The empty tag you can't get over

[3blade]

The story: In 2014 I pulled a p6 antlered moose tag in a great zone. Scouted all summer, new bow dialed in, had permission in some of the best parts of the zone, worked out like a madman. I was gonna kill me a big moose (#1 animal on my bucket list). Spent a solid two months living out there, running up and down massive hills, had a blast, saw tons of game, hunted a legit 60 inch bull for three days straight, drew my bow on 3 different 50 plus....and never had a single shot opportunity. Something went wrong....every. Single. Day. November went to hell because the landowner decided to do some dozer work. I didn't see a single live bull for the whole month despite new spots and numerous texts from new friends, by the time I would show up the bull would be gone. did end up with a couple whitetails for the freezer. It was a great experience but I just can't shake the bitter taste of tag soup.

It still eats at me. Every time I see a picture of a big bull, inside I'm just furious at myself. Ten feet left, should have done this or that, etc etc etc. Not much of a trophy hunter normally but that empty spot on the wall has received a lot of verbal abuse. Given the way draws are going, that hunt might never happen again, and that's the really hard part. How do you get over it? Or do you? Anyone else have a similar story?

[Scott N]

in the 80s I believe you could check off "any WMU" as a choice for your draws. My buddy and I did that for grizzly, and drew tags in a WMU that was so far away we never even had the chance to get out one single time. Stupid and young I guess...

[Okotokian]

Turkey last year. Heard 'em, never did see 'em. Doubtful I'll draw another tag in my lifetime. That was it.

[Stinky Buffalo]

Pulled a tag for Bull Elk and Bull Moose in the Blackfoot in the same year.

Was only able to put in one or two real days of hunting that year due to work and family commitments. Poor planning on my part!

Was a nice couple of days, though.

[SageValleyOutdoors]

Was drawn for the November 410 sheep tag 14 years ago, in my early 20's. that spring, my first son was born. August of that year, I was laid off from my job, leaving finances extremely tight. I got out there for one legit hunt, found a group of sheep with one legal ram juuust outside the minimum distance from the exshaw mine... waited for them to come to me - got impatient and tried going around the ridge to close the distance. When I got to where they were, they were gone. I found them - 30 yards away from the little knoll I was too impatient to wait on.

That was the only time I could afford to get out there.

It STILL burns me every time I drive highway 1a and I can see the side of the mountain I was on that day.

[Slicktricker]

2015 drew bull moose tag seen lots of 25-40 inch let them walk waiting for bigger ate tag soup

Passed on many 3x3 and 4x4 bull elk over the years waiting for bigger worst only one that ever bufged me still to this day was sending an arrow over a 350" bull elk at 20 yards me and that elk had 4 years of fun together that started when i was 14 remember are encounters like it was yesterday

[oldgutpile]

My first "international" hunt a few years back, when I bit the bullet and bought a hunt for Alaska brown bear. Went in the fall. Ten miserable days of heavy rain; much of it hitting sideways. The cost of the tag was over and above the cost of the hunt. A meager 1000.00 for the tag itself. I wrapped it in a jewelry box and gave it to my wife for Christmas as a gag gift. She wasn't amused.

[Bushrat]

It's the hunting experience and the memories that matter. Critters on the wall mean little, rarely even notice them anymore.

[Bassett]

Hunted 46 days last season for my bull moose p5 in a zone I have no issues seeing 8-10 all summer. Never saw a bull on the hoof..


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[huntinstuff]

I waited 6 yrs for an antlered moose tag. Got it last year.

Allowed an 88 yr old man to wreck it for me after 1 day, and he wasn't even with me

I left and closed the tag

[alder]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

It's the hunting experience and the memories that matter. Critters on the wall mean little, rarely even notice them anymore.

Amen to that and even on the ones that got away. Sometimes even more so for them...and there have been more than a few.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by oldgutpile

My first "international" hunt a few years back, when I bit the bullet and bought a hunt for Alaska brown bear. Went in the fall. Ten miserable days of heavy rain; much of it hitting sideways. The cost of the tag was over and above the cost of the hunt. A meager 1000.00 for the tag itself. I wrapped it in a jewelry box and gave it to my wife for Christmas as a gag gift. She wasn't amused.

Who did you hunt with OGP ?

[Grizzly Adams]

Got a Grizzly tag I never managed to fill, year before they ended the hunt. Would have been my second, was looking for one of those Swan Hills monsters, but still hurts.

Grizz

[Lefty-Canuck]

Waited nine years for a antlered elk draw, had good private land lined up....the most prolific poaching duo settled into the area that year and gassed a few elk during bow season with a rifle, goofed up the entire spot that year. Tag went unfilled. I filled my general tag the following year with the bow....largest elk I have taken to date.

LC

[spyguy 0-0-7]

Managed to draw a bull elk tag in Greenwater Park.The elk were everywhere and just started to bugle that year. I had an in with a local that lives in the Park. I never had a chance to enjoy the chase or hang anything on the wall. My PR&CK of a boss cancelled my time off saying that the shift was short handed. I had my time booked off 2 month ahead.The tag is still hanging in my man cave!

[Sask Bearman]

Originally Posted by spyguy 0-0-7

Managed to draw a bull elk tag in Greenwater Park.The elk were everywhere and just started to bugle that year. I had an in with a local that lives in the Park. I never had a chance to enjoy the chase or hang anything on the wall. My PR&CK of a boss cancelled my time off saying that the shift was short handed. I had my time booked off 2 month ahead.The tag is still hanging in my man cave!

I hung an either sex tag from Greenwater too. Elk were pushed like crazy before the season and never even saw a cow! It po'd me for years but I drew a farmland e/s tag this year so hoping for redemption.

[oldgutpile]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

Who did you hunt with OGP ?

I bought the hunt at the sheep hunter's auction. The outfitter who donated the hunt was Lain Landt.
Spoke with a few guys at the airport afterwards. Everyone on the peninsula that year really struggled. Not just the weather, apparently there was a major salmon run in one of the national parks and the bears had no reason to migrate, and of course no one could bump them out, being in a national park. Just one of those things!

[dmcbride]

I was drawn last year, Season was till December 20th.

I got permission on some private land (5 minutes from my house) where the Elk show up around the end of November for the last 10 years religiously to raid hay bails. no snow last year and the Elk never showed up to eat hay bails till January 6th. The second week of December I was scrambling with all of my holidays already taken. Needless to say, it never happened.

Lesson learned, always have a plan B.

[spyguy 0-0-7]

Originally Posted by Sask Bearman

I hung an either sex tag from Greenwater too. Elk were pushed like crazy before the season and never even saw a cow! It po'd me for years but I drew a farmland e/s tag this year so hoping for redemption.

There is a good head count near Weekes.

[Sask Bearman]

Originally Posted by spyguy 0-0-7

There is a good head count near Weekes.

Great to hear. I might head over there next year on a regular tag then. I used to hunt south of Somme quite a bit.

[RiverHawk]

I pulled a 9 year bull moose draw last year by cadomin. I hunted 13 days light till dark. Walked and called, walked and called.....nothing. Then on the second to last day there was about 10 minutes of legal light left, driving back to camp my buddies spot a MONSTER bull. I fly out of the truck, go after him get into position and rattle off 1 shot. He looks like his body ripples, my buddy says "you smoked him"! And my other buddy says he's limping over that ridge!! 2 more shots I'm positive I've killed a tank. We give it a bit and go look for blood. Nothing. So we decide we'll load up in the morning early and get him out. We're out there at first light in the pouring rain, looked for several hours...... no moose. I will never know what happened but I had to go back and check again. No birds, no nothing. Drives me insane everyday.

[Allseasons]

Had p12 mu300 bull tag. Was geared up and ready to go for the bull, phone call came in for my sons back surgery, bumped up 2 months, there was a last minute cancellation and my wife and I had no choice but to take the spot. It eats me alive that I didn't push one more year, but my sons surgery happened, was a success and his health improved. 38 days in the hospital including Xmas and New Years, I wouldn't change our decision for any bull on the planet.

[Don K]

410 sheep

[Joe Black]

I had an undersubscribed antlerless mule deer tag go unfilled in 05.

It haunts me to this day.

[510-Gem]

Originally Posted by Joe Black

I had an undersubscribed antlerless mule deer tag go unfilled in 05.



It haunts me to this day.

Lol. Post of the thread right there



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[Jack fish hunter]

Originally Posted by 3blade

The story: In 2014 I pulled a p6 antlered moose tag in a great zone. Scouted all summer, new bow dialed in, had permission in some of the best parts of the zone, worked out like a madman. I was gonna kill me a big moose (#1 animal on my bucket list). Spent a solid two months living out there, running up and down massive hills, had a blast, saw tons of game, hunted a legit 60 inch bull for three days straight, drew my bow on 3 different 50 plus....and never had a single shot opportunity. Something went wrong....every. Single. Day. November went to hell because the landowner decided to do some dozer work. I didn't see a single live bull for the whole month despite new spots and numerous texts from new friends, by the time I would show up the bull would be gone. did end up with a couple whitetails for the freezer. It was a great experience but I just can't shake the bitter taste of tag soup.

It still eats at me. Every time I see a picture of a big bull, inside I'm just furious at myself. Ten feet left, should have done this or that, etc etc etc. Not much of a trophy hunter normally but that empty spot on the wall has received a lot of verbal abuse. Given the way draws are going, that hunt might never happen again, and that's the really hard part. How do you get over it? Or do you? Anyone else have a similar story?

Where do I even begin. When I was 17 I drew a Mulie buck tag around home east of Leduc. Had two bucks that I had seen almost every day for 5 years straight. The damn things were like cows Sam pasture same time. One was a 7 point the other a 6. November came around didn't see either of them. Found one a month later on my old girlfriends dads wall. Still can't fill a moose tag to save my life. Had late season a few years ago and it snowed every time we went out. Then had early season a few years later tried to bring a bull across the swan river when a cow wandered out of the trees and took the bull with her.

[kujoseto]

This thread is painful to read but like the screeching of tires on asphalt, I can't look away ��
The tag I didn't close was one I couldn't purchase. Went scouting for elk in a new zone without expecting much. Had a herd bull come across a pasture to my first calls I've ever made. I got out when he got to 80 yards.
Returned a couple days later and had him at 35 yards.
I've been haunted by him in my dreams and daydreams since. Couldn't buy the tag because I had an undersubscribed antlerless for 300A. I made the 7 hour drive only to get shut down by the guy that was family of a close friend that assured me permission before I drove down overnight.
I sometimes wonder what he would've thought if he were in my shoes

[Sooner]

Used a P8 for Camp Wainwright Ant moose back when you could hunt them the whole season. Also had the last rifle for deer. When I was in for my moose, I seen cows. Guys would say we seen bulls here, I would go there and nada. Just couldn't catch a break.

Go back for the deer hunt with the moose tag in my pocket. 1st morning, 10 am spot a super bull with a cow on a hill. Drive in and stop in a gully so the sneak can begin. Exit the truck and crest the hill to see mr big walk over the hill he was on and out of sight. Then about 8 shots ring out. Oh noooooo. Jump in the truck and drive over the hill expecting to see a dead moose and nothing, some hunters shot some mule does. Asked did you see the big bull moose, ya he didnt stop running for about 4 km's lol. Followed his tracks but lost him way far away in some nasty bush. The jinx was alive and well still.

Day 2 and nada but a big snow storm in the afternoon.

Day 3 and the base was in pause mode as range patrol checked roads and drifts. Word came that the Annex is closed but could hunt the main part. About half the hunters called it a day and left. 10:30 am see a decent bull way out in a field. Turn in, snow blowing over the hood when you hit the big drifts. Moose turns back to the woods. Drop friend off to push him out but he sneaks out the back side. Afternoon now in a different area, one tiny palm sized bull at the edge of the tree line. From my vantage point I could only see his nostrils and antlers. From my pack of friends 500 yrds to the right, broadside and wide open. No shot for me and no moose for an 8 yr wait. Felt like I was probably the only moose hunter who ever had a tag and couldn't connect lol.

As Homer says....DOH

[Hogie135]

Stalked a bull from 400-34 yards last year. Got to half draw before he booked it. Two days later found a nice little wallow. Had bull walk to ten yards from me. Same thing, half draw he busted me and booked it. Disappointed yes, learning experience, a great one. I now have some felt on my test so my arrows don't make a sound

[Ultimate Predator]

Archery antelope !sailed an arrow high just over his back he was right behind 15 does.he was a high 70's buck and i new the range ! F***