose worth of meat, you might want to consider all applying individually to up your odds. Just remember, it's not a shared tag, so you would be poaching if your wife was awarded the license and you shot the animal as an example.

[srthomas75]

You have higher odds of getting a tag, if you all submit separate applications. Although, that means that only the person who is awarded the tag can pull the trigger.

For group hunts, The entire group is treated as one application in the draw. This means you don’t get “extra chances” by applying as a group - your group has the same odds as a single applicant. If drawn, everyone in the group gets an authorization (i.e., all members listed on the application are eligible to hunt under that LEH authorization). You can apply to any draw as a group.

Shared hunts are similar to group hunts, except they only apply to hunts specifically designated as 'shared' hunts. Also, you don't get a tag for every person in the group. It is a single shared bag limit, so basically anyone in the group can shoot the animal, but there's a bag limit of usually 1 tag that applies to the whole group. In other words, once the bag limit is filled, nobody else in the group is allowed to shoot an additional animal.

Hope that helps. It can be a bit confusing. If your family can only use 1 moose worth of meat, you might want to consider all applying individually to up your odds. Just remember, it's not a shared tag, so you would be poaching if your wife was awarded the license and you shot the animal as an example.

I think that I'd enter as a shared hunt if it is the 3 of you applying. I'm pretty sure that all moose hunts are shared hunts anyways?? If either of you get drawn then you group gets 2 tags to fill. I think as a group entry of 3 or 4 people you only get 2 tags [ which is lots of meat if you fill them both ]. The only situation where a group/shared application will hurt you is when there aren't enough tags left in the system to fill your request. [ ie: lets say the zone you enter has 9 tags to be drawn, 8 get rewarded and then you or your partners name gets pulled. You don't win the last tag because you're entered as a group that is requesting 2 tags. It then goes to the next single entry applicant]
Also as a new applicant I think you have better odds. I know it doesn't say that or that isn't supposed to be the case, but over the years I've seen a higher than average amount of guys get drawn on their first year. [ moose/ island elk etc... ]
To help your chances of being picked make sure to enter a zone that has historically better odds of being drawn. [ the synopsis shows what the previous years' odds were ]
I've entered as a group of 3 for the past 10 or so years myself.

[Livewire322]

I think that I'd enter as a shared hunt if it is the 3 of you applying. I'm pretty sure that all moose hunts are shared hunts anyways?? If either of you get drawn then you group gets 2 tags to fill. I think as a group entry of 3 or 4 people you only get 2 tags [ which is lots of meat if you fill them both ]. The only situation where a group/shared application will hurt you is when there aren't enough tags left in the system to fill your request. [ ie: lets say the zone you enter has 9 tags to be drawn, 8 get rewarded and then you or your partners name gets pulled. You don't win the last tag because you're entered as a group that is requesting 2 tags. It then goes to the next single entry applicant]
Also as a new applicant I think you have better odds. I know it doesn't say that or that isn't supposed to be the case, but over the years I've seen a higher than average amount of guys get drawn on their first year. [ moose/ island elk etc... ]
To help your chances of being picked make sure to enter a zone that has historically better odds of being drawn. [ the synopsis shows what the previous years' odds were ]
I've entered as a group of 3 for the past 10 or so years myself.

The highlighted is only true of group applications. For shared applications (moose or bison) if there is only one authorization left and a shared hunt member from a party of three is selected, the entire shared hunt party gets that one tag, rather than the the two they would otherwise have gotten.

Sections 3, 4, 5, & 6 explain how the system works for individuals, group applications, and shared applications:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/sp..._leh_works.pdf

[srthomas75]

thanks for the link Livewire. that sums it up for the OP.

[elker]

It's surprising to me that a group of 4 people has only the same chance of 1 individual who enters the draw by himself. I always believe that a group of 4 has 4 times of chance than one individual.
Last year we got the moose draw as a group in an area with 50-1 odd. The year before I was the only person who entered the draw and got NIL

[2chodi]

It's surprising to me that a group of 4 people has only the same chance of 1 individual who enters the draw by himself. I always believe that a group of 4 has 4 times of chance than one individual.
Last year we got the moose draw as a group in an area with 50-1 odd. The year before I was the only person who entered the draw and got NIL

Moose or bison are "shared hunts"

1 person enters - 1 chance

2 people enter as a group - 2 chances - one tag - shared

3 people enter as a group - 3 chances - two tags as long as there are two tags still remaining - shared

4 people enter as a group - 4 chances - two tags as long as there are two tags still remaining - shared

The more people (up to four) the better the odds of being drawn, but everyone in the group does not get to fill their tag during the specified LEH window.

[mike31154]

I would say the best way to up your odds is look at the draws with the most favourable ratio, depending on if you're willing to travel to that area, which could be a long way. Still ends up being a roll of the dice in the end. A friend of mine had been putting in for Island Elk draws for close to 30 years without success. I'd only been putting in for a similar draw for 3 years & got lucky.

[elker]

Moose or bison are "shared hunts"

1 person enters - 1 chance

2 people enter as a group - 2 chances - one tag - shared

3 people enter as a group - 3 chances - two tags as long as there are two tags still remaining - shared

4 people enter as a group - 4 chances - two tags as long as there are two tags still remaining - shared

The more people (up to four) the better the odds of being drawn, but everyone in the group does not get to fill their tag during the specified LEH window.

thanks. It makes sense to me.

[elkrub]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I now have a pretty good idea on how it all works!