Your float bowls should stay full for weeks, even months. The only way they should go empty is by evaporation. I have a tri-power with no choke and I pump it a couple times and hit the stater and she's ready to fly. I also have a Holley 800 DP with no choke and it can sit for 6 months and all I do is pump it once and hit the starter and its ready to hammer on.
Then I have a Q jet with choke and it is the least friendly to start. If it sits a while like 3 weeks or more I need to set the choke by depressing the gas full. This releases the choke from its last position which would be fully open when engine was driven and warmed up. The choke should/will snap closed and then I turn it over for about 4 seconds to get fuel pressure up and fill accellerator pump cavity and bowl if any gas has leaked,which mine does. (If it doesn't leak you can hit the gas to set the choke, and then give it a couple times to prime the intake and it will fire up) Then I pump another 4 or five times and repeat till it starts. Once it starts, the fast idle keeps it running until the temp gets warm while driving, you may have to hit the gas a bit more to release the choke. Its a pretty simple design..
I have also had other Q-jets fire up instantly after hitting the gas once and then hitting the ignition. These carbs didn't leak gas like alot of Q-jets do. Get Cliff Ruggles book to set up your Q-jet to run its optimal potential.
It all depends on the carb.