I'll be making a big old pot of tag soup this year. not for the lack of effort but that's how it goes sometimes! may be a little bitter but was worth every dime!  

I'm with you bud. Passed up alot of bucks....including a few that maybe I should have shot...but I feel good with my decision.  I set a goal...and did not reach it...but it was a bit of a lofty one for me, and I feel good about the effort I put into it.  You should too.

Yes im in the same boat.Had a great year just didnt work out for me this time.

I'll throw my 2 tags in there too.  I had two really good chances at the same buck, things just didn't work out in my favor.   Hope to have a rematch with him next year though.  
I'll be working on my archery skills during the off season for sure!
I know my buck will continue his Matrix training so he can evade my arrows again.  

Been here before. Back again. Subpar year for me but it happens. Hoping next year gets back to the norm. Especially cause we have a couple special guests coming.  

Had a small eight pt. coming by may stand sense he had spots. I haven't seen him in weeks. I may leave my stand up for a while. may be get to see him again. hope to find his sheds in the spring!  

Bighorn sheep tag soup taste the worst.  :(

Yup me to I might as well open a soup kitchen.

Add pepper and ketchup.. thats the best way to get it down...

Been eating eat for three years,just gotto remember the seasoning.

can i borrow your recipe? i have a couple tags i can make into a BIG bowl this year.....

I ate the best tasting tag soup I've ever had this year!  I let a small 120ish 8 point walk by several times during bow season and second guessed it several times, until my 9 year old son was able to tag him for his first deer!  Granted, he did it with his youth 20ga. but the smile on his face and the stories he still tells about it are awesome and still make that tag taste like fillet mignon.  He informed me that next year he's going to get one with his bow.

j_haus,

     That's some gourmet tag soup right there.!

 You will both remember that one for a loooong time.!

Can't give out the family secret recipe to all of you, would have to kill ya, but it sure is tasty. Been eating for a whole bunch of years now. Might try something different next year.

j_haus, would eat your soup all day long, followed by some back strap.  

Love his determination.

I like to fry my tags in bacon grease, nice and crunchy, especially elk.

Hey Mike if we all bring our tag soup to GORH and dump it all in 1 pot, we should have plenty for all to eat well.

I to passed on several young bucks. One, a 2.5yr old 10pt. that as he walked away I started second guessing myself. I't seems they always look wider walking away. Anyways,I also earlier attested to the fact that I saw alot less deer in Il this year. I'm semi retired and hunted 50days. Hard to beleive the low amount of does I saw. I had a great time just being out there,stopped shooting small bucks years ago,not critizing others for doing it,just my decision to give the bucks in my areas a chance to mature.

I didn't say I didn't see deer. Do to the way my work schedule worked out this year, I didn't get to hunt as much as I usally do

Same here. This is the most time/energy I've put into a deer season in a long time with nothing in the freezer.  I saw tons of deer, passed on a few small ones, but never got an opportunity at a mature deer.  It was also one of the best seasons I've had.  Saw a nice 10pt during the rut chasing a few does while a couple of younger bucks sparred in the background.  He came close a few times, but never gave me a good angle to attempt a shot.