Added extra pressure of drawing a really great tag

[KHNC]

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.

Drew Gila elk tag in NM in 2015. Blew two easy shots at huge bulls in 6 days of hunting. One 360+ class bull. This was on a DIY hunt and i was blown away by the two close encounters. Shot over one and under the other. Sheer dumbass stupidity on my part. Ill never draw that tag again im sure.

 

[RaggedHunter]

Two years ago I got a call saying that a tag for a NW corner CO elk unit had been turned in, and I was next in line. I of course accepted the tag, as I knew I would never have the opportunity to hunt the NW corner again in my lifetime. Problem was, I only had 3 weeks until season opened and I had never really been in the unit other than just driving past it. So I never really came down off the excitement of drawing the tag before the hunt started. It was a very stressful few weeks leading up to the hunt. I made several bonzai scouting trips, I flew the unit, and talked to anyone I could think of that had experience in the unit. We got to chase an absolute giant of a bull (380+) for the first part of the hunt but never could seal the deal on him. I ended up taking my number 2 bull later in the hunt. Overall the hunt ended up being everything I could have ever hoped for.

This year I drew a good New Mexico elk tag. The initial excitement of drawing has came down a bit for me which is good. I have been doing all the research and prep I can and I am certainly excited for the hunt. But I really think drawing that tag 2 years ago, and having some time before the hunt has helped take some of the added pressure off. I don't feel nearly as much pressure with this tag.

 

[Blockcaver]

Best draw tags were NR NV Desert Bighorn, NR UT Bison and NR WY Shiras moose tags. I cherished the opportunity, scouted on the phone, thru Biologists and printed media as well as in person as applicable. All were pre-hunting forum tags back in the last century. The bow was tuned, the arrows and broadheads perfect, the vacation time from work scheduled, etc. Loved the challenge and opportunity and filled each tag after about one week of bow hunting. The pressure of the unique OIL nature of the tag helped ensure I didn't waste any potential opportunity.

I always look at hunts and figure if you don't fill your tag, but you hunted hard, learned the critter and landscape it inhabits, the hunt was a success...kind of like an education you paid for but didn't get instant financial success from...only to reap the reward further down the line....some other place and time.

 

[huntingaddiction]

I drew a great tag here in WA one year and set a goal to kill a 340" bull with my bow. I passed on a 300+ " 5x5 an hour and a half I to the hunt and never got another opportunity until the second to last day. It's your hunt, the added expectations are yours, don't let anyone else set them.

 

[Banded_spooney]

Not a once in a lifetime tag by any means but The first LE tag I ever applied for out of state I drew on the regular draw in Wyoming. My uncle had burned 8 points to draw then drew it in the random two years in a row before I did. Crazy luck. Low single digit odds. Killed what’ll probably be my biggest bull ever on day two. No stress. Seemed too easy.

9 years later I burned 8 points in the special and went back. The high cost of the special, The fact that I was gone for 20 days while my wife was 8 months pregnant and home alone with our two year old, and the thought it would take me another 8-9 years to come back made me feel a ton of undo pressure.

I stuck a small 6 point on day 11 and lost him. I’ve been there for others, but it was First and only animal I’ve personally lost. All of that combined bothered me a bit.