Premium Tag: How many days would you spend hunting?

[Bulldog0156]

Lengthy title , but if you drew a premium tag, how many days would you spend/have you spent hunting before filling your tag? I often hear people say "Oh, if I drew X tag, I'd take the whole season off and hunt hard every day until I found a monster." In reality, it can be pretty tough to hunt hard for a bunch of consecutive days before you hit a wall. If you had the ability to manage your time well and could take as much time off from work as you wanted how much time would you spend trying to fill your tag? I know in the past for me, the thrill of the hunt has worn off after a handful of consecutive days spent hunting and I have shot some animals that were not up to the standard I had set for myself at the beginning of the season. In these situations, I have usually kicked myself afterward for calling it quits too early. That said, I've never had the problem of drawing a hard-to-draw tag. Just curious to hear what other people have to say on the topic.

 

[8andcounting]

Right now I go once , for ten days in November for a deer and a cow elk . When I draw a bull permit someday I'll more than likely go many more times but shorter trips , probably go opener for 3-4 days then come back first week of November for 3-4 days then probably week or so mid November . I think many people can get burned out by long trips . Elk hunting or any hunting really , can be tough on the mindset . Easy to get discouraged

 

[WapitiBob]

I hunted 17 days in Utah, 4 in Arizona but was there a week early scouting, and have 17 scheduled for wyoming.

 

[Sandbrew]

I think the right answer is......all of them as long as it takes to fill.

Best tag I ever had was the Colorado bighorn statewide raffle license. I hunted 34 days total over 4 months August - November 20th. I saw well over 200 rams before I found the one I wanted. I find 4-5 days solo is about my max for max effort and sanity while still staying employed and married. I was able to split up my time over several months and a few choice units. I would do the same if it was a primo elk tag that I knew would be once in a lifetime.

Sandbrew

 

[LopeHunter]

I think the right answer is......all of them as long as it takes to fill.

Best tag I ever had was the Colorado bighorn statewide raffle license. I hunted 34 days total over 4 months August - November 20th. I saw well over 200 rams before I found the one I wanted. I find 4-5 days solo is about my max for max effort and sanity while still staying employed and married. I was able to split up my time over several months and a few choice units. I would do the same if it was a primo elk tag that I knew would be once in a lifetime.

Sandbrew


Agree that spending most of a week on a solo hunt is a long time when have a job and family responsibilities. I have never taken more than 5 days to fill a tag or reach the conclusion I had seen most of the mature critters in the area and none flipped my switch. I have no issue with tag soup when have successfully harvested that species on prior hunts. The hunt is more interesting to me than the trigger pulling.

 

[onelionhunter]

I am fortunate to be local for my dream tag this year in 380. I will use all available time to make it happen. Not sure about the burnout, but will report back if I ever hit it, its never happened to me on just the general season.

 

[Jon Boy]

Most of my experience is with elk. I'm fortunate to have most all of hunting season off. I found 3 day trips are best with a day or 2 of rest/glassing in between. I hunt more effectively and stay charged through out a long season. Nearly all of my successful trips I kill on day one or two no matter the how long the duration. I'd like to work more towards pushing hard through a 7 day hunt but it just hasn't seemed to work that way for me yet and by the end of day 3 I'm tired physically and mentally.

 

[fishing4sanity]

You guys are making me question some of my life choices. I don't think I've ever been able to squeeze more than 12 days total out of a fall hunting season spread across all species, states, short or long trips.

 

[Bambistew]

I'd say 10-14 days for me. If I can't get it done in that time, I'd be content knowing I put in my time.

 

[HUNTNNW]

boils down to how good of a tag is it and will you ever draw it again and also what else do you have lined up that year. I had a total of 34 days off of a 60 day moose season in WA when I drew a bull tag.. I shot my moose the 2nd day it was too good to pass up. I drew UT book cliffs muzzy deer and took the whole season off plus 3 days to scout. I drew a great archery bull tag in WA 3 years ago and took 22 days off... I hunted all but 2 days ..came home mid way thru as I was burned out. When I draw great tags I try to maximize the hunt, cause it might be the only time I get to hunt a certain place.

 

[MTGomer]

I have spent 35 days (not consecutive) trying to fill a tag. If it was an out of state tag, 15 or so days would probably be my more realistic max. 20 if I was lucky.

The right answer is definitely 'as many as it takes' if that's a possibility with life.

 

[forkhunter]

For me, I hunted 10 days in 2 stints for the raffle tag I got. Had 10 days planned for my sheep tag but filled in 3. But through life changes over time, pretty much any hunt gets up to 5 days focus from me. Could stretch another day or maybe 2 if needed. My most enjoyable hunts have been 3-5 days so that is kind of the sweet spot for me. My goal is 2 hunts a year, 4-5 full days each. Longer than that starts to feel like a grind to me and is no longer what I want hunting to be.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I have spent 35 days (not consecutive) trying to fill a tag. If it was an out of state tag, 15 or so days would probably be my more realistic max. 20 if I was lucky.

The right answer is definitely 'as many as it takes' if that's a possibility with life.

I haven't made it to 35 yet but working on it, i spent 32 days on a moose tag i had, about got fired. Id say if i had a rifle bull tag I'd put all my energy towards that tag. Wouldn't put in for anything else and try and spend 20 plus days on it scouting and hunting.

I'm already spending 20 days a year towards the sheep so it's not unfamiliar territory.

 

[Duck-Slayer]

Well lets see..... I don't think there is a right answer to that question. So far it seems everyone has that sweet spot on the amount of time they want to hunt. Me Personally, I hunt everyday possible. I'm an archery junkie, so most of my seasons are a month and a half long, out of the roughly 45 days of archery I probably hunt on average 28 of those days. Last year for example I did, 15 days in NV and 13 days elk hunting archery, than did the late season for another 3 days for deer in Idaho. So right at 30 days last year for my archery hunting. My wife and daughters rifle hunting took up another week or two. But the length of stay is really gauged on how comfortable you are, camper no camper, wife and kids visit or not, etc..... all those factor into how long I stay out at one length of time. For the most part 10 days and i'm ready for a real shower and too see the family.....
Matt

 

[Gr8bawana]

When I was working for a living I usually went out for 7-10 days for my big game hunts. After retirement when I went to AZ to help my brother hunt for elk I told my wife I would be back in a week. She said "stay as long as you need to." She said the whole point of retirement is to do what you want. I've stayed there for 12 days once and 15 days another year.
If I ever draw a mtn goat tag my wife and I are prepared to stay for the entire 2 month season if necessary. Should I draw a desert bighorn tag I have the luxury of hunting from home which is about 15 minutes from my chosen area.

 

[Pagosa]

Bulldog, like yourself I drew a very good limited bull elk tag this year in the Custer NF/Powder River country and live in the opposite corner of the state. I only can rifle hunt due to busy falls trying to work in construction. So my plan this season is only hunting the opening 3-4 days of season and the last four days of season. I know from past hunts I usually get a chance at getting into elk on day 2-4. And I usually really push myself to hunt very hard when I’m in the field. It doesn’t take 2-3 weeks to have a successful hunt, and sometimes I have a successful hunt even if I don’t tag one.
And like others I have a great wife, great kids, multiple jobs, and limited resources for either time or money. The last two switch back and forth depending if I’m having a busy field season or I’m doing building at home. I do plan to scout several weekends when working in that area, and I’m not opposed to renting a plane for a couple hours to fly the unit, if I can locate a pilot. It’s your hunt and I just go enjoy it with kids, wife, friends.

 

[HSi-ESi]

Mine depends a bit on the hunting style (ie backpacked in, camping from the truck, etc) that I will be doing - and if I have partners or not.

On my moose tag last year, I hunted a total of 21 days (Sept 15 to Nov 11). It was a mix of hunting styles. Camped out 6 nights, most were day trips from the house. Some with my kids, some with my brother, some solo.

I did a 7 day solo trip into the Beartooths in 2004 (unlimited). That was a tough trip.

I'm crossing my fingers for a Goat tag this year.

 

[huntin24/7]

I think a lot depends on your mindset and situation. I drew a rag this year that isn't the same quality as yours but still took some time to draw. For me, it works better to take a couple trips about 3 days each since I have 3 young kids at home and don't want to have my wife stuck dealing with them by herself for too long at a time even though she's good about it. I find myself less prone to settle on a smaller animal than I hoped for if I hunt hard for 3-4 days and know I can go back again on a week. Part of it depends on how far the drive is too. Best of luck. Hope ya smack a big bull.

 

[ccc23454]

Last year i hunted 3 months straight with only couple breaks usually while traveling between states/zones for laundry, restock, see family get good night sleep in home bed. My cargo trailer looked like a teenagers apartment. And that was just for good tags, a "premium" tag i would never leave zone till i killed what i considered worthy of the tag. I ate a tag couple years ago hunting a stud bull elk, i had to quit cause of work. That hunt was amazing but i have always regretted not being able keep after him longer. I cant remember what happened at work that week but i will always remember that chess game me and him played and utimately he won. I am a competitive person and i hunt like it and will try to be in woods every single day i have a valid tag! Why apply if your not going to maximize the adventure!

 

[8andcounting]

Last year i hunted 3 months straight with only couple breaks usually while traveling between states/zones for laundry, restock, see family get good night sleep in home bed. My cargo trailer looked like a teenagers apartment. And that was just for good tags, a "premium" tag i would never leave zone till i killed what i considered worthy of the tag. I ate a tag couple years ago hunting a stud bull elk, i had to quit cause of work. That hunt was amazing but i have always regretted not being able keep after him longer. I cant remember what happened at work that week but i will always remember that chess game me and him played and utimately he won. I am a competitive person and i hunt like it and will try to be in woods every single day i have a valid tag! Why apply if your not going to maximize the adventure!

Great post and I agree no matter what tag , do your best and have fun