Once in a lifetime.

Lots of discourse around LE, points, and time in general.

Been thinking about it quite a bit myself.

Some things that have been wandering around my head.

I’ve been hunting for 21 years now. In year 19 I killed a 200” deer off a general unit. Granted on LE late muzz tag. I didn’t stack points, I’ve been very opportunistic in my approach drawing LE tags at 25, 31, and 33. I have played the points game on GS deer as well as a human can working on year 9 straight with a tag in pocket with that regard. Point being, it took 19 years to kill a giant deer from an opportunistic perspective.

My brother stumbled on his own GS giant 191” deer at about year 17 for himself. He left 13 tags unfilled here before finding one literally in the driveway on his way home.
My dad is on the other end of the spectrum, he’s been more focused on maximizing points and waiting for those 1-2 LE chances. He killed a 215” deer off the Henry Mtns after getting lucky and drawing it with 5 points. He spent 26 years getting there after stacking 21 points in LE elk.

It’s left me wondering, is there any actual value in LE hunts? We are 3 similarly skilled hunters, and when I consider the time frames invested into these deer, 19 years would have bought me a good LE unit which probably lands me a shot at a similar sized deer. 17 years would have got my brother a good LE unit which would have got him a shot at a similar sized deer. And 26 years got my dad a premium LE hunt and a shot at a giant deer at the sacrifice of other hunting opportunities. He’s put some big deer on the wall on GS or the like tags in the meantime in other states.

I guess the crux of the question is this: It feels like stepping up and swinging the proverbial bat as many times as possible yields the same results as waiting for just the right pitch?

Does a once in a lifetime hunt/animal mean once in a lifetime no matter how you approach it?

Interesting question for sure. I'm 58 years in. Never shot a book buck deer or antelope. Never even shot a big elk on my OIL UT elk hunt at 61 years old.
I don't have any desire to hunt the traditional OIL species. Just doesn't float my boat.
I've managed to have a deer permit every year since I began without a LL. Can't remember the last one I shot.
But I can remember the hunts. Along with the others that came along on them.
I'll miss the hunt when nobody gets a tag for sure.

I would take yours and your brothers situation over your dads any day of the week. You guys got to have thousands of hours of experience and enjoyment in the process. Of course your dad could have and probably did still hunt every year..

That being said I will hunt every year, somewhere, and still put in for those OIL type tags. Had a great Nevada tag few years ago and there is something special about knowing your chances for a monster are high!

Great question. Honestly, for me, your and your brothers Buck are far more impressive. Giant bucks off general units are the proverbial needle in a haystack whereas a 215 buck off the Henry’s seems to be expected at least in its hayday not so long ago.

But, all 3 would be OIL type deer.

I have chosen the route of more tags. Most of that stands on the fact that I prefer to bowhunt. In Utah I have drawn a LE pronghorn, LE deer, LE bear twice, expo elk, LE elk twice, and will draw my 3rd LE elk tag this year. I was successful on all of those tags but the second bear tag. I passed a bunch of bears looking for a giant. No regrets.

For me I have chosen to hunt. Outside of my OIL moose which took 26 years to draw, I choose the opportunity side of the LE process. It’s tough hunting - especially the elk hunts with the crappy dates but in the end, I am still hunting mature bulls.

I shot my best buck from a general OTC unit in Idaho and my best bull on a OTC muzzleloader tag in Utah. I have had the so called good LE tags for deer and elk and I did not kill bigger. I am definitely in the opportunity camp. I want to hunt and I’m happy to be on the mountain as often as I can. I have had a Utah deer tag in my pocket for 33 out of the last 34 years. The one year I missed was because I was in the DH program and I killed my two bucks in the first two years of the program so I had to sit out the third year. It is not all doom and gloom in Utah and kudos to the DWR for trying to get sportsman more opportunity in the new elk plan and hopefully the upcoming mule deer plan. Bucks still don’t have baby’s so we are still good to go hunting bucks within the management plan. Good luck in the draws.