Multi Season Deer, is it worth it??

[Bootfish]

Got drawn for multi this year and just couldnt pony up the 180.  Ended up working out fine, got a decent buck.  But for those of you that have bought it, has it been worth it? 
Do you actually get out and hunt more with the different weapons, or do you end up falling back on your "comfort zone"?

[furiouzgeorge]

I passed on buying it but I think I'd have gone out a bit during modern to hunt with my Dad this year. Instead I tracked and spotted for him so still had fun. I won't put in for multi-deer again but will be putting in for Elk and would buy it if drawn.

[Thehowler]

Multi season works out great for me being in commercial construction, job gets finished I can grab whatever weapon for that particular time and hit the timberlands!

[h2ofowlr]

It's not worth the price, but it's takes the pressure off.  By learning new locations you can pretty much hunt from Sept. 1 - Dec. 31st depending on where you go.  It gives you plenty of time to work around work and family commitments.

[buglebuster]

I bought it only so i could put in for late rifle hunts because i usually archery or muzzleload. After buying it this year, im not sure if its worth the money deer are easy to kill anyways so i dont need the extra time. Elk on the other hand, yes!

[sirmissalot]

It's well worth it to me. But, like I've said before I'm not a meat hunter. I get enough enjoyment and time in the woods that its worth the money to me. Honestly haven't seen much of an increase in pressure where I hunt either.

[ellensburgpo]

It was for me as I did archery for elk and modern for deer. Would have been a tough pill to swallow if a nice buck had walked 30 yards from me in September with a modern deer tag in my pocket.

[CAMPMEAT]

I've got drawn 2 years in a row. Worthless as far as I'm concerned. With the cost of the tag, gas, food etc, you can buy 1/2 a beef. I wouldn't shell out the money.

[bwhntr350]

I've got drawn 2 years in a row. Worthless as far as I'm concerned. With the cost of the tag, gas, food etc, you can buy 1/2 a beef. I wouldn't shell out the money.

 This is true, hunting is expensive.

 I have paid for it twice in a row and have not killed a thing. I have been out where I like to be, though, in the woods way more because of it. I skipped early archery deer. Took an elk with my bow so I was set for then. My wife wants to hunt with me so I purchase the tag instead of going just archery. I hunted with her and she was fortunate to take a dandy Blacktail with a rifle. That made my season. I have been hunting and hunting and having a blast.

 With time still left in the season, I acquiesce to the probable fact that I will, once again, go without scoring on a deer but do not care. The hunt is all that I am there for. One on one, me and a mature buck. I have seen other bucks, and does for that matter, if I had chosen to take one, but then my season would end and I would have a bunch of work to do.

 Well worth it too me. Will buy again. Time in the woods is better than sex, but it lasts longer and costs a little more:)

[bobcat]

It's definitely worth it if you have the money. If you don't have the money, then no, it's not worth it. Pretty simple.

Of course you also have to be really into deer hunting. But if you weren't, you wouldn't even have to ask the question.

[RadSav]

I've got drawn 2 years in a row. Worthless as far as I'm concerned. With the cost of the tag, gas, food etc, you can buy 1/2 a beef. I wouldn't shell out the money.

With that rational All hunting would not be worth it to me.  But thankfully for myself the value of hunting is much greater than the cost of beef.  In fact I have not eaten beef at home in over 30 years.

The wife and I buy the multi tags when we are given the opportunity.  And it has been great fun for us to spend all that time in the woods together.  One of my good friends decided the multi-deer was too expensive this year, but he had bought a new gun and decided to get the modern tag instead of the usual bow tag.  Modern season ended with no buck.  Oh well, he figured, next year I'll just get the archery tag again.  Thanksgiving came and he was in his favorite spot waiting for a cow to poke an arrow into.  As luck would have it a large blacktail buck spent about 30 minutes chasing does around well within his archery range.  At that moment $180.00 seemed like one heck of a bargain price.  Probably double that amount would have seemed like a deal right about then.

[steeleywhopper]

For me it is worth it. The wife and I adopted a son this last year, so my hunting time has been a bit sporatic to say the least. I went out for the Muzzy and rifle general and saw nothing but 2pts and possibly a couple of maybe legal bucks. I am now going out for the late muzzy this weekend and I think it will all come together. Worth it to me to extend my now sporatic hunting seasons.

[LarMar14]

I would've been out in the woods anyways, so why not hunt while i'm there? Def. worth it too me. I usually hunt modern for deer and i ended up taking a buck with my bow. My first archery kill and it was def. a different kind of rush and experience. Saw a lot of good bucks during the archery season!

[Turner89]

Worth it! I love to hunt.......... It's nice to be able to figure out archery, and know that I can still get "my" deer during modern.

[Angus]

This was the 1st time I've ever drawn anything in this state, MS deer, but who didn't? its been fun, I passed on a spike and a couple does during early archery, missed a nice buck with my muzzy on opening day of modern, now during late archery I'm shooting the 1st legal deer that offers a shot. As much as I've enjoyed all the time I've had to hunt, I won't shell out another $180 to do it again for deer. I would pay every year though for elk.

[Pathfinder101]

I drew it the first year it was offered and did just what you suggested in your post... fell right back into my "comfort zone".  I got it on the "redraw" though, and didn't even realize I had been drawn until well into archery season, so I didn't really get to bow hunt.  Went out a couple of times with the muzzy, but didn't see anything worth stalking.  Shot a buck during modern season right exactly when and where I would have done it with a $40 tag.  Haven't put in for it since.

But....

This season I had tabs on several nice bucks that were in stalkable positions during both bow and muzzy seasons.  I had work obligations on opening day, and by the time I got out to my spot, they had disappeared.  In the 3 days I got to hunt this season, the only thing I saw was 3 points, so I shot one on the last day of the season so the freezer wouldn't be empty.  Now I am seriously considering getting the multiseason tag this coming year to get a crack at one of those bucks before they dig foxholes and disappear.  Still not sure though, I am a high school teacher and my time off in the fall is limited.  I don't know that I can hunt enough to make a $180 tag "worth it"...

[Rickyrebar]

Save you money & time. Put in for a Montana tag. Washington state is DEAD.

[Selkirk]

It would be worth it to me...if I didn't remember how it used to be.  When I started hunting, if you wanted to hunt archery you would buy an archery stamp.  If you didn't score, you would hunt modern.  Late muzzleloader hunting meant you had to buy a muzzleloader stamp.  It was simple and not too expensive.  Then the state scrapped that system and made us choose a weapon.  They gave us great archery and muzzleloader hunts at first to draw hunters away from modern firearm hunting (which they said was putting too much pressure on the herds).  Hunters switched to bow-only hunting in droves (myself included).  Over the next few years, the bow seasons began to get shorter and most of the either-sex seasons became buck/bull only.  Then they decided to offer us a  chance to hunt with bow/modern/muzzleloader (like we always could until they took it away).  All we had to do was pay an application fee, win a drawing, and pay the money.  Yippee!!!  I just love having something taken away and then sold back to me at a much higher price.   

[washelkhunter]

It would be worth the $185 if you got a tag for each season for deer. Im ok with the cost for 1 elk.

[Pathfinder101]

Save you money & time. Put in for a Montana tag. Washington state is DEAD.

Not after their price hike.  $180 I can scrape up.  $600-and-some for a deer I can't (and I love to hunt Montana).

[Stizz]

This year was my first year with the multiseason tag, and I wouldn't hesitate a second to fork out the 180 again. To be honest with you I still have my tag in my pocket...but I was able to hunt archery whitetails, general rifle and late buck blacktails, late archery, and some muzzleloader mixed in, passing on some good bucks along the way. All in all I think i've spent more hours in the woods and learned more about deer than any other season i've ever hunted. To me thats what makes the money worth it, and I know right now that even if i end up not filling that tag during the rest of archery it will still have been worth every penny. 

[RadSav]

This year was my first year with the multiseason tag, and I wouldn't hesitate a second to fork out the 180 again. To be honest with you I still have my tag in my pocket...but I was able to hunt archery whitetails, general rifle and late buck blacktails, late archery, and some muzzleloader mixed in, passing on some good bucks along the way. All in all I think i've spent more hours in the woods and learned more about deer than any other season i've ever hunted. To me thats what makes the money worth it, and I know right now that even if i end up not filling that tag during the rest of archery it will still have been worth every penny. 

Well said. 

The squaw and I have shot fewer animals in years that we have had the multi-season tags.  But that has to do with the fact we feel more comfortable passing on marginal animals when we know there is still time to take that one great buck.  By the time late archery deer comes around we can take a look in the freezer and decide whether we have enough to get us through to next season.  If it looks like we need the meat we go ahead and take a late eater.  Either way our seasons have been filled with adventure and time in the woods together.  Even if sometimes the business suffers because we are alway "Gone Hunting!"

[csaaphill]

is the multi season only for deer, or both deer and elk?
OR do you have to put out another $180 for elk if drawn?
so $360 then?
a bit steep for me if that is how it goes.
If I could afford it though It'd be worth it.

[RadSav]

is the multi season only for deer, or both deer and elk?
OR do you have to put out another $180 for elk if drawn?
so $360 then?
a bit steep for me if that is how it goes.
If I could afford it though It'd be worth it.

You need to apply seperate for multi-deer and multi-elk.
There were 8,500 deer permits and 1000 elk permits drawn.
Price was $180.00 + $2.00 for the dealer fee if I remember correctly. 
So $364.00 if you were drawn for both.

I personally find good deer much harder to find than good elk.  So we really like the fact that the deer permits are easier to come by.  Though a multi-elk in our future would be a definate reason to throw a party.  So far neither the squaw or myself have been drawn for the multi-elk.  We're not that lucky   2012 was the first year we have both gotten a multi-deer.  That too was reason for a party even if it was pretty much a guarantee.

[grundy53]

To me it's worth it. I've bought it every year I've drawn it. It allows me the opportunities to hunt deer basically from September 1st through December 31st if I want. What more could a guy ask for. It really helped this year since my son was born September 12Th my hunting season has been more sporadic to say the least. So I'm glad I have a more spread out season to take advantage of the few opportunities I get to go out hunting.

[Skyvalhunter]

Yea it's worth it buy it so the state can put more money in the general fund

[Southpole]

Now that the state is handing the multi season deer tag out like candy, I won't put in for it anymore. I've seen waaay more hunting pressure during muzzle loader and archery season in the units that I hunt, where as a few years ago I would hardly see anyone at those times. Modern rifle is still crazy thick with people. I don't mind paying the money for it, but for me it's about the new crowds. What's the use of a "specially drawn" tag if the state is giving them out to everyone. 

[boneaddict]

Yes and no.  Peace of mind that there is more season to come.   I have bought it TWICE and needed it NIETHER time.  Thats not the WDFWs fault.   

Problems I think are happening....you have more bowhunters in the field that aren't proficient with their weapon.  More injured deer, etc.   

[MtnMuley]

I've got drawn 2 years in a row. Worthless as far as I'm concerned. With the cost of the tag, gas, food etc, you can buy 1/2 a beef. I wouldn't shell out the money.

Then why the hell even apply in the first place.

[bobcat]

I've got drawn 2 years in a row. Worthless as far as I'm concerned. With the cost of the tag, gas, food etc, you can buy 1/2 a beef. I wouldn't shell out the money.

Then why the hell even apply in the first place.

 

[CAMPMEAT]

Don't get me wrong fellas, I love to hunt ( coyotes ) . I just think it's to spendy for what is offered.

[Southpole]

Yes and no.  Peace of mind that there is more season to come.   I have bought it TWICE and needed it NIETHER time.  Thats not the WDFWs fault.   

Problems I think are happening....you have more bowhunters in the field that aren't proficient with their weapon.  More injured deer, etc.   

Yes, I was going to mention that as well. There a lot of hunters taking up new weapons they don't have enough practice or experience with.

[Broken Arrow]

I actually love the tag. My wife does not!

[TriggerHappy]

I think the $180 is well worth it. Over the last two years of having this tag i have held out on more deer then i have ever thought of doing and in return have shot better bucks. I have also missed my fair share  , i now have spots for early archery and modern and God forbid we have more fires next year i will have a muzzy spot. More spots for me equals knowledge for my kids that are now at the age where we can start thinking about hunting. I love the outdoor and this just gives me a reason to be there more. $180 + $1500 in fuel = alot more fun then you

[Eli346]

 I've drawn and bought the tag 5 out of 6 years. I just love getting out so it's nice to have a tag if that buck of a lifetime strolls by and you're carrying the weapon of choice for the season. I've had tag soup for 2 of those years just because I got a bit selective and couldn't seal the deal late in the season. I've yet to get one this year but I've passed on a few bucks and a whole ton of does. I'm heading out in the A.M. to try for a big buck I saw 2 weeks ago just before first light. Hopefully he'll come by my stand chasing a doe but if he doesn't that will be OK.

[Chesapeake]

I buy it and have fun hunting. Allows me to go out with friends on their hunts and have a tag if I feel like shooting. Lets you do new stuff and pick and choose your days and seasons.

Might eat mine this year. Just havent seen one I like yet, but might lower standards to the floor tomorrow just for the sausage meat.

But I dont ever think of the tag cost in direct relation to the animal. Like when people say "$180 is too much for a deer!". I've paid a lot more for tags in other states.

I'm paying for the experience, not the meat.
 

[Bootfish]

Some great responses to my original question and some different perspectives I hadnt thought about.  Like I said, I got drawn for it and as it got closer to the deadline I didnt buy it.  One reason I didnt is that this was the first year I hunted a different weapon from my son, who is in his third hunting season.  He hunted rifle, and I chose muzzleloader.  I was really into bowhunting a long while back, but havent done much in the last ten years or so, and know the discipline, practice, and preparation, and money (equipment) it takes to be at the top of your game, and I wasnt sure I was ready to jump into that again.  It worked out good though, my son shot a nice forkie blacktail the last week of rifle, and I go to hunt the early muzzie season and tagged out in the late with a fine blacktail buck, and he was with me for that.  So, in the end, I guess we both got to experience "multi seasons" without buying the "multi season" tag.   

[The scout]

I think its well worth it the main reason being i love being in the woods hunting,the other being i can apply for rifle and muzzle quallity hunts but if i dont draw one i can still hunt archery.had twin boys in march so didnt apply for it this year thinking i wouldn't have the time to use it. regreted it alot of the season. you get a day here or a weekend there to go.worked out but spent those times i would've been hunting to go scouting instead. made for a short hunt.I'll be applying next year

[TriggerHappy]

Another reason Sept. is dedicated to Elk for me if a nice deer steps out that's great but i only have a few days in Sept. to hunt deer. More time more selective better quality...

[TONTO]

   Multi Season Deer, is it worth it??
I'll let you know when I get around to filling it
I got drawn for both multi season deer and elk this year, as well as a second deer permit. Add in my small game, bear cougar and bird validation and I was in for $600
Filled my elk tag opening weekend of early archery, filled my 2nd deer(doe) tag during modern, freezer is full so I'm still holding out for a late archery buck, have passed several legal archery does and a small spike so far. Season is winding down and I am thinking about lowering my standard and taking the next legal deer but who knows I may hold out till the end for that buck, the multi tag gives me that option and  the 2nd deer tag took the presure off. Yeah I paid way too much, but I still think it was worth it, I have been spending a lot of time in the woods and after all that IS what I live for. Toss in the new option to use archery equipment in my home muzzle unit and you just simply can not slap the smile off my face.

[grundy53]

I've drawn and bought the tag 5 out of 6 years. I just love getting out so it's nice to have a tag if that buck of a lifetime strolls by and you're carrying the weapon of choice for the season. I've had tag soup for 2 of those years just because I got a bit selective and couldn't seal the deal late in the season. I've yet to get one this year but I've passed on a few bucks and a whole ton of does. I'm heading out in the A.M. to try for a big buck I saw 2 weeks ago just before first light. Hopefully he'll come by my stand chasing a doe but if he doesn't that will be OK.

 

[Kowsrule30]

I use to get it... Now I don't..... Not worth the cost imo when I can usually kill a deer during regular short season...

[buglebuster]

I think its well worth it the main reason being i love being in the woods hunting,the other being i can apply for rifle and muzzle quallity hunts but if i dont draw one i can still hunt archery.had twin boys in march so didnt apply for it this year thinking i wouldn't have the time to use it. regreted it alot of the season. you get a day here or a weekend there to go.worked out but spent those times i would've been hunting to go scouting instead. made for a short hunt.I'll be applying next year

how about you apply and draw, hold out on buying it. Buy a rifle deer tag and apply for special permits. If you get drawn great, if not go buy the multiseason and fall back on archery like normal