Meat or Trophy? I go for the meat!!!!

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DobermansDoItGoofy

New member
Honestly, I just don't get a thrill out of measuring 'antler size'. I don't care if the hog is a 'big one'. Don't misunderstand - I don't go for game that is too young...but I just go out there and say 'Gosh, that looks like a nice respectable steak - and yeah he's old enough!' In regard to hogs - I actually prefer smaller and tender as opposed to bigger and badder. I won't deliberatly bypass a trophy - but it's not what primarily motivates me to hunt. I have nothing to prove in regard to 'trophies' and taxidermy...can be a leeeetle to expensive for me. :cool:
 
This year when i go out ill be looking for a big one but that wont be my only objective. I can get drawn for Mule deer (X3) Moose (X1) and purchase a white tail tag so meat isnt going to be a concern for me if i get one big animal then the rest will be just for meat to eat while im away for my second year of college.
 
meat or trophy?

I only have so much wall space/freezer space/storage and living space. So while I would really like having a monster rack hanging above the mantle, I need the mantle first. For the time being, I can only eat so much salami/jerky/burger--but I love a nice, tender steak. So I have no problem passing on the trophies to take the young ones. They "meat" my needs just fine.
 
If you're hunting whitetail deer, shooting antlered deer will assure you of having an ever increasing supply of runts eating everything green in sight. Hunting does will reduce the total numbers of the herd and allow better nutrition for the ones that are left. I've hunted does for the last 3 years and am just getting to the point where I don't have deer eating all our flowers, fruit trees and vegetables. So now I have something else to eat besides prime venison.
 
Meat hunting is the most viable defense of our sport. The average urban American has no quarrel with this reason for hunting, according to a national poll. Even liberals have responded favorably to the subject of meat hunting.

A big herd bull is a stinky animal. The meat is less than ideal. Yet meat from a young bull or cow elk is a genuine pleasurable dining experience!

A big buck antelope is equally stinky during the rut. Yet a youngster (kid) buck tastes a lot like lamb.

A big mule deer buck is fine animal for eating. Every now and again, I catch one that is a stinky old buck. I haven't hunted whitetails much but the ones I've shot were good eatin' animals.

I'm NOT against trophy hunting. But it is difficult to explain/ defend to the average non-hunting urbanite.
Jack
 
Meat
We have a very liberal bag limit in most counties for whitetail around here. MeekAndMild nailed it. It helps the population to shoot some does and I agree that they taste better.
I do usually hold off on the does during bow season, though. After that, meat.
 
For sure, gotta take does off the land.

When I first moved back to the old family place outside Austin, TX, we had way too many deer on the place from a dozen years of no hunting there or on the neighbors' places.

I cured that. Ate bunches of deer meat, and fed lots of friends. All year 'round. :)

After three years of gutting more deer than I really enjoyed, body weights were up almost 30%, average. By getting rid of mature spikes and "scraggle horns", I started seeing decent racks.

But I've killed some pretty good bucks and they ate pretty doggoned good, just like the does. I did all my own butchering and learned how to cook, so that helped a lot.

By and large, generally--which means most of the time but not always--your old mossy-horned bucks go into rut after the younger deer. Guess who's already Done The Dastardly Deed? Killing a bragging buck for a trophy isn't gonna hurt the genetics any...

Art
 
I gotta be honest, If Legal & Brown, It Goes Down!

But last year was the first time I specifically hunted a pair of does (I know, DOES??!! Hey, a guy has to start somewhere, right?). Anyway, the thrill of hunting those specific animals and tracking them and waiting for them at a spot that I knew they would show, and then actually having them show, and hitting one, was the biggest thrill I've ever had.

The worst was when I lost her due following the blood trail too soon for fear of losing it because of heavy rain, so I wound up pushing her too much and never found her again.:(
 
Because of my culinary ability with venison I have become all about the meat. I used to take it to the processor and pick up these vacuum packed, who knows who shot it,packages.

Now I process myself and when cooked correctly venison is like no other meat. I've also recently learned the art of jerky on my new smoker. I made 6 lbs of meat into jerky the other day and it was gone in 2 days.(I have 3 kids).

I shot 5 does and zero bucks last year and about 70% of the meat is gone.
 
I'm not lucky enough to get shots at trophy bucks, so I try to take my limit of deer every year based on, the older does, scrub bucks, and deer that look poor.
Most of mine gets mixed with beef or pork, and turned into burger anyway, so tenderness is not a big issue.
I eat everything I harvest(except for vermin)and every year I give away the left over meat in my freezer, so I don't keep it to long. Easy to do because there are so many people who need the meat.
What I'm trying to say is, try to shoot deer that will improve your lease or area, and don't waste anything.
This will keep everybody off your back, and some day you might be blessed with that "Once in a lifetime buck".
 
Meat, but won't pass up a trophy buck. No desire to take a hugh boar, I'm happier cleaning and eating the 70-90 pounders.
 
Hate to argue this point but I don't hunt for meat, I hunt because I like to. Lets face it the time and effort most people put into hunting these days it is cheaper to go buy meat at the counter. Of course the ethical answer will always be "I hunt for meat, to hell with the Trophy". The fact is most trophy hunters donate the meat to people who need it. Deep down inside all hunters want the big trophy on the wall that they can brag about with all of their buddies.

Last elk hunt I went on cost me a lot of money.

$45.00 Hunting license
$110.00 Fuel 600miles/15MPGX2.75gal
$180.00 Motel @ 30 per night, couldn't camp in hunting area
$100.00 Meal, drinks, snacks incidentals 7 days @ 14.28 per day
$140.00 Processing fee for elk, too hot to let hang outside
$600.00 Missed overtime from work 20 hrs
$1175.00 Total

600lb cow elk (no antlers on the wall)
300lb carcass 50% live weight average
215lb processed after de-bone and trim, plus friends and family wanting some
$1175/215lb=$5.47 per pound

Granted I could have done this hunt cheaper, but like I said most of us don't hunt for meat we hunt for love of the hunt. I got to hunt on private property for free and got to deal with less hunters than on public lands that is why I couldn't camp. Before you go and say you are strictly a meat hunter take time to consider what you spend to do what you love in tags, gear, transportation, leases, property and time. I could have bought a lot of T-bones for 5.47 a pound but the hunt was Priceless!
 
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There exist two types of QDM schools of thought. Those that think QDM means quality deer management and those that think it means quality deer meat. Meat people here.
 
a friend of mine shoots does because he says they taste better..

I don't hunt for trophies..I've passed some good ones up..I sure like to line up a good shot on them (counting coup if you will) but I don't take them home anymore
 
I have never been a trophy hunter. I do have minimum standards for what deer I will take, but I don't hold out for something special. Meat in the freezer is my main goal. Once I fill the icebox, then I get more selective.
The last deer I shot was on Thanksgiving Day. I was in a tree stand on a friends farm just up the road from where I live now. I don't think I was in the stand for more than 10 min before the deer showed on the trail.
Gas to the farm: $5.00
Bullet $.35
6 pack $4.50
Total $9.85

Meat after cleaning, about 65 pounds, or about $.15/lb.

Not bad at all, and delicious :D
 
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