How many big game tags is too many?

[Foldem]

This year I have 2 out of state deer tags, an in state deer tag and two in state elk tags.

Both my kids have out of state deer tags and in state deer and elk tags too. With school and sports we usually get 1.5 days per tag for them.

I’m not going to hunt either out of state hunt most likely or the in-state cow tag. Am I a tag hog? Should I be allowed to have that many?

 

[Rich M]

This year I have 2 out of state deer tags, an in state deer tag and two in state elk tags.

Both my kids have out of state deer tags and in state deer and elk tags too. With school and sports we usually get 1.5 days per tag for them.

I’m not going to hunt either out of state hunt most likely or the in-state cow tag. Am I a tag hog? Should I be allowed to have that many?

My question is why did you purchase the tags if you aren't gonna use them? Are people's lives that chaotic that they can't tell if they will have time off from work or that the kids this or that?

I had a WY antelope tag and did the hunt. Turning 2 deer tags back in cause father in law up and died - no deer hunting this fall. Is what it is, life does throw curve balls. Hunting season can also be planned and managed.

 

[satchamo]

I hate to name drop but I’ve been following Travis Nowotny on social and it just hit me the other day that that dude kills enough animals to feed a half dozen families for a good while but yet, he’s one guy. So far from what I can see he’s got 2 elk, 1 moose snd 2 deer. How in the f*** is one person going to ever use that?

Sure, some of it comes from envy for guys who get to hunt a lot but I won’t kill an animal if my freezer doesn’t have capacity. Meanwhile guys like this are grabbing up tags and animals for likes…. And considering how hard it’s getting to get any tags these days, then yeah I’m starting to get pretty pissed at the shear greed I’m seeing.

 

[Rich M]

I hate to name drop but I’ve been following Travis Nowotny on social and it just hit me the other day that that dude kills enough animals to feed a half dozen families for a good while but yet, he’s one guy. So far from what I can see he’s got 2 elk, 1 moose snd 2 deer. How in the f*** is one person going to ever use that?

Sure, some of it comes from envy for guys who get to hunt a lot but I won’t kill an animal if my freezer doesn’t have capacity. Meanwhile guys like this are grabbing up tags and animals for likes…. And considering how hard it’s getting to get any tags these days, then yeah I’m starting to get pretty pissed at the shear greed I’m seeing.

He has to kill stuff to make film. No-one wants to see him getting ready for his one hunt.

He's not hunting for food, he's hunting to kill stuff and tell you how good he is.

 

[Ralphie]

And when the influencers are victims of their own success, harder to draw tags and seeking ever more content, they start filming their co-conspirators’ hunts.

 

[HustlinOwl]

I think the limit becomes when you can't dedicate the full time to complete a successful hunt. If you are jamming tags in your pocket and only able to give 4-5 days to a hunt - you are likely missing opportunities.

 

[Lytro]

I'll play devil's advocate on this one. Is it that bad if someone fills 5 elk tags in a year and the meat is donated to people that are truly in need? Is it better to see 5 Fudds all kill raghorns and turn their entire yield into snack sticks and jerky?

It's strange to see so many people upset about other's opportunities. As much as I don't care for influencers or content creators, I'd be happy as hell to be able to do that for a living.

 

[Marshfly]

I had 12 Big Game tags (general deer, bear and elk, draw antelope, 2 elk B and 5 whitetail deer B), 3 turkey tags and a wolf and lion tag for Montana this year. Filled one bull elk, a whitetail buck, and two antelope tags.

Why did I buy so many? They were cheap and the opportunity was there.

I hunt for meat, horns are extra. You simply don't know if this year will be the year you don't fill the elk tag and might need more meat in the freezer to keep from running out. We buy ZERO meat from the store. None. From a cursory poll of friends, this type of thing is common here. Most buy way more tags simply for the opportunity but only fill one or two max.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I had 12 Big Game tags (general deer, bear and elk, draw antelope, 2 elk B and 5 whitetail deer B), 3 turkey tags and a wolf and lion tag for Montana this year. Filled one bull elk, a whitetail buck, and two antelope tags.

Why did I buy so many? They were cheap and the opportunity was there.

I hunt for meat, horns are extra. You simply don't know if this year will be the year you don't fill the elk tag and might need more meat in the freezer to keep from running out. We buy ZERO meat from the store. None. From a cursory poll of friends, this type of thing is common here. Most buy way more tags simply for the opportunity but only fill one or two max.

For sure, zero issue with buying that many especially if they are in your home state and you said it yourself you fill your freezer. Seems like you aren’t trying to punch every tag after your freezer is full. That makes sense.

 

[hibernation]

I think the limit becomes when you can't dedicate the full time to complete a successful hunt. If you are jamming tags in your pocket and only able to give 4-5 days to a hunt - you are likely missing opportunities.

I've seen a handful of the big hunting shows like this recently. They start off with how they drew a "once or twice in a lifetime" type of tag in some incredible area, but they've only got a few days to hunt it because they've got to get to another tag in another state. Leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[robby denning]

I had two deer tags and a cow elk tag this year. About avg year. I don't like to have more than I can do a good job on.

Only filled the cow elk.

Most states have a turnback system, so I turn them back if I know I'm not going to use one so someone else can have it.

 

[bigloveystyle]

I think the original question was how many tags is too many tags - I think it’s too many if you end up with more meat than you know what to do with. I think having to solicit people on social media or give it away (unplanned) might be an indicator you have maybe shot too many things.

 

[JP100]

You guys have tags?.....haha.
here, alot of guys measure their yearly harvest with triple figures

 

[Dwnw/theAltitudesickness]

here, alot of guys measure their yearly harvest with triple figures

I feel like there is a ROAL Reaper joke here somewhere..... Just I'm not smart enough to make one

 

[Hnthrdr]

You guys have tags?.....haha.
here, alot of guys measure their yearly harvest with triple figures

What do they do with all the meat? Market hunting for the Chi-Coms? Being kinda serious and kind of sarcastic here, had someone tell me a while back they cull elk from helicopter in NZ and sell the meat to China

 

[timekiller13]

Not sure what I would do with 5 elk tags? If I shot 5 elk no way I could consume or even give away that much meat.

I get 6 deer tags a year in my state. I usually shot 2-3 deer and that’s all I need. I don’t give away hardly any meat. Maybe 10lbs a year. Too much time and effort goes into getting that meat and working it up for me to just give it away.

 

[MallardSX2]

This year we had:

1 ooser elk tag - 1 filled.
2 ooser bear tags - 2 filled.
5 whitetail buck tags- 3 filled.
20 doe tags - 0 filled.

Freezers are slammed full and that's with giving 1 buck away to my in-laws. We will be good for a year at a minimum.

 

[Str8shooter]

An elk, a mule deer and antelope per year on average....Two tenets of the North American Model of Conservation are relevant here. "There are to be no markets for wild game" and "Wildlife may only be killed for legitimate purposes". I would argue that the proliferation of monetized hunter content on youtube and other social media represent markets for wild game, the legitimacy of which is highly suspect. These influencers killing dozens of animals a year do it for sponsorships, direct monetization through subscriptions or ad based revenue. How is that not functionally the equivalent of market hunting? It often purports to provide "how to" content, and can even weave in conservation oriented messsages or gestures, but at the end of the day, they are killing wildlife for private monetary gain in numbers that are often ridiculous. They'll say "oh ya we need X pounds a year" but they'll also say they "feed it to their dogs" or "give it away to their employees". Non-hunters see this content and see through these psuedo justifications and it is fueling outrage which is in turn fueling anti hunting mobilization, legislation and ballot initiatives. Hunting for food is still widely supported by the vast majority of Americans but wacking and stacking for social media clicks is a real risk to undermining that support. Kill what you and your close family need, no more.

 

[fatlander]

1 elk tag, unpunched
1 bear tag, punched
3 turkey tags, 2 punched
3 WT buck tags, 2 punched
Unlimited Wt doe tags, 8 punched

A few of those does have gone to landowners and family.

That’s about enough meat for me and mine. Had the elk tag been punched, a few of the does wouldn’t have been necessary. None of those tags are hard to acquire. All over the counter except the elk tag that’s OTC for residents.

I definitely agree with the premise of this thread. Influencers (modern day market hunters) aren’t punching tags to eat. It’s to make money. Something should change, but with the amount of money tied up in it, it’s going to take a collective of very powerful and rich people to get behind it. Then the profiteers will also have to acknowledge the damage they’re doing and redirect.

Teddy Roosevelt and his kids, kids, kids could have continued to hunt as he pleased.


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[dtrkyman]

When I was managing land for some wealthy dudes I killed 42 whitetail does and one buck in a season. Generally killed at least 20 every year.

All but one were donated, not the normal situation but if I took you to those properties the following year you would have never known I shot any!

Illinois has unlimited doe tags and a 2 buck limit.

Now that I live out west I am lucky to draw a tag at all for anything, I only archery hunt so I guess that limits me a little.