Shaman, when I buy tags, I’m buying opportunities (and maybe providing myself a little incentive) to hunt, not really more deer. Like you, one or two will keep me in red meat. I enjoy the Fall and Winter woods, and hunting gives my time there purpose, and makes me more observant, especially when I sit still. The “civilians” that use the same property I hunt just blow by most of the good stuff.
One thing I noticed post-bowhunting was that I actually had more deer-related experience. When I was bowhunting, I spent a heck of a lot of the fall up in a stand. After the shoulder went, I did a lot more scouting and other things that got me out and about and I actually saw more deer. I also found the deer on my property became more used to me and spent much less time on alert. I'm much more a part of their everyday experience than when I was hiding in a tree for 3 months out of the year.
The other thing about bow hunting was it was like having 3 sports in one. On the one hand, you had the actual bow hunt-- sticking a shaft through a deer. However, there was also the archery part-- the constant practice away from the hunt. That was a sport unto itself.
For me, climbing treestands were a 3rd sport. Schlepping a 50 lb climber into the woods at 3 AM and getting set up and doing it without getting soaked in sweat was a challenge. Not freezing in your gear was another. Not falling was still another.
I am so much happier that I can now wander out to my ladder stand about an hour before the Rifle Opener starts, pull up my rifle, watch the forest come alive, have a cup of coffee, and be well assured that when the right rack shows up, I'm not going to have to participate in a goat rodeo chasing it down.
