TROPHY HUNTER or DEER SLAYER ?

B

BIG P

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Just wondering how many guys just hunt for a Trophy BUCK
And how many hunt to fill the freezer.How many deer do you take in a given season.Myself I try to take 10 or 12 Maybe a few more for familys that cant hunt, what say ya'll.;)
 
Well, in the past I have lived by "if its brown its down". Since my family doesn't eat the meat (except me) I have always given it away to those who didn't hunt but appreciated the venison.

I have been trying for 3 weeks now to give away what's left in the freezer without success. So, I think this year unless its a nice buck it will get to walk.
 
Both;)

Early on I will take a couple of Doe this year and wait until post-rut to take the Bucks so the Seed is spread and I think this year I will stay away from the Spikes and bottun Bucks.
 
Im not particular as to which sex the deer is, although a doe is slightly easier to dress out than a buck. But, I will not pass up a nice buck if it happens to wander into my line of sight. There are those on my deer lease that take only bucks, but Im just not that into it. And, for those of us who hunt either, we help a bit in the balance for buck to doe ratios.
 
Depends on where you live and the difficulty of getting a tag and a place to hunt. When I lived in NV, you MIGHT get a tag every other year or so, so most folks went for big body and big horns.

Living here in the South where tags are issued by the multi-pack, things are done differently
 
I try to kill two per season since that's what my family will need. We still buy chicken but we haven't bought beef in over 15 years. I prefer to take mature bucks but won't hesitate to kill a cull buck or fat doe as the season winds down.
 
I pretty much prefer does, they look the same in the freezer, and for some reason more people seem to be willing to have a few taken off their land.

That being said, I have shot a couple of bucks if the landowner desired it... a really tasty one last season... :D
 
Trophy hunt.....don't eat as much venison since the kids have grown and gone. The real challenge is matching wits with a mature savvy old buck that matured and out smarted all the other hunters.
 
Living here in the South where tags are issued by the multi-pack, things are done differently
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Yep. We can legally kill six in one day this year. Would be a boring and short season to just kill for meat and I really wouldn't need to leave the house, just put a window up.
 
Bucks or does?

On the one hand, you can't eat antlers.....

...... on the other hand, those antlers make handy handles for dragging.

On the one hand, bucks are a little scarcer than does where I hunt....

...... on the other hand, there are so many deer where I hunt, it scarcely matters.

On the one hand, mature bucks are more wary (and thus more of a challenge)....

.... on the other, firearm deer season here coincides with the rut, when pretty much all the bucks are dumb as doorknobs if they think there is a hot doe in the area.

This year, I will be guiding my 2 daughters (the younger on her first hunt!), so it will be up to them what they take. I'll be along for the walk.....
 
Where I hunt the ratio does to bucks we have far more does I try to just shoot 8 points or better & 16''spread& 2nd year does.I really like the 100 to 125lbs.makes the best table fair IMO.
 
GOLDEN STATE in GA we can take 12 deer total 2 bucks 10 does the whole family are big deer meat fans so it takes that many to feed the family for the most part deer here aint very big around 120 to 140lbs.
 
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Trophy hunter. I'm pretty much a trophy hunter. I will shoot a couple of does and culls every year for management purposes, but I don't drop the hammer on bucks unless I'm going to put it on the wall. We are pretty big into the management. The bucks have to be 4+ and hopefully in the 5 or 6 yr old range. However, the deer meat never goes to waste. It's either give to friends or people that need it. I put one in my freezer every year. I love deer meat and was raised eating deer meat, but my wife isn't crazy about it, and she does the cooking. I'm slowly getting her to come around. If it's sausage, she'll most likely eat it. But getting a whole deer processed into breakfast sausage, link sausage, and smoked sausage can get pricey real quick.
 
Strictly meat gatherer! If i could coax the dang thing into my front door and whack it in the head with a hammer, I sure would!

I am after barely legal critters! Something I can toss on my shoulders and hump it to the truck.

Brent
 
Man you guys down south have it great. We are only allowed 1 deer per season in Washington state. Some guys are lucky enough to draw a tag for a doe or 1 additional deer.
 
I have my antlered tag that comes with the license in PA and I also got 4 extra antlerless tags. I am letting the buck walk this year unless I get a shot at something 10 points or bigger. I will be just as happy filling the 4 antlerless tags. We tend to stay away from small ones. Sometimes it is hard to tell even at 20 yards if it is a button buck. We like to let them grow up. Plus we have a lot of deer so taking out some of the breeding age doe is a really good thing. In years past I have waited till later in the season to start shooting antlerless deer. This year my buddy and I decided that starting opening day we will be shooting them if given a shot.

I shoot for meat first.
 
Never have been interested in trophy hunting. Strictly for food. What my family couldn't eat went to friends and neighbors.
 
I slay the does and try to only shoot trophy bucks above 145-150 class. It is not unusual for me to go buckless for a season, doesn't bother me, I'd rather take does than to shoot a small buck that is going to grow for next season.
 
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