How many big game tags is too many?

[Stalker69]

One deer and maybe an antelope. Or one elk are plenty of meat to last us a year, I don't like to carry over to the next year. I just don't understand what some do with all the meat, from so many animals. I know many claim they eat it all, but damn you would have to have a feeding tube, feeding you 24 /7 to " eat" what some shoot. I ain't going to kill more then my family will eat in a year.

 

[cnelk]

How many tags are too many?

All you can get + 1 is too many

 

[william schmaltz]

I have no problem hunting and killing more than I eat. No moral high ground or shame here. Based on the view from most your guys’ thrones, a person shouldn’t be able to even apply for a moose tag unless they have a family of 4 I guess.

Only shot one moose so far this year. Might go back for another in December after deer season because I enjoy both hunting and sharing so much. Our house got two moose, a musk ox, and couple bears last year. Had 3 butchering parties. One was with my wife’s single mom coworker and her kid. Another was with family friends and their 3 girls. And another with my brother. They all took home meat. Also gave a cooler to each of our priest, another (extremely liberal) family friend that’s too sick to eat grain fed meat, elderly in our church, and our single mom daycare provider. That’s a whole lot of non hunters we can depend on when we need them at the ballot box.

If these tags are so hard to get, why can only influencers get them and not Joe the plumber?

Edit: forgot a goat last year too.

 

[2-Stix]

I get a deer and bear tag in CA, typically fill the deer. And I hunt Oregon every year with my family. Deer, bear and cougar. I typically fill the deer tag. That gives us more than enough meat. I always hunt at least 1 tag a year and never fill more than 2.

 

[DiabeticKripple]

I usually grab an elk tag, bear tag, WT tag and mule tag.

This year is 1 WT, 2 cow elk, 1 mule buck.

Next year I might try moose on a general archery tag, and elk on general as well.

 

[PlumberED]

As long as the meat is not wasted I think it is ok to use whatever tags are available to you. Here in Maryland we have 3 buck tags and almost unlimited (35) does. I personally don’t know of anyone who utilizes all of them but they are available. I am ok with the game biologists analyzing the herd and setting limits as they see fit.

 

[Stalker69]

Or is it the guys that have to show off they are successful “ hunters” by killing more then they can eat, that are on their thrones ? And yea if you kill a moose, and it’s more then we can consume in a year, we don’t apply or hunt any big game the next year. Freezers full = enough meat. Freezers half full, a deer or antelope to fill it till next year. We used to process animals for people, and it’s truly amazing how many people will drop off animals and never pick them up when they are packaged. We donated some of it, and had to throw away a ton of meat. With that and CWD, we just quit doing it.

 

[S.Clancy]

I'm surprised how some of you are saying a deer or a couple deer lasts a whole year....I literally eat an antelope, a deer and an elk myself every year. That's one person.

 

[Hnthrdr]

Admittedly I started this thread for some real conversation. I get it divides up pretty quick like most things in life to the haves and the haves nots. Much like free time, money, objects. This ultimately turns into a personal question or sorts. I get it I really enjoy hunting and killing too. Heck read some of TR’s biographies and so did he. I think he saw the bottomless pit that is man and helped put some side walls up via biologists and seasons dates. I think they are broad and at some point we as individuals have to self regulate. I agree that once the meat is not being consumed it is almost impossible to justify the kill, then I think of tribes and some went out to hunt and kill and some stayed and tended camp (some guys here killing a ton for their community) which is cool.

 

[wind gypsy]

Keeps a fella busy feeding those who can't get out and killing animals that are over population objectives or causing damage to farmers/ranchers.

The objectives are a joke in much of MT. Much of central and eastern MT where they pretend elk are a scourge have objectives that calculate out to 1 elk per every 7.7 square miles to as low as 1 elk per every 28.9 square miles.. How many elk would be around on land actually accessible by hunters if they achieved those objectives? Basically zero.

If a guy is killing actual problem elk on private land, good on him. If he's shooting cows off public in shoulder seasons and pretending he's doing the resource a favor cuz they are "over objective", good chance he's lying to himself or doesn't know better.

 

[Ucsdryder]

The objectives are a joke in much of MT. Much of central and eastern MT where they pretend elk are a scourge have objectives the calculate out to 1 elk per every 7.7 square miles to as low as 1 elk per every 28.9 square miles.. How many elk would be around on land actually accessible by hunters if they achieved those objectives do you suppose? Basically zero.

If a guy is killing actual problem elk on private land, good on him. If he's shooting cows off public in shoulder seasons and pretending he's doing the resource a favor cuz they are "over objective", good chance he's lying to himself or doesn't know better.

Well said. Montana is notorious for their overestimating of populations. I’d love to see all western states drastically reduce the number of doe and cow tags. Seeing a sled full of dead does doesn’t do it for me or the population.

 

[Hackleback]

When you are tired of cutting/processing meat, +1

 

[bowhuntercoop]

Man I get 5 bucks tags and 8 doe tags as a sc resident. I normally fill all close to all with the stick, plus pigs. Then go outta state chasing whitetails, Mullies, and elk. We easily crush 8-10 deer a year in a house of 4. I couldn’t imagine only being able to shoot a couple deer a year, that would suck haha.

 

[The Guide]

If a guy is killing actual problem elk on private land, good on him. If he's shooting cows off public in shoulder seasons and pretending he's doing the resource a favor cuz they are "over objective", good chance he's lying to himself or doesn't know better.

The one spot I hunt shoulder season we are killing elk that come off the Wilk Brothers Ranch and eating on hay stacks on surrounding ranches. This is done in Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb when it is below zero and there is snow on the ground. If we don't put pressure on the elk to limit the amount they come down into the ranches hay yards, the ranchers get a permit to kill 3 elk per night in hazing efforts. The one ranch we worked with killed over 90 one winter and the elk were back almost every night. It isn't two or ten elk coming down off the mountain, it's two or three hundred. Central Montana elk are a problem because of how little access there is to them during hunting season. Not many want to go kill an elk when it is -15⁰ in a snow storm but sometimes that's when it has to be done.

Jay

 

[P dog]

2023:
2 elk
2 deer
2 antelope

1 elk filled
1 antelope filled

plan on filling the other elk and antelope tag...deer tag if the horns are big.

Family of 3 will eat 50% of the meat and the rest goes to family and friends.

 

[roadrunner]

Nope.

Sweet. Financially independent at such a young age - good job!

 

[displacedtexan]

Sweet. Financially independent at such a young age - good job!

The wife and I have worked hard to be able to do the stuff we enjoy!

 

[Ehunter]

My hunting partner and I share meat so if one of us fill a tag the other one holds out for a trophy. One between us enough meat for a year.

 

[wytx]

Between the 2 of us; 5 deer tags, 4 elk tags but maybe 2 more, and 1 pronghorn . Hoping to fill most of our elk tags, 2 are already punched, as we are in the area that needs elk taken-over objective.
Our deer are 2 WT and 2 mule deer tags, I also have a WT doe tag.
We share with friends that don't hunt, and family.
3 freezers full by end of the hunting season.
All "in state" hunting for us.

 

[Rich M]

I want to hit this from a diff angle - i get tired of “hunters” who travel to hunt 2-3 days without a kill and run home to momma. If one of them has 3 tags they might total 1 real hunt.

Some guys hunt Sept-Dec. more power to them. I’m happy with a 10-day hunt.