Point Creep Variable #4 - "Inactive Applicants"

The final variable that I would say has, or could have, considerable impact on point creep are what I call “Inactive Applicants.” The number of applicants who applied for a tag before, have accumulated a point or more, and did not apply last year is pretty eye opening.
The DWR issues a separate report, after the drawing results are released that shows the total number of individuals who hold 1 bonus point or more. This report is called the Preference Point Summary by Residency and Species… or something similar and can be found on the DWRs Big Game webpage.

The image at right shows the total number of Utah residents with bull elk bonus points from the 2016 Preference Point Summary by Residency and Species set up against the number of Active Applicants (Actual Applicants + Point Buyers) from 2017. What I’m trying to do here is to impress upon you the number of people who have applied previously for limited entry bull elk but for some reason do not apply again.
The 2016 report shows that 44,037 individuals had 1 elk bonus point entering the 2017 application cycle. So looking straight across, of those 44,037 potential applicants in the 1 bonus point pool only 7635 were active applicants again in 2017. A mere 17% of the total potential applicant pool applied a second time! This seems to be pretty consistent that less than 20% of all first time applicants apply a second time. Interestingly though as you proceed down the table the percentage increases and by the time you hit the top third of the bonus point pools the percentages of re-applicants is 90% or more with the top bonus point pools being nearly 100%.
I think there is a sense of investment here. The more points you accumulate the more dedicated you are to the activity of hunting and/or the more obligated you feel to continue applying.
Overall, the bottom row of the image indicates that a mere 38% of the total number of applicants from 2016 applied again in 2017.
You might be wondering how this applies to point creep so I’ll give you an example. In 2002 and 2003, I was a young single college student. I wasn’t particularly interested in hunting at that point in my life but my grandfather talked me into applying for a bull elk tag with him and my uncle. I did so, unsuccessfully both years. Then in 2009, on a whim I purchased a muzzleloader and began hunting again. I have applied since for a limited entry bull elk tag. So for 5 years, I was one of those “inactive” applicants.
Another example… my uncle has only sporadically applied for a bull elk tag. He currently has 9 points to his name but has only applied twice since 2005, both times because I convinced him to do so. If he were to decide to resume applying for bull elk in earnest he could jump in and take a lower to mid-tier muzzleloader tag or a good archery tag.
It only takes a grandson/granddaughter, son/daughter, niece/nephew, friend, neighbor, or co-worker to express interest and all of a sudden a dormant applicant awakens.

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