Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Seems like a crazy question.....but I've made a decision.....that if I get a buck I'm after....I'm done. I'd still have all the doe tags I cared for....and one buck tag (I get two buck tags/season).

Do you hunt......as long as you have unfilled tags? Or...do you get what you want/need .......call it a good season.....and end it (if you still have some hunting season left)?

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Hell I'm hunting and I'm filled out. I can't stop but I'm doing it without my bow. I'm cameraman for whomever will have me plus I'm up before light and in a turkey blind. If I could buy more tags, I'd be buying them even if I don't fill them. Two years ago Kurt and I both tagged out. We both got up, descented and went to the treestands armed only with video cameras. Last year I guided him and tagged along with video camera. I can't stop hunting, it's in me and as long as the season is open and I have tags, I'm in a tree somewhere.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

If I kill a good buck early, I willdefinitely slack off some and try to spend more time with my family. I will still hunt, but will only do some when its convienent or when the weather is perfect.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

My season ends January 4th. If I have a tag in my pocket that day you will find me in the woods. And then after the 4th I'll be out there after feral hogs until spring turkey rolls around!

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I'd still hunt but wouldn't take it nearly as serious. After the 135" 9pnt was killed 400yrds from me yesterday, I feel the pressures on.[8D]

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

After I got my buck on Nov. 17th last year (Our season last until Jan. 15th), I was basically done. I still had 5 doe tags, but I only went out4 or5 more times

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Yes. I have more tags than I can fill and I have more demand for the meat than I can provide.

I find myself hunting every opportunity that I get up to the last day of the season.

Because of the work involved and handling and deliverting the meat (I have my donation families spoiled, they want it already quartered), I sometimes get a little choosier as to when I attempt to harvest a doe towards the end of the season, but I am still out there with bow and camera every chance I get.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

It has never happened to me, so I can't say for sure. I would like to at least be in the position of having my buck tag filled[&:] At this point in the season, if I get my buck, I'm done. Done may be the wrong word...I will slack off a bit. I've taken my first archery turkey, and if I get my buck, I'll leave the doe tag alone for a few days in rifle season. I've spent a ton of time in the woods, and I need to spend some with my fiance who I get to see very little this year as she's traveling for school.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Jeff why would you stop? If you have 2 buck tags and you use 1 why not keep going.. you never know what lurks out there....the season is short and over befroe ya know it tand then you got nothing to do.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Keep on pluggin away. Sure as hell beats sitting at home watching football. Worst case scenario, I've got a doe tag in my pocket (that I probably won't use) and a camera around my neck. Even if I don't plan on shooting one, I'm still going to be learning and gaining knowledge just from being out there.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Hunting Va & WV....I have more tags then I wouldcare to fill (unfortunately). That said....yes, I would still hunt even if I tagged the buck I wanted. I love just being out there like some of the others have said. Plus you never know what can happen... :D

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

After I shot my buck last year.....I didn't hunt for 11 days. I needed the rest. My woods needed the rest. I still hunted the last month of the season pretty hard and took a nice doe next to last day of the season.

If I were to take a good buck soon.....I'm gonna get some other things done.....take some time away from the woods. I went on my 51st hunt of the season, this morning. I'd still hunt when Will's here (iamyourhuckleberry) OR better yet just film for him. I'd like to take a good buck.....but have no desire to really "kill" any more this year. It's been a good year, harvest-wise. If I know my wife, though.....she's gonna want one more to be taken.....a little, tender one...lol.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

My tags are full. I went out with the camera last weekend. I love being out there.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

In IL, we have a similar situation with doe tags, we can buy as many as we want. If I kill a good buck, i'll try for a doe too, but not nearly as hard as I would have without that buck being killed. I do love being out there, but when the pressure if off, its a little tougher to brave the cold!

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I give it everything I got until the end, go every chance I get rain or shine until the end of the season

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Yep, I'm still hunting after I got this years buck.Got 4 more days of vacation time starting tommorrow and got a pocket full of doe tags! I love being in the woods and hunting for does during the rut lets me see any nocturnal bucks in my area that I haven't been able to see in daylight hours previously. I'll take my camera to get video of any bruisers. Close encounters get my heart going just as much as if I'm at full draw.
Plus Iowa has the HUSH program, so all the does I shoot go to feed the hungry and help to balance the herd at the same time. I probably won't sit as long or endure the same weather I would if I still had a buck tag, but I'll continue to hunt. It's what I wait 11 months of the year for.;)

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I think I'm just on the verge of needing to take a day or two "off" from hunting. Hopefully this will pass;). Problem is.....it's the wrong time of year to be thinking that.

Being honest.....if I tag a buck in the next week and a half.....I'm gonna give it a rest. I'll go hard as heck until that happens, though. I'll be back out there in a couple hours.....and probably sit all day every day next week. I need to get aggressive before the smoke poles take over my woods.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I understand the wear and tear that you get from the early rising and the late night...gotta get the family time in. This year is new for me, for the first time ever (4 month old baby girl) so if I filled my tags maybe I will take a break...that is if I fill all 10 Doe tags and both buck tags[:-]

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Well Isaw where you saidyou've been out 51 times and I was kinda thinking you've beenpretty gung-ho early on! Don't burnyourself out. If you take a couple days off and the first time you see a buck out in the field with his nose to the ground you'll be back home scrambling for your gear! :D

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

We hardly get any extra tags the way It Is here In Minnesota where I hunt. If I was given more then one tag I'd keep plugging away until the tags were used up. I can eat like a horse and I'm always out of venison come February.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Counting the little guy this morning....I've now seen 4 bucks either grunting and "harassing" does....or "chasing" (according to who you ask).

It's just too good a time to think about taking a day or two off right now. I have limited time to get it done, unencumbered by work, so I'll continue to go hard until I either score or work calls and I am forced to slack off.

Being honest, though...if I shot a nice buck this afternoon...I don't know if I'd hunt next week or not. I may....may not.....even though I'd still have tags.

It ought to be REALLY good for iamyourhuckleberry's visit, here. I'm happy for that. He'll get the best spots I have for his stay.....and I may be there with camera in hand.....if not the bow. It may also be time to dedicate some hunts to the longbow....just to switch it up a bit. I wouldn't have taken that shot with it this morning.....but I also wouldn't have been 23' up.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Usually if i get a nice buck i do slow down my presence in the woods. But i dont stop!Instead of rushing out of work early some days to get to the stand i might just focus on weekends and holidays(I have 3 day weekends). But part of my hunting every year is focused on Doe management, so i just cant stop. I usually have a quota of does that i need to take, and sometimes while trying to get a doe I get another buck. I am allowed 3 bucks a year.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I am really new to this, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first kill on Monday and I love being out in the woods, but now I trying to figure out the same thing.

I only have a family of 3, and I am the only really big meat eater of the group, so 1, maybe 1 1/2 deer should keep me in meat for the year. Seeing that my freezer capacity at present is only about 3/4 of a deer, that adds to my challenges. Additionally, wow, does it take a long time to butcher a deer...atleast for a first timer with no experience.

I guess I could see if any neighbors would be interested in some free venison...but if I bag another one I am have some significant logisitcs issues.

So far I have not used any tags (well, technically I did)(2 bow, 1 rifle, 1 muzzle loader, 1 anterless) since I took my homely buck on my own property.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

GMMAT,
Aren't you from NC? We can shoot 4 bucks.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

You can on your side of the state, Krabbie. We can shoot 2 on this side.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Darn, didnt realize it was split like that. Learn something new everyday, LOL. Good luck. Bucks were chasing good Sat morning when the temp dropped on my side, but been kinda slow since.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

In NY, Hell, after you take your buck, that's what the bear tag is for; so you can still go in the woods. We hunt in a club on private land, with 25 guys we usually take 11-14 deer each year and lately, that's been pretty good. Last year, I got my 6 pointer the second day of the season, but hunted for bear the rest of the season ;). If anything comes in my area, and I know who hasn't gotten one, I'm on the radio tellin him where he going. I'm also there to help if the guys want to put on a drive. Sure, your a little more laid back after you got one, Giant games can be watched on a Sunday afternoon for sure, and if it's freezing out, that afternoon game is looking pretty damn good.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

TAKE NO PRISONERS!!!!

In my county I can purchase 8 bonus antlerless here in Indiana. In the whole state you could shoot up to 392 deer with just bonus antlerless. I purchase about 4 or 5 tags a year and atleast attempt to fill them all.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

NY is pretty generous with tags (I have4 of my own this year if I wanted them I'd have no problem getting a couple more signed over) and as I can utilize only2 deerper season I'm defininately in the category that doesn't fill all the tags. I do however hunt the entire season and should a real slammer show up I will take him and worry latter about who I give the extra meat to.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I'll hunt as long as I can (legally).

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I shot my monster less than a week ago, and going out in 30 minutes trying to get a bigger one!

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I got a doe this past Saturday and it definitely took the pressure off a little. My brother has 4 in the freezer this year so far, but he also has out of state tags-MD, while I only have my PA buck, and now one doe tag left. I took Friday off work, so if I get my buck then, or Saturday morning, which I hope I do;)then I will be done till PA rifle even though there will still be a week left in archery. I will spend that time with the family, and still have a doe tag to use once PA rifle comes in, December 1st. I can't miss rifle season, my dad only hunts with a rifle, and that is great "guys only" time.[:-]

Hey, I just noticed, it is my one year anniversary on here!:) Tons of knowledge gained in that years time. Thanks everyone!!

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I hunt until im out of tags. It helps me improve my hunting skills and shooting at live game. Im sure once im older i'll settle down a bit, but until then I will hunt until I legally cannot anymore.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Then come on down for a visit, Schultzy. If you've already got your buck and it's more venison you're after, have I got a target-rich environment for you.:D

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Jeff,
Even if you get your buck, surely you're going to keep trying with the longbow, aren't you?

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

For the most part yea, somtimes I back off a little, sometimes filling them all out comes easy. Sometimes it is all I can do and then some just to get a few.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I will be hunting until the first sunday in Jan when the season closes.
I pretty much get unlimited tags. Now that I found out where the
meat processor is that takes them in to feed the hungry I will
be trying to do my best to help out.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

Even though in VA we are allowed 3 bucks per year, on the base I hunt we are only allowed 2. About 3-4 years ago I had killed two bucks by November 17th. I kept on hunting and learned new areas on the base and saw other bucks....just alot of good learning and growing as a hunter because I was able to observe. If I have doe tags I am still hunting.

But hunting is personal. If you have hunted since September Jeff and you want to cool down and spend some time at home, just take a couple of weeks off of hunting. Think about whether you want to hang up the bow for the season or not after you have had time to reflect.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I try and hunt all year, whatever may be in season (something is always in season). If I'm not hunting then I go scouting. During the summer I don't do as much though as I have a lot of "chores" around here to do then.

RE: Do you keep hunting as long as you have tags?
 

I hunt until the bitter end for deer and then move on to other critters, I love being out there to much to take a break. If there's an open season, I'm hunting!:)