I can't speak to your area, but what finally made me start buying bear tags was a situation on high buck where a bear came within 80 yards of me, totally oblivious, and I couldn't shoot it because I didn't have a tag. A little later a guy up on a ridge high above me took a couple long ass shots at the bear - don't know if they got it down or not. With a tag on hand, I could have taken an ethical shot and had some meat. Without, I got to witness that crap. What are they, $20?