"Good Tag" Anxiety

[2rocky]

Do you put more pressure on yourself when you have a coveted tag? One that took lots of p reference points, or had slim drawing odds in a unit that has produced large and famous animals?

Each time I've had a good tag there has been an expectation I've set for myself to make the most of the tag, and I made myself miserable by the third day of the hunt.

What do you do to keep it enjoyable when you aren't seeing bucks and bulls? Or you miss a chance at the buck of your dreams?

Maybe this is more of a "Sports Psychology" discussion than anything.

 

[seeth07]

I think the most important thing about going on any hunting trip or heading into any hunting season is to before you go, set expectation in your mind about what you are looking to get out of the hunt. This shouldn't all be just inches of horn but also include things like effort/exercise, country to explore/view, various other animal species to witness, you get the idea.

 

[Nameless Range]

I've had two once-in-a-lifetimish tags. I never felt anxiety with either really.

I suppose part of it is expectations. What are you expecting of yourself? I think most, though not all, once-in-a-lifetime tags are just that because of the "caliber" or "size" of a big game animal they offer possibility at. If you have set a standard for yourself in relation to that, you have sort of agreed to what it takes to win the game, and games often have losers. I suppose that could cause anxiety. So set the game up in such a way that you can't lose. What a cool thing to just get to try your hand at a once-in-a-lifetime tag.

I put more pressure on myself to get in shape, and to take more time off, but beyond that I let it go. I don't know what to say other than to just love being out there.

You could probably chuck everything I just wrote in the dumpster bin too. I am not much of a hunter, and I didn't eat either of those tags. Sometimes the Hunting Gods shine upon you. Which reminds me, definitely sacrifice something to the Hunting Gods.

 

[timmy]

I had a breaks bighorn sheep tag and I passed up a ram with my bow that I will never forget. I was only a couple hours into my hunt and couldn’t let the arrow fly. Always think about that ram and how cool it would have been to get one with my bow. In my mind I was going to shoot the biggest sheep in the district and that did not happen. Certainly changed the way I approach hard to draw tags or tags with high expectations.

 

[2rocky]

I had a breaks bighorn sheep tag and I passed up a ram with my bow that I will never forget. I was only a couple hours into my hunt and couldn’t let the arrow fly. Always think about that ram and how cool it would have been to get one with my bow. In my mind I was going to shoot the biggest sheep in the district and that did not happen. Certainly changed the way I approach hard to draw tags or tags with high expectations.

so now how do you approach it?

 

[Bigjay73]

Id say he'd shoot a nice ram 2 hrs into a hunt lol

 

[elkantlers]

I'll let you know if I ever draw one.

 

[Cammy]

I would post here looking for assistance on finding a 370" animal and wait 8 hours for the replies to pour in. All of the replies with GPS coordinates for "the honey hole" should prevent the anxiety of not seeing animals. If you get no responses you can thank Felicia for screwing it up for everybody.

 

[Deleted member 38069]

I've only had mediocre tags so I will let you know when and if it happens!

 

[2rocky]

I would post here looking for assistance on finding a 370" animal and wait 8 hours for the replies to pour in. All of the replies with GPS coordinates for "the honey hole" should prevent the anxiety of not seeing animals. If you get no responses you can thank Felicia for screwing it up for everybody.

Definitely...

 

[Finnman]

Being not terribly far from Big Fins old homerange, any elk tag is a good one. IMHO.

 

[hank4elk]

I've had 3 decent Muley tags and several good NM elk tags. Biggest letdown on myself is the buck tags I could not fill with a better one than I saw or had chance at better ,but couldn't close it.
Any NM elk tag is good in my book, & I've come real close to BC bulls several times.

 

[LCH]

I've kinda got the opposite going on. My first two trips out west, I paid trespass fees to hunt private. My first true DIY public land hunt was 2014. I killed a cow elk, but struggled mightily with the deer tag. Wound up shooting a small whitetail because I couldn't find a legal mule deer.

The deer tag was a leftover. I pretty much had decided that area sucked and I wouldn't apply for deer there again.

For some reason I was feeling cocky this year and drew the tag again 2nd choice. I guess I feel like I need to give the area another chance now that I've got a bit more experience.

I'm giving it two weeks this time. I suppose I am a little nervous I'll get whooped again. Still looking forward to the effort though.

 

[SFC B]

Closest I have had was my IL disabled vet hunt last year. Given that there are pretty nice deer in the general area and that the tag was a lil $$$ I passed on a reasonable/smallish buck and nice doe. I ended up taking a small doe at literally the last minute. I flubbed on my own "don't pass on the first what you would shoot on the last" rule.....hopefully I won't do that again. And I WAS happy with the resulting jerky.

 

[jrabq]

I know what you mean, I have drawn some great tags and yes the increased pressure to make the most of them has often led to disappointment and frustration. I've often thought that I have more fun on low expectation hunts.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Hmmm, tuff answer to this particular question. Most have story’s too tell. Mine, well.... have almost always resulted in me eating the particular tag. I will say if anyone really knows me I’m a fill the freezer guy and thoroughly enjoy that. I have in my growing older and hopefully wiser , am a little more into taking “of age” animals, but only on draw tags . Not having to buy meat the past 18 years, except for 2 subpar seasons . I have eaten 3 pretty dang good tags that I should have filled. I won’t be making that mistake anytime soon. I will wait on that 1% luck again like in 2014. I’m going to “try” and make it past the 1st day with my Wyoming deer tag, but.....
Matt

 

[Blackcats06]

Had an AZ sheep tag. The only pressure I had was not letting down the 15 people helping me. Hard to explain what exactly I was feeling.

 

[timmy]

so now how do you approach it?

Just enjoy hunting a new area and if you have an animal in front of you that makes you happy shoot it. Or if you want to hold out and maybe eat the tag do it. Having a great tag in your pocket is a good problem to have but it doesn’t always work out like you expect it to so enjoy it. No shame in filling or eating a good tag. You can take the fun out of it real quick if you have expectations.

 

[dexnrex]

In 2018 I drew a Breaks sheep tag. Had I drawn when I was 27 I would have told myself if I don’t shoot the biggest ram in the district with my bow, I wasted the tag. Fortunately I drew the tag at 47. I went out every day I scouted and every day I hunted to have fun and enjoy looking for sheep in sheep country. I ended up shooting a descent ram after spending 22 days in sheep country. I hunted solo the entire time and enjoyed every minute. That is the way I approach all my hunting anymore. I go out each day to have fun.
Interestingly I have no less success on quality animals now than I did when I was younger and wound myself up over it.

 

[8andcounting]

I've kinda got the opposite going on. My first two trips out west, I paid trespass fees to hunt private. My first true DIY public land hunt was 2014. I killed a cow elk, but struggled mightily with the deer tag. Wound up shooting a small whitetail because I couldn't find a legal mule deer.

The deer tag was a leftover. I pretty much had decided that area sucked and I wouldn't apply for deer there again.

For some reason I was feeling cocky this year and drew the tag again 2nd choice. I guess I feel like I need to give the area another chance now that I've got a bit more experience.

I'm giving it two weeks this time. I suppose I am a little nervous I'll get whooped again. Still looking forward to the effort though.

Sounds like region A in Wyoming ? Good luck post pics and have fun !