Below is a summary of the above methods. There are many more details which deal with variances like applying as a party, etc., but this will give you an idea of some of the options.

Random Draw
In past years, California used a form of the Random Draw. Deer hunters entered the drawing with up to three hunt area choices, a first, second and third choice. When entering the drawing, you were assigned a random number. Distribution of the tags was done based on the random number, starting with the lowest number first. If your first choice was already filled, they would check your second choice; if it was filled, they would go to your third choice. If that was filled, you got a Dear Hunter letter and could get a refund or select a tag from a zone which was not filled. With this method it was possible to get your second or third choice before someone who had selected that same zone for their first choice.

In the new system which the DFG plans to use this year, the change will be that all first-choice selections will be drawn before going to second and third choices. Because the number of first-choice selections are usually greater than the number of tags available, the second- and third-choice selections for most zones will be meaningless as no tags will remain after the initial drawing.

Bonus Point
Like California's random draw, hunters would be issued a random number with tags being distributed to the lowest numbers first. For each year you did not receive your first choice, you would be given an additional (Bonus) random number. (This is like being able to buy more than one Lotto ticket.) The idea is that the more random (bonus) numbers you have, the greater chance you have of having one with a low number. The problem is that you could still be beat out by someone who just came into the system and was luckier than you and drew a lower random number.

Preference Point
With a Preference Point system you are given a point for each year you do not draw your first-choice tag. When tags are distributed, individuals with the highest number of points are given first crack at the tags, then the next highest number of points and so on. This rewards hunters who continue to put in for the draw and also gives them hope that they will some day have enough points to be at the top of the list instead of just waiting for Lady Luck. On the other hand, the negative is that junior hunters and people who are just moving into the state are shut out of the process after a few years because of the number of hunters who have had a head start on accumulating points.

Modified Preference Point
This system is the same as the Preference Point system above except that part of the available tags for each hunt (say 25% or 50%) are held out for a random draw. This give juniors and newcomers a chance at tags while still giving hope and reward to those with Preference Points.