RE: You know you've been hunting hard when...
It's tough sometimes, The hardest part for me was my invisible release I had one when I didn't have one on. Kinda like losing a finger (I have experience) you still feel it when it's not there.
For a week after I took my release off, after tagging out I'd be sitting in the treestand, vehicle or where ever and feel it, actually reach for it and then just smile when it wasn't there. After hunting all but two days of a 6 week season (not counting Sundays), you miss things, ya know.