Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > Archery Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-07-2014, 06:36 PM
SCHOOCH SCHOOCH is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 711
Default Settle or Tag Soup ?

Plenty of meat in the freezer at this point and just wondering what you guys/gals do? More often than not i get focused on one particular buck and i will not settle for any other (of course new tanks excluded). I generally pass up quite a few pretty decent shooters and by Dec 1st i shake my head at myself and replay everyone of them and why i talked myself out of filling my tag, then i have to once again cut up my old tag and eat my soup!!! Most of my properties i hunt are exclusive to myself and hunting partner so i figure holding out and not settling just to fill a tag isn't a bad thing.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-07-2014, 07:09 PM
Lefty-Canuck's Avatar
Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Look behind you :)
Posts: 27,774
Default

I have let tags go unclosed because I didn't find the right deer not because I couldn't have filled it....no biggie always next year.

LC
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-07-2014, 08:47 PM
Dacotensis's Avatar
Dacotensis Dacotensis is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Sherwood Forest
Posts: 5,176
Default

Soup.

But I can be tempted to deviate from that plan...

I have enjoyed elk and moose for the past many years, so a wt hasn't been high priority.
I can only eat so much meat around here.
__________________
We must reject the idea that every time a law's broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.
Ronald Reagan

Either get busy living, or get busy dying!
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-07-2014, 09:01 PM
Mountain Guy Mountain Guy is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: In the Rockies
Posts: 2,933
Default

I slurp tag soup way more often than settle soup. Of course that's as long as there's some frozen soup readily available
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-07-2014, 10:58 PM
catnthehat's Avatar
catnthehat catnthehat is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ft. McMurray
Posts: 38,526
Default

If I had a freezer full of meat and was looking for a particular deer or a big deer in general, I doubt that I would shoot anything.
Cat
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-08-2014, 05:20 PM
albertabighorn albertabighorn is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: AB
Posts: 1,325
Default

Not too sure why a person would kill something if they didnt need it or had to question themselves on it. The christmas tree looks mighty fine with a few tags hanging from it. Also the fact next year they will be bigger and out there to chase again.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-08-2014, 05:23 PM
Lefty-Canuck's Avatar
Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Look behind you :)
Posts: 27,774
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by albertabighorn View Post
Not too sure why a person would kill something if they didnt need it or had to question themselves on it. The christmas tree looks mighty fine with a few tags hanging from it. Also the fact next year they will be bigger and out there to chase again.
I agree....you should never feel disappointed after harvesting an animal, if you do you may want to evaluate why you hunt in the first place

LC
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-08-2014, 06:41 PM
Bushmaster Bushmaster is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Provost
Posts: 5,006
Default

Soup......
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-08-2014, 09:57 PM
Riverbc's Avatar
Riverbc Riverbc is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Abbotsford BC
Posts: 647
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by catnthehat View Post
If I had a freezer full of meat and was looking for a particular deer or a big deer in general, I doubt that I would shoot anything.
Cat
totally agree!
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-12-2014, 02:01 PM
L.O.S.T.Arrow's Avatar
L.O.S.T.Arrow L.O.S.T.Arrow is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Wainwright
Posts: 4,499
Default



LOL

Many years I have snapped/folded the Whitetail tag closed...hang on Xmas tree
Hey ....nice bright colors ...comes with ready to hang- hanger...makes great Xmas tree ornaments

Neil
__________________
APA AIR
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-12-2014, 02:04 PM
Okotokian's Avatar
Okotokian Okotokian is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Uh, guess? :)
Posts: 26,739
Default

I'm much more particular and choosy when I have met in the freezer. I'll settle if it's empty.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-12-2014, 03:29 PM
Alberta Bigbore's Avatar
Alberta Bigbore Alberta Bigbore is online now
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Edmonton, AB
Posts: 16,958
Default

I had splitbrow at 20 yards last saturday... was behind some trees... of course only set i didnt have lanes cut for.. and he turned the wrong way. Sure cool to rattle him in. Came down with flu couldnt hunt yesterday.

Ive passed up every buck on my cams holding out for splitbrow. I think i will continue to do so or hang a tag on the tree.
__________________
Alberta Bigbore
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 11-12-2014, 05:45 PM
densa44 densa44 is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: North of Cochrane
Posts: 6,648
Smile O.K. here is my question

This is pretty much what I thought was happening. That's fine I guess, if you don't want to shoot it, then don't.

Here is the question, and I don't know who to ask. How do the biologists control the harvest of WT if there are tags people buy but don't fill on purpose?
__________________
"The well meaning have done more damage than all the criminals in the world" Great grand father "Never impute planning where incompetence will predict the phenomenon equally well" Father
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 11-12-2014, 08:36 PM
SCHOOCH SCHOOCH is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 711
Default

Not sure exactly how they figure that out, i know i seem to do a survey every year on the animals i harvest but if people don't do them regularly i have no idea how F & W can manage it correctly.......excellent question.
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 11-12-2014, 08:37 PM
SCHOOCH SCHOOCH is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 711
Default

Thats funny AB, im in the exact situation.....holding out for a real cool split brow myself !
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 11-12-2014, 09:30 PM
Lefty-Canuck's Avatar
Lefty-Canuck Lefty-Canuck is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Look behind you :)
Posts: 27,774
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by densa44 View Post
This is pretty much what I thought was happening. That's fine I guess, if you don't want to shoot it, then don't.

Here is the question, and I don't know who to ask. How do the biologists control the harvest of WT if there are tags people buy but don't fill on purpose?
They don't....WT harvest in general season with over the counter tags are not
overly "monitored" shall we say.

LC
__________________
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 11-13-2014, 07:45 PM
Gboe8 Gboe8 is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,032
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck View Post
I agree....you should never feel disappointed after harvesting an animal, if you do you may want to evaluate why you hunt in the first place

LC
Agreed!
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 11-18-2014, 10:34 AM
Big Sky's Avatar
Big Sky Big Sky is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,295
Default It's all about how you look at it.



Shot this buck Nov 17 with about 5 min of light left. He's not the buck I was hoping for as there were 2 real good bucks that I've seen but they just haven't presented a shot.

On the weekend I took a walk around the property and spotted a new scrape line. Amazingly, there was a straight tree of appropriate size (pretty rare around here) 25yds from the one of the scrapes. I set up a stand, did some minor pruning and left the area. I figured I would come back on Monday.

I got into the tree Monday PM and settle in, hoping for the best. Lots of activity in the area. About an hour before sunset a doe appears in the field with a buck chasing her. I look in the other direction and there's another buck chasing a doe. A bit later the same thing happens in the sparse bush behind me. The last one was one of my targeted bucks. I grunted a couple times but he did not respond.

Nothing for the next 30 minutes. Then, my favorite doe comes down the trail with her twins. She's easy to ID as she's missing half an ear. She had twins last year and a single the year before. She's a great mom and always gets a pass.

Fifteen minutes before the end of the day, the buck in the picture enters the field, following a doe. He's not chasing her, just following. He's not the deer that I wanted but I figured I would try to call him for fun.

I grunt. He stops. I grunt. He turns and looks. He stands still for a half minute, then continues on his way. I grunt again. Now he's coming in. He circles the area looking for the other deer. He stops at a nearby scrape and checks it out. Now he's coming down the trail towards the scrape that I set up on.

I had no intention of shooting this buck as I had my sights set on the bigger guys in the area. But as the buck approached the scrape I started to think about the entire situation and had second thoughts.

- I've shot quite a few bucks with my bow, so I really don't have anything to prove.
- I had set up the stand in a new location and it was working perfectly.
- The buck was coming in to the call, which I love.
- It was a beautiful day with lots of deer moving around.
- I thought to myself, "This is perfect". It was kind of a dream day.
- Although he wasn't great, IMO he was still respectable.
- And, I like garlic sausage.

My mind was made up. I would take this deer if I got the chance. The buck came to the scrape and started to sniff it. With his head down, I drew my bow and held. The buck shifted slightly as he stretched upwards to sniff a branch, completely exposing his vitals. I squeezed the trigger and made what looked to be a perfect shot. The buck bolted about 40yds, stopped, staggered and fell to the ground.

Did I 'settle' for this buck? Given what I was hoping for and what was in the area, you could argue that I did. Had I waited and continued to hunt during the rut, the possibility was there. But I'll tell you this. After the deer was loaded in the truck and I was sitting on the tailgate, drinking from my canteen and looking up at the stars, all that I could think was this was one of the finest days that I have ever spent bowhunting.

In my mind I didn't settle. It's all in how you look at it.

Sorry about the garage photo. My phone is ancient and the camera doesn't work.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 11-18-2014, 10:44 AM
High_N_Wide High_N_Wide is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 519
Default

Soup every year with a couple tags, unless it has met criteria I have set for myself.
Only time it may change is if I have worked very hard to get an opportunity on an animal, or if one of my kids are with me. Nothing will go to waste regardless.
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 11-18-2014, 11:18 AM
coyotekiller's Avatar
coyotekiller coyotekiller is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central AB
Posts: 1,705
Default

There's a couple good bucks in my area that I'm chasing, I'll give them some time but I likely will end up settling if I don't get one of them, I really want to get a WT with my bow and the sausage is good
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 11-18-2014, 11:42 AM
jkav's Avatar
jkav jkav is offline
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 535
Default In no way is that settling.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Sky View Post


Shot this buck Nov 17 with about 5 min of light left.

[...]

Did I 'settle' for this buck? Given what I was hoping for and what was in the area, you could argue that I did. Had I waited and continued to hunt during the rut, the possibility was there. But I'll tell you this. After the deer was loaded in the truck and I was sitting on the tailgate, drinking from my canteen and looking up at the stars, all that I could think was this was one of the finest days that I have ever spent bowhunting.

In my mind I didn't settle. It's all in how you look at it.
Awesome story, thanks. Next year I'll bowhunt for the first time, and hope to have an experience even half as cool as yours.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 11-18-2014, 12:44 PM
SCHOOCH SCHOOCH is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 711
Default

Nice Buck, i would not really call that settling. The buck im chasing is not by any means what i would call a trophy, i think hes unique and he's a much older buck than the other 2.5-3.5 yr olds im seeing that are getting the pass so they can develope. The buck im after is probably a 130 class at best and is on the downward turn for size, perfect to take out of the herd.
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 11-19-2014, 01:18 PM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: St. Albert, AB
Posts: 1,178
Default

Just passed up my fourth buck in past 3 weeks this morning All have been between 10 and 30 yds standing so certainly shootable. All bleated in. Three were 4x4 and one 2x2. I'm holding out for a big 5x5 or better and have no issues clsoing out the season without drawing, Have a bowkilled moose and antelope in freezer now.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 12-01-2014, 09:59 AM
SCHOOCH SCHOOCH is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 711
Default

Well here i sit at the end of a fun season with my WT tag staring at me, its all good though...my target buck never presented his vitals the smart sob and all the other bucks that came in were on the no shoot list. Fun season just wish i got out a bit more often !!!
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 12-01-2014, 10:48 AM
L.O.S.T.Arrow's Avatar
L.O.S.T.Arrow L.O.S.T.Arrow is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Wainwright
Posts: 4,499
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by SCHOOCH View Post
Well here i sit at the end of a fun season with my WT tag staring at me, its all good though...my target buck never presented his vitals the smart sob and all the other bucks that came in were on the no shoot list. Fun season just wish i got out a bit more often !!!
Yup its all over for me also...had a nice big body 5x5 walk up to the blind last night ...nice last minute legal light buck...I said merry Xmas and let him walk..

have a couple deepfreezes full and dont need more mounts....

I Dont like the taste of the glue on new tags for soup so will fix the tag wire as hanger for nice bright Xmas tree decoration...lol

very weird season...weather , movement, crops, dry, wet, not enough snow, too much snow, too warm too cold ...lol had it all...
but wayyyy better than working any day...was full of adventures...

Neil
__________________
APA AIR
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 12-01-2014, 02:07 PM
Vet6838's Avatar
Vet6838 Vet6838 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Cochrane
Posts: 26
Default

for my first season with a bow i can not be disappointed -

-Downed a Dow on opening day
-Called in a bull Moose to 45 yard and got a shot off...into his shoulder...found him the next day laughing about it with his friends and he ran off with my arrow. (will haunt me for the rest of my days)
-got a shot off at a beauty mulie buck but over his back.

so with the amount i learned about archery and the fun that was had putting stalks on i may have more tags than animals in my freezer but what fun was had.
now looking forward to 3D shoots and maybe even try and get a yote with the bow just to see if i can.
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 12-02-2014, 09:38 AM
ThreeD ThreeD is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Cold Lake
Posts: 222
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Sky View Post





In my mind I didn't settle. It's all in how you look at it.
Didn't settle in my opinion either. Beauty buck with a textbook story to go with it. They can't all be Booners'. Scouting, setting up a new stand, then having a good buck within bow range AND getting to full draw AND making a good shot AND watching him tip over ?? No greater feeling.

Congrats on a great hunt and super deer.
__________________
3D
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 12-03-2014, 12:35 PM
hunter16 hunter16 is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 10
Cool Integrity...

Nothing wrong with tag soup
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:09 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.