Expectations of LE Tags???

[BrowningRage]

Seems like lately I've been reading a few threads where guys have been saying things like "having an LE tag doesn't entitle a hunter to a trophy"... Others who say things like, "LE doesn't mean it's gonna be easy"...

I thought I'd ask the question then- Should expectations of LE units be that they will be easier and more productive than general season units, or not...???

My opinion is this- LE units should definitely produced better animals, trophy animals. Let's face it, the meat is the same no matter what the antler size, so on an LE unit, we are lookin for antler size (I would consider this better opportunity). Having the better animals, and more of them is what makes it a LE unit.
Also, I understand that many hunts are difficult, however, if it takes me 16 years to draw a particular tag, I'll admit, I would like there to be some relative ease in finding a trophy animal, and harvesting him. Or, maybe a better way to put it is, I would expect that if I put it the same amount of preparation and dedication to my LE tag as I always do to my general season tag, my results should be improved simply because I am on an LE unit... If the same amount of work yields the same results whether I am on an LE unit or a general unit, then why put in for LE tags at all..?

Just thinking out loud- wonderin what everyone else thinks.

Also, keep in mind I have yet to draw any LE tags (deer or elk).


"Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!" 2 Ne. 28: 24

 

[littlejoe]

For myself, I have zero expectations of a hunt that takes few if any points to draw. Now last year I had huge expectations for my Utah LE Elk tag and it did not turn out as I had hoped and I am still extremely disappointed about it. I would hunt the same way no matter where or when but after a 16 year wait I definitely had very high expectations.

 

[Silentstalker]

I think that the unreal odds to draw in Utah give people an entitlement which occasionally leads to long iffy shots, sometimes poor sportsmanship, wounded animals, and grief afterwards on unfilled tags.
I think the LE hunts have the potential to be a hunt of a lifetime! A chance to spend quality time chasing animals with family and friends for a season. It is all in the attitude of the hunter. I have seen people get really ugly about it and others who enjoyed every moment on the mountain.
The expectations and unrealistic trophy desires sometimes get in the way.
That said, I expect to scout hard and see better animals on my LE hunts. I never expect much on my general season hunts other than meat in the freezer if I choose to shoot something. It is much more about hunting with my friends and family. Spending time in the outdoors. A nice rack is just the icing on the cake!!

 

[oilcan]

Good question.

I have never hunted Utah LE although i should soon with 12 NR Elk points.
I have hunted LE units in many other western states.For me in no way does it gaurantee a trophy.

What i'm looking for is a chance to SEE more animals more qaulity animals and hopefully a far less crowded unit to hunt.

 

[swbuckmaster]

so you dont think a 90+% success rate 3 day or less hunt is easy enough?

Im going to go out on a limb and say if you cant find a bull or a buck on a Le unit you should hunt in the next canyon, get out of your truck, get up earlier then 10 oclock in the morning, or quit staying out all night drinking, ect ect.

The quality is there on the units and no your not entitled to a 400" bull or a 200" buck when you draw your tag. Thats my 2 cents on the matter.

 

[justr_86]

LE to me means a better chance at a trophy animal given a lot of effort is put out. By no means should it be a guarantee... If you want a guarantee buy a high fence hunt.

 

[zeddro]

LAST EDITED ON Sep-29-11 AT 12:23PM (MST)[p]Great thoughts and questions.

I guess next year in Utah, all of the units will be Limited Entry, and with deer tags decreasing, once general units, will be once Limited Entry units haha.

I drew a LE Archery Elk tag and I had higher expectations, not trophy 400+ expectations, but at least a 300+ results and that's what I got, got a 314 bull in 2 1/2 days of hunting. Took me 6 years to get the tag.

There is a lot of false hype with some units we should all be made aware of but all in all I think if it takes multiple years to draw a specific tag, it should give the hunter a little bit more "special" of a hunt.

 

[GLEDEASY]

I like the question and response Browning.
My dad had a LE elk tag last year (which I had huge expectations for) and we hunted hard every day for the whole hunt and came up with tag soup. It was one of the more difficult hunts, but we had our chances. We weren't looking for a huge bull, but since it took him 15 years to get the tag and knowing he would never have another chance we wanted to make it worthwhile.
I see no reason why a hunter shouldn't have some sense of entitlement; my heck it's a lifelong investment of time, money, and emotions. Does that mean it should be 100% success? Not at all but there should be some added benefits that go with the tag.
In the end I'm dissapointed that we didn't get anything, mainly because my dad will never get to give it another shot. With that being said it was still a great experience to spend 10 straight days of hunting as father and son.

 

[mevertsen]

In NV, we have no OTC tags, except for mt lion. Everything else is a draw, and has been that way for many years. We even have limits on how long you have to wait before you can apply again if you draw, and or harvest, though we don't have any OIL tags.

I feel that you get out of a hunt what you put in to it. Some areas and species are going to take longer to draw than others, thats just how it goes. Certain areas are also going to produce better animals that others over all.

Spend some time in the woods prior to the hunt, look over some animals, and base your decisions on what you see there. You cannot set your standards to what someone else has harvested. You don't know what exact spot that person hunted, how much time they put into it, and how lucky they are in having everything work out just right.

I think everyone gets too caught up in the numbers game. How about we just be thankful that we have a tag, get a chance to hunt one of God's creatures, and be happy with the hunt regardless if the tag gets filled or not. We should not make this a competition.

 

[ttj]

I put more time and effort into my limited entry elk tag last year than any other hunt I have ever been on. I ended up with a great bull but in the same breath, I certainly earned him.

I expect the opportunity for a quality animal to be better on a limited entry hunt, along with less pressure/hunters in the field than a general season tag.

With the rare exception, a coveted tag doesn't guarantee success or a trophy animal. Both should still have to be earned by the tag holder.

 

[Coyote_chaser]

I think there should be quality animals, which there are on most hunts, but it should not be 90% success rates, which most of the rifle hunts are either for deer or elk.

 

[never_satisfied]

If it takes 10+ years for a guy to draw a tag
How could he not have high expectations at a trophy

 

[ktg]

On each of the LE hunts I've been on, I had at least 1 good opportunity to take the size animal I wanted (realistically). If I put in a decent amount of time and effort and didn't get that chance, I'd be disappointed.

 

[AWHOLELOTTABULL]

When I had my LE tag, my expectations going into the hunt was #1 - to have the best hunt of my life with a couple of friends and to put forth more effort than I have ever put forth on any other hunt. I hunted 19 straight days on my archery tag. I didn't kill a thing. I didn't even let an arrow fly. #2- I wanted the biggest baddest bull on the mountain and I was prepared to eat tag soup. I knew it would be tough but I was prepared to outlast the crouds. I also knew that I would have a lot of company. Countless days scouting, tending trail cams, putting up tree stands, exploring new country, 19 straight days of hunting, eating granola bars and beef jerky and 13 lbs later, I can honestly say it was the best hunting experience of my life. Bar none.


It's always an adventure!!!

 

[KNOTFERSAIL]

>If it takes 10+ years for
>a guy to draw a
>tag
>How could he not have high
>expectations at a trophy

i thought the same thing about your utah jizz....

so did the big 1 give ya the slip.......sh!t happens



"if you want some get some...if your bad enough come take some"

 

[nickman]

It is EXACTLY what it says it is....."Limited Entry", which means, it used to be crowded, but now, not so much.

The quality of the animals available is simply based on less hunters = less harvest = more and older animals for the current season.

If the area held trophy animals in past years, it probably still does....... and vice versa.

You can set your expectations and goals wherever you want, that's part of life and hunting.......but don't expect a guarantee.....ever.

"If God did not intend for man to hunt animals, he would have made broccoli more fun to shoot"

 

[wymoose]

I think Utah has really gone over the top on expectations for a LE hunt. It isn't uncommon for bulls smaller than 350 to be scoffed at as small, especially those under 300. I drew an archery tag this year and had a blast. I wasn't able to hunt the whole hunt, but I hunted about 13 days of it. I never had a shot. My expectation was to see a lot of bulls and hopefully get close to a few. I did that, and had a great hunt -- despite not killing anything.

That being said - I had other expectations that were not met, like expecting to have call responsive elk. I wasn't able to call in a single bull of any size. I've had much more responsive elk on the General hunts in Wyoming. So I was a little bit disappointed in that.

Overall though, expectations for a LE tag should be (in a nutshell) to have a better chance at a quality animal than an OTC/General tag. If I didn't feel that was the case when I hunted a LE unit, I would be disappointed.

 

[Zeke]

I have really enjoyed reading all the responsed. You're a thought-provoking bunch, at times.

I just came off another LE elk hunt with my oldest daughter. My little family has enjoyed a bunch of LE tags over the years so I knew what the emitions would be.

The LE tags have become once in a lifetime tags so it's hard to "unwind" during the hunt. It's all a go, go, go and a blur until it's over.... one way or another.

We all like to talk numbers but way too much is made of the "score". We should outlaw the tape measure until the hunt is over. If you like it, kill it.

My daughter has a great attitude and passed on bulls which I'm not sure I would have. She was relying on me to make the call for the shot but she also has hunted enough to know what she wanted. We were deep into the hunt before we re-found one of the bulls we'd scouted.

With the years, even decades, which it takes to draw tags, the emotions will run high. It makes for a more intense hunt!

Fun, fun, fun, keep 'em coming, Utah!

Zeke

Oh yes, I have a much higher expectation of trophy quality with a LE tag. This is why it's such a let-down for some of those who don't score. It's tough when the "tag" is the only trophy!

 

[backinthegame]

I had a LE archery deer tag this year in Utah. I didn't expect or feel entitled to kill a monster buck. I expected a good hunt with fewer hunters and more quality animals. Got that.

Seems to me like the biggest "problem" with a LE hunt that takes years and years to draw can be letting the expectations turn into pressure...lots of guys work themselves into a frenzy over a LE tag and when all is said and done the experience itself turns into a negative, even if a trophy critter hits the dirt.

 

[c3]

mevertsen said, "I feel that you get out of a hunt what you put in to it."

that is the ultimate truism on the utah LE hunts. the idea that it will be easier is a misnomer. I have to admit I thought that way for quite a number of years. I then started to scout the units I wanted to hunt before and after the LE hunts and found the critters where nowhere to be found. You weren't going to drive around and glass up 380 bulls.

Glad I never drew a tag back in the late 90's or early 2000's. I would have eaten tag soup.

I put in 48 days on my San Juan hunt last year and it was one of the best experiences of my life. My expectation was to give it everything I had and shoot the first 350 bull I saw. I ended up shooting what I thought was a 335 bull and it turned out to be about 350. Can't beat that! Again the result was inline or above the expectations. I gave it my all and you can always hang your hat on that. To add a bull that was right there doubled down the satisfaction.

As backinthegame said above, these tags turn from expectations to pressure real quick when the going gets tough. Been there done that. When expectations are unmet it turns frustration to anger. These huge waits to draw create these unrealistic expectations and are a recipe for frustration and anger!

In the end of the day it really pays to tag along on one of these hunts. Getting to see first hand both sides of the coin is invaluable in setting your expectations for our near, or actual OIL LE hunts.

Cheers,
Pete