Added extra pressure of drawing a really great tag

[realunlucky]

Who has drawn a great low odds limited tag or a once in lifetime tag?

After the initial excitement of actually drawing the tag did you feel any additional pressure of drawing that tag?

Others expectations adding additional pressure to you, you adding pressure to yourself for nearly the same reasons.

For example knowing you'll likely never draw it again or everyone just assuming since you drew that you'll kill a monster.

Just trying to get others perspective on this for a podcast I'm working on.

 

[MuleyFever]

Yup. Henry Mountains deer, AZ 23 elk, NV late 194-196. Drew those tags 3 consecutive seasons too.

 

[Ucsdryder]

Who has drawn a great low odds limited tag or a once in lifetime tag?

After the initial excitement of actually drawing the tag did you feel any additional pressure of drawing that tag?

Others expectations adding additional pressure to you, you adding pressure to yourself for nearly the same reasons.

For example knowing you'll likely never draw it again or everyone just assuming since you drew that you'll kill a monster.







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I wouldn’t know how it feels.

I’ve talked to enough people that have done it though. I think the majority of them have LESS fun due to the pressure. I don’t think it’s even close.

 

[justin davis]

Yea definitely a lot of pressure and Lots of stress for me. For me that was my once in a lifetime bull moose I drew. Bighorn and Mtn goat tag ( likely once in a lifetime the way things are now)

It was a lot of pressure and stress. After it was over it was good memories in the end. But the lead up and hunt were more stressful than normal hunts forsure.

 

[Liv2HntBigBullz]

You have to find a way to enjoy the hunt, enjoy the process and accept the outcome. When I dropped "once in a lifetime" money on a Dall Sheep hunt, I trained and prepped, wrote the check and forgot about it.

So many hunters take away from the experience with this stress. You are on a hunt that will be like no other, enjoy it and set realistic expectations. Do not search for an internet unicorn and just enjoy the experience. What happens will happen!

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[DanimalW]

No personal experience with that problem, but I’ve known others that have struck out on those tags. Fires, droughts, early snow can screw up some good tags.

 

[WKR]

Does a non resident NM pronghorn tag count?

 

[Fatcamp]

I've drawn a low single digits tag twice. The first time my wife and I both drew it and it was our first mule deer tags. It was a great trip which resulted in one fork horn coming home with us. Lots of mistakes and lessons on that one but we were still talking on the trip home. LOL

Drew it again a few years later and killed a nice buck. A major blizzard was coming and I was gonna be so sad if I didn't kill a deer. Was very relieved to have him back at camp. Hope to draw it again this year.

 

[5MilesBack]

I never had much interest in moose, sheep, or goat until I started archery 17 years ago so started putting in. I drew sheep and moose three years ago. Bull moose is once in a lifetime in CO, and rams might as well be at this point since the odds of drawing from here on out are pretty slim, especially after the five year waiting period and then collecting three more points to even be eligible for the draw again.

But pressure? Not really. Shooting the biggest one out there really wasn't even the goal, but filling my tags was. Now for elk, getting a good tag is all about the experience........being able to hunt as much of a full season as possible during the rut and having as many good encounters as I can. Tagging a good bull is just icing on the cake. But I've eaten a few good tags by choice by not settling and not regretted that one bit. Every good elk tag I've had, I've thoroughly enjoyed those seasons, and some of the best seasons were ones I came home empty-handed, but had a blast.

 

[sacklunch]

“Act like you’ve been there”, applies here as it does in many aspects of life.

 

[realunlucky]

I never had much interest in moose, sheep, or goat until I started archery 17 years ago so started putting in. I drew sheep and moose three years ago. Bull moose is once in a lifetime in CO, and rams might as well be at this point since the odds of drawing from here on out are pretty slim, especially after the five year waiting period and then collecting three more points to even be eligible for the draw again.

But pressure? Not really. Shooting the biggest one out there really wasn't even the goal, but filling my tags was. Now for elk, getting a good tag is all about the experience........being able to hunt as much of a full season as possible during the rut and having as many good encounters as I can. Tagging a good bull is just icing on the cake. But I've eaten a few good tags by choice by not settling and not regretted that one bit. Every good elk tag I've had, I've thoroughly enjoyed those seasons, and some of the best seasons were ones I came home empty-handed, but had a blast.

So it was just your mindset on the importance of the tag? Your simple confidence that you would fill your tag which was your only goal?

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[realunlucky]

I've drawn a low single digits tag twice. The first time my wife and I both drew it and it was our first mule deer tags. It was a great trip which resulted in one fork horn coming home with us. Lots of mistakes and lessons on that one but we were still talking on the trip joke. LOL

Drew it again a few years later and killed a nice buck. A major blizzard was coming and I was gonna be so sad if I didn't kill a deer. Was very relieved to have him back at camp. Hope to draw it again this year.

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So you didn't feel any additional pressure?

Interesting because the first trip you might not have known how good it was so couldn't fully appreciate it but did that change on the second time you drew?

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[realunlucky]

You have to find a way to enjoy the hunt, enjoy the process and accept the outcome. When I dropped "once in a lifetime" money on a Dall Sheep hunt, I trained and prepped, wrote the check and forgot about it.

So many hunters take away from the experience with this stress. You are on a hunt that will be like no other, enjoy it and set realistic expectations. Do not search for an internet unicorn and just enjoy the experience. What happens will happen!

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I think this exactly, but besides the sheep hunt have you done it? How did you accomplish pushing the other stuff aside?

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[realunlucky]

Yea definitely a lot of pressure and Lots of stress for me. For me that was my once in a lifetime bull moose I drew. Bighorn and Mtn goat tag ( likely once in a lifetime the way things are now)

It was a lot of pressure and stress. After it was over it was good memories in the end. But the lead up and hunt were more stressful than normal hunts forsure.

Justin, was the stress self imposed or coming from others and thier expectations or both?

How did adjust to it and then over come it?
More research and prep? A change in your approach or mindset?

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[5MilesBack]

So it was just your mindset on the importance of the tag? Your simple confidence that you would fill your tag which was your only goal?

Just waiting to draw sheep, moose, and goat tags is the most pressure IMO. Any of these tags is a big deal because of the low odds. But at the point that you draw IMO......the pressure is over. Now just go out and have a good time and make the best of the hunt. I had no doubts that I would fill my tags (especially moose)......the only question was with what.

 

[Fatcamp]

So you didn't feel any additional pressure?

Interesting because the first trip you might not have known how good it was so couldn't fully appreciate it but did that change on the second time you drew?

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Oh ya! By then I had hunted some other tags and realized how bad I had messed up a really good opportunity. As we were headed to hunt the forecast kept getting worse and worse and I knew I had to hunt hard and fast because where we were going is a nightmare when wet.

I knew it would drive me nuts to leave there AGAIN without a nice buck. I tried hard to remain objective about it, but by the time we left I was pretty stressed out.

 

[realunlucky]

Yup. Henry Mountains deer, AZ 23 elk, NV late 194-196. Drew those tags 3 consecutive seasons too.

I remember this write up, which is exactly what I'm trying to drill down to. Was it your expectation or everyone else's that you'd kill a giant just because you had the Henry tag?

What would you different looking back to minimize that pressure or is even possible?

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[realunlucky]

Just waiting to draw sheep, moose, and goat tags is the most pressure IMO. Any of these tags is a big deal because of the low odds. But at the point that you draw IMO......the pressure is over. Now just go out and have a good time and make the best of the hunt. I had no doubts that I would fill my tags (especially moose)......the only question was with what.

Thanks Mike
I will say yours is likely the exception to how most feel. I do agree drawing some tags can be more difficult than filling them, so maybe that mindset alleviates most of the pressure?

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[Jskaanland]

I drew two good tags in one year. I was told by somebody who was nice enough to share some info on the unit, "if I had my deer tag I'd hold out for a 190 buck." In my head I thought, "I don't know what a 190 buck looks like!"

I didn't feel extra pressure, but I knew I was going to hold out for a buck that made me happy. I hunted the tag for 8 days and hiked a lot of miles. I was driving back to where my camp was to pack up the day before Thanksgiving but decided to drive past camp to the end of the public for a quick look before packing up and heading home. I ended up spotting the buck I shot not too far from the road. In my head, I was gonna spot a buck from a glassing spot a few miles in. Hike a mile to go shoot him and pack him out. It was a weird feeling not having it play out like it was in my head.

I knew I put more time on that tag than any other tag I've ever had. Even if I didn't fill it, I was gonna be happy with how hard I worked for it. I think I felt the pressure to put in the work for it, more than shooting a big buck. Side note I still haven't gotten it scored.

 

[justin davis]

Justin, was the stress self imposed or coming from others and thier expectations or both?

How did adjust to it and then over come it?
More research and prep? A change in your approach or mindset?

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I think mine was mostly self imposed. Just something I’ve wanted to hunt my whole life and here it is. But there is also pressure from your peers in getting it done I think. Not that it matters but they are curious how you do. But mostly just myself. I’ve always dreamed of harvesting all the big game animals of colorado. It has been a goal of mine ever since I got into bowhunting. These special tags don’t come very often. And likely the only time I’ll ever get to hunt them as I’m just a blue collar guy.

With the moose it was the largest antlered bull I located during scouting. There was pressure on myself because I really wanted to get it but was stressed that I would have competition or the bull might disappear. Didn’t want to have drama like I’ve heard from a few friends that had issues with people on once in a lifetime tag. It was a once in a lifetime tag. So I wanted to kill the best one I could find. I wasn’t just wanting to go out and kill any moose.

With all this said l, I will say that I enjoy the stress and the pressure of bowhunting. Even deer hunts can be stressful for me. Targeting a certain buck. The pressure I put on myself to be successful etc. But I like it. I’ve always said if I didn’t want stress and pressure I’d just play video games instead of bowhunt. Ha